The UAE’s Tawazun is to take a 50% stake in Russian Helicopters subsidiary VR-Technology, the two companies announced on 18 November.
Russian Helicopters plans to invest approximately EUR400 million (USD442.6 million) in the company, Russian Helicopters general manager Andrey Boginskiy told Jane’s .
VR-Technologies is developing the VRT-500 helicopter as a response to urban transport challenges. (Charles Forrester/IHS Markit)
VR-Technologies designs and develops helicopters and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft. The company has been focusing its development of rotary-wing aircraft on a new helicopter for the urban mobility market. Called the VRT-500, the light single-engine helicopter is being designed to fulfil a number of roles, such as air taxi. Featuring co-axial rotors and clam-shell rear doors, the helicopter will feature a metallic frame with composite skin to speed certification. The first flight of the VRT-500 will take place in 2020, with the company aiming for a type certification by the end of 2022. VR-Technologies will establish a production facility outside Rome, Italy, for the helicopter.
The company also plans to fit the VRT-500 with an electric motor and battery to provide an emergency redundancy flight time. Currently, issues with engine redundancy limit single-engine helicopter operations over urban environments.
“There was a strong interest from Tawazun in this project, based on the growth of cities in the future. The helicopter has a small rotor blade diameter, and is safer because there is no tail rotor,” Boginsky added.
Future participation by Tawazun in areas such as manufacture and industrialisation are yet to be agreed, Boginskiy added.
VR-Technologies’ general manager Alexander Okhonko told Jane’s
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