Russian Helicopters Begins Certification of Mi-171A2 Helicopter in Brazil

The Russian Helicopters holding company, part of State Corporation Rostec, and the

Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) have delivered technical and operational

documentation for the Mi-171A2 helicopter to the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency.

Brazilian aviation authorities will decide on the certification of the helicopter for the local market

based on its application.

“Brazil is our long-time partner and one of the key countries in South America for the promotion of

Russian helicopter products. Mi-171A1 helicopters have been successfully operating in the

country for more than 10 years, and I am sure that the new helicopter will soon also have the

opportunity to earn a positive reputation. Brazil’s certification authority is processing the

documentation received on the Mi-171A2. Considering experience certifying the Mi-171A1

helicopter, I think that this issue will be resolved in a short time,” said general director of Russia

Helicopters Andrey Boginsky.

“In light of Brazil’s high demand for mid-class multipurpose helicopters, we are bringing to the

local market a new machine — modern, roomy and reliable. The Mi-171A2 helicopter provides

long range, which is important for a country where the machines are operated in hard-to-reach

areas. We intend to develop after-sales service as part of an international partnership to

guarantee maximum operational life and as a prerequisite for flight safety,” added director of the

Rostec aviation cluster Anatoly Serdyukov.

In 2005, the Mi-171A1 helicopter optimized for the requirements of European commercial

operators and the FAR-29 aviation regulations received approval for the Type Certificate in the

Brazilian Aviation Register. During its development, special attention was paid to safety issues. In

the same year, the first Mi-171A1 helicopter was delivered to Brazil.

In 2010, the Mi-171A1 helicopter, presented by the operating company Atlas Taxi Aereo, won a

Brazilian state oil and gas company Petrobras tender to carry out aerial work in the Amazon due

to its positive characteristics and price/quality ratio.

The T-HUMS system (onboard monitoring and diagnostics system) was installed in the new Mi-

171A1 helicopter for the first time on an order by the Brazilian company. It provides automatic

monitoring of a large range of nodes in real time, significantly increasing flight safety. The use of

the T-HUMS system also makes it possible to transition to maintenance “as-is,” and not according

to the regulations, which can significantly reduce the financial costs of the operating company and

increase the efficiency of the helicopter business.

Mi-171A1 helicopters were used by Atlas Taxi Aereo in harsh environmental conditions to support

Petrobras drilling in the rainforests of Brazil, and they showed their best side. In a year of intensive

operation, one helicopter, for example, flew more than 1,000 hours (an average of 120 hours per

month), moving about 600 tons of cargo, mainly drilling equipment, on an external mount.

The Mi-171A2 was developed based on this helicopter, the result of a thorough modernization of

the Mi-8/17 helicopters. More than 80 changes have been made to the design of the Mi-171A2.

The helicopter is equipped with VK-2500PS-03 engines (a civilian version of the engines installed

on the Mi-28 combat helicopters) with a digital control system. One of the most important

differences between the Mi-171A2 and the helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family is the new carrier

system. The helicopter has a more efficient X-shaped tail rotor and a new main rotor with integral

composite blades with an improved aerodynamic layout. In August 2017, the helicopter received a

Type A certificate from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, which indicates implementation

of the most stringent safety requirements for civilian helicopters.