Images: (c) Oleg Podkladov / russianplanes.net
According to the Russian media, OJSC “Russian Helicopters” supervised the first prototype of the light helicopter Mi-34M1, equipped with the VK-650V turbo-shaft engine from OJSC “UEC-Klimov,” as it conducted its inaugural hovering flight at the M.L. Mil and N.I. Kamov National Helicopter Center in Tomilino, Moscow Region, on October 15, 2024. The Mi-34M1 helicopter is a modernized version of the Mi-34C light helicopter family, featuring piston engines. There has been no official announcement about the Mi-34M1 program or its first prototype flight tests.
The Mi-34 is a light civilian helicopter that was mainly developed in the Soviet Union. It was developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and introduced in the late 1980s. The helicopter was primarily designed for civilian purposes, including flight training, private/personal transport, aerial surveillance, police operations, and agricultural labor. The Mi-34 was primarily a civilian aircraft, despite the fact that some variants were proposed for military training purposes. This is in contrast to many other Mil helicopters, such as the Mi-24 or Mi-28, which were particularly designed for military combat roles. The Mi-34’s production was limited and it was not as widely adopted as had been hoped.
In the light civilian helicopter market segment, the Mi-34 met competition from a variety of helicopters, both domestically and internationally. It competed with the Kazan Ansat, a modern light utility helicopter that gained more market acceptance, and the Kamov Ka-226, a more successful light multipurpose helicopter, in the Russian market. The Eurocopter EC120 (now Airbus H120), the Bell 206 JetRanger, the Schweizer 300/Hughes 300, and the American Robinson R44 were its main international competitors. The latter became one of the most popular light civilian helicopters worldwide. The Robinson R44, which dominated the light helicopter market with its combination of reliability, lower operating costs, and established support network, was a formidable competitor for the Mi-34. The commercial success of Western helicopters was largely due to their superior avionics, more contemporary features, and more comprehensive maintenance support. The Robinson R44 was particularly favored for private ownership and flight training, which were the primary functions of the Mi-34.
The Russian media reports that the M.L. Mil and N.I. Kamov National Helicopter Center converted the first flight prototype of the Mi-34M1 (C-1, OP-2, tail number “1002”) in 2024 from the second prototype of the modernized Mi-34C1 helicopter with the M9FV piston engine, which made its first flight on August 4, 2011, but discontinued in 2013 due to testing issues and has since been in storage.
In June 2024, OJSC “Russian Helicopters” announced the transfer of the first prototypes of the VK-650V engines produced by OJSC “United Engine Corporation” (UEC) for testing as part of the prototypes of the modernized helicopters (which also included the Ka-226 and Ansat). The development of the VK-650V (takeoff power of 650 hp, emergency power of 750 hp) has been ongoing at UEC-Klimov (Saint Petersburg) for a long time, with optimistic claims in recent years about the possibility of VK-650V certification by the end of 2024 and the start of series production in 2025. The engine may not be ready for several years. The progress in developing gearboxes for this engine is also uncertain.
Although the Mi-34M1 program with the VK-650V engine aligns with the primary objective of the Russian aviation industry, which is currently facing significant challenges in developing new designs and prefers to engage in endless upgrades and revivals of Soviet-era models, including those as unsuccessful as the Mi-34, there is a dearth of information regarding the program. The Russian Federation’s increasing international isolation exacerbates this process, and it appears that “Russian Helicopters” initiated the Mi-34M1 program after the political collapse of the promising light helicopter VRT500 program, which involved broad international cooperation and targeted foreign markets.
On September 30, the ATO.ru resource reported on another project to revive the Mi-34.
On September 30, a Russian Media ATO reported on another project to revive the Mi-34. “Russian Helicopters” has returned to the idea of resurrecting the production of the light single-engine Mi-34 helicopter, wrote ATO. Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of the region, announced that Tatarstan will now assemble this model, which the Arsenyev Aviation Company “Progress” in the Primorsky Krai produced in the 1990s.
“This year, a decision was made to produce a new type of Mi-34 helicopter (at the Kazan Helicopter plant),” he stated on September 27 during his address to the State Council of Tatarstan.
So far, “Russian Helicopters” has not officially commented on the launch of the program.
However, Mikhail Korotkevich, General Director of the National Helicopter Center of “Russian Helicopters,” revealed plans to revive the Mi-34 with a new Russian gas turbine engine, the VK-650, at the International Congress on Aeronautics in Moscow in December 2023. Initially, they developed this engine to replace the Western power units on the twin-engine “Ansat” and Ka-226 helicopters.
“Our project is to make the most of the Mi-34’s existing design,” said Korotkevich.
He clarified that this aircraft is the basis for three modifications, each with a capacity of four to eight people.
The first phase will involve developing a new gearbox for the VK-650 and redesigning the fuel system. “We won’t touch the main systems of the airframe, except for the passenger and cargo areas,” the General Director of the National Helicopter Center explained. The takeoff weight of the remotorized aircraft will be 1.55 tons.
The second phase plans to completely redesign the helicopter’s airframe, landing gear, fuel system, and tail rotor blades to increase passenger capacity. The six-seat modification’s takeoff weight will increase to 1.75 tons.
For the most capacious version with a takeoff weight of nearly two tons, the main rotor and swashplate will be redesigned.
“As part of one project, we get three types of aircraft,” summarized Korotkevich.
“Russian Helicopters” has attempted to revive the Mi-34 program multiple times to add a single-engine gas turbine helicopter to its lineup that could compete with models such as the Airbus H125 and H130, Agusta AW119, and Bell 407 and 505.
The DOSAAF requested the development of the Mi-34 in the 1980s for pilot training; this helicopter initially had the M-14V26B piston engine.
In 2009, “Russian Helicopters” announced plans to revive production of this model in two variants. The Mi-34C1 modification was to use a more modern piston engine, the M9FV. The Mi-34C2 version was planned to be equipped with the French Turbomeca Arrius 2F gas turbine engine.
Later, “Russian Helicopters” abandoned this program in favor of developing a new light helicopter in partnership with the Italian company Agusta Westland. After halting cooperation with the Italians in 2014, the Russian manufacturer negotiated with the aviation corporation AVIC to assemble the Mi-34 in China. The project did not progress beyond negotiations, despite the expectation of installing Chinese engines on the helicopters.
The Mi-34 variant, which is equipped with the VK-650V turboshaft engine, would render the helicopter more advantageous for specific applications by enhancing its hot-and-high performance, ensuring more consistent power delivery, enhancing altitude capabilities, and enhancing fuel efficiency. The helicopter’s overall efficacy and versatility in a variety of operational conditions would be improved by this engine modification, rendering it more suitable for its intended civilian purposes.
The upgraded Mi-34 would be better equipped to compete against more potent light helicopters, such as the Bell 407, Airbus H125 (formerly Eurocopter AS350), and MD 500E, with the improved capabilities of the VK-650V turboshaft engine. The enhanced performance characteristics would also place it in closer competition with the more capable variants of the Kamov Ka-226T and the turbine-powered version of the Kazan Ansat. These enhancements would enable it to compete with turbine-powered competitors in its class on the international market, particularly in challenging environments where the improved altitude capabilities and enhanced hot-and-high performance would be valuable assets. Nevertheless, the Mi-34 would still need to surmount obstacles associated with market presence, support infrastructure, and the established competition from Western manufacturers who have dominated this segment for years.
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