In Mikhev's view, rival Miri Design Bureau's Mi-28 continues their traditional Mi-8 and Mi-24, using traditional tail rotor solutions, as well as the dual rotors of the internal V-50 and V-100, but the independent shaft systems are not effective enough.

Replace Mi-24

1976 Bell YAH-63 and sius shioth YAH-64 are carrying out the final competitive test flight of the Advanced Armed Helicopter (AAH) program. The pressure from the AAH project is not just on the technicians on both sides of the competition. On the other side of the planet, the Soviet aviation industry also felt huge pressure. The Soviet Union had no weapons that were equal to it at this time. @nordland Today's Headlines Original first release

YAH-63

Research shows that large Mi-24 cannot carry out long-term combat activities in areas protected by enemy air defense system . The solution appears to be a smaller but more flexible helicopter that carries its own advanced fire control system and is able to interact and collaborate with other units carrying external target marking equipment. The new helicopter is lighter than the Mi-24 and will not experience performance degradation even at high temperatures and altitudes. The intended uses include rapid raids and support.

YAH-64

On October 16, 1976, Soviet Ministers' Meeting and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union issued a joint resolution numbered 1043-361, ordering the development and manufacture of a combat helicopter designed specifically for operations. Undertake anti-tank and ground support tasks under hostile air defense systems. Kamov Design Bureau received the task and immediately started R&D.

V-80 Coaxial dual rotor

Kamov began to be developed as required, and the prototype used V-80 number. In January 1977, the design of V-80 (also known internally as 800) was guided by Mikhev, the then head of the Design Bureau. Much of the work was undertaken by the outstanding engineer Szergej Nyikolajevics Fomin kamov.

Fuming (left) and Mikhev (right)

Before this, the Kamov Design Bureau had already conducted many internal discussions on the next generation of combat helicopters, such as the V-50 for the longitudinal twin-rotor (

In Mikhev's view, the Mi-28 of the design bureau continued their tradition on Mi-8 and Mi-24, using the traditional tail rotor solution, as well as the V-50 and V-100 inside Kamov The dual rotor but independent shaft system is not effective enough. The former is especially important, and tail rotor damage accidents are prone to occur during landing, and the tail rotor will occupy the main engine power during normal flight. There are no problems with coaxial twin rotors.

coaxial twin rotor transmission system will be simpler, shorter and less loss. According to the design bureau's estimate, the tail rotor layout occupies 10-12% of the main engine power, plus two rotor planes The aerodynamic advantage of the coaxial twin rotor efficiency has been increased by 16-22%, resulting in a hover height of 0.5-1 km higher than the tail rotor layout of the same engine and a climb speed of 14-18 km/h.

It is very important that this helicopter is smaller because there are no two main rotors and one tail frame. On the one hand, the rotor diameter itself is smaller because there are two rotors that produce buoyancy, the other In terms of the fuselage, the radar has better detectability. In addition, the coaxial dual rotor is easier to control due to its symmetrical aerodynamic design, so it is actually easier to allow pilots to fly. The short rotor tip linear speed of the short rotor at the same speed is lower, so the theoretical speed is higher. The dual rotor is symmetrical, so the hover performance is better, and the noise is lower due to the lower blade linear speed, without interference from the tail rotor and main rotor airflow.

The early version of 6

V-80 adopts a series of two seats, continuing the round and streamlined cockpit design of the V-100, with the engine arranged above the rear of the cockpit. The streamlined fuselage is connected to the H-tail, with short wings on both sides of the fuselage, and a weapon hanger on each side. The wing tip is the landing gear cabin, and the main landing gear that can be retracted is stored. It seems that the front landing gear should be stored below the cockpit. There is also a sighting device under the cockpit, without a rotating turret, and an cannon is fixed to the left side of the cockpit.

V-80 Single-seat

V-80 has also designed similar to Apache cockpits, using the used double tail braces on Ka-26

The second major decision to lay the layout is to reduce one crew member of the V-80. All competitive and potential combat opponents (Mi-24, AH-1, AH-64) and Kamov's own previous designs (Ka-25F, V-50, V-100) are equipped with crews that cooperate with pilots and weapons operators. The V-80 was also a two-person crew at the beginning, but then things changed. Kamov has tested a single-person crew on Ka-25 and -27 anti-submarine helicopters (ASWs) that fly independently to the target based on sensor input and feedback data, then hover in the attack position, and complete anti-submarine operations by working with other single-person crews, even if most of the work could not be fully automated at the time.

The original single-seat design, arc-shaped fighter cockpit, and the engine was changed to both sides to reduce the fuselage height

At that time, on the Mi-24, only the front operator (weapon operator) could aim at the guided anti-tank missile with the only aiming device, but the launch action still required the helicopter to complete a more accurate nose pointing, and this action could only be completed with the full cooperation of the crew. The version that uses a rotating turret is similar. The pilot must operate the aircraft into the position and be roughly aimed at the target. Kamov's logic is that during combat, the pilot must know the target position well, and one person should be better than two people in harmony. As for the busyness during the launch of weapons, automation can be replaced. The Design Bureau has extensive experience in highly automated systems and is confident that it can reduce the burden on a single-person unit through automation equipment.

The reduced weight is used to strengthen the cockpit armor, the V-80 adds a narrow cockpit design with angular reinforced glass, and provides the crew with a set of unique escape devices in helicopters - ejection seats.

To prove the rationality of the above scheme, Kamov also built a flight simulator, the modified Ka-29 supporting combat helicopter, which has a single-person cabin, and the test results are encouraging. At this point, the basic configuration of the Kamov V-80 solution has been determined. The new machine was named Ka-50. . On June 17, 1982, the V-80 prototype completed a not-so-smooth first flight . The next step was to compete with the Mi-28, the old rival Miri Design Bureau. @nordland Today's headlines Original first

full-size model, the pilot in the photo is Yevgeni Ivanovic Laliushen Reserve Lieutenant General, Kamov's chief test pilot

Prototype under construction

The first prototype No. 010, note that the window behind is fake, Western media has been confused for a long time, V-80 two-seater scheme without square windows

second prototype No. 011