ODK-Klimov has for the first time flown its new VK-650V engine, which should replace all foreign solutions for helicopters weighing up to 4 tons. The engine started unusually: it helped the light multi-purpose Mi-34M1 helicopter to make its first flight at the M. L. Mil and N. I. Kamov National Helicopter Center.
The engine successfully provided the helicopter with take-off, hovering and landing. A new gearbox for the power plant was also tested during the flight.
It is known that in 2024 it is planned to produce ten prototypes of the VK-650V engine, four of which are intended for flight tests necessary for certification. Mass production of the VK-650V for domestic multi-purpose and special helicopters with a take-off weight of up to 4 tons is planned to be launched in 2025.
Mi-34M1 is a modification of the Mi-34 helicopter, which has been in the sky since 1986. It is most likely to receive a new VK-650V engine, which has not yet been certified, and a new gearbox for this engine. There is almost no information about this project in open sources, according to some reports, the Mi-34M1 prototype that took to the air is a reincarnation of the modernized Mi-34S1 helicopter.
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