The serial Mi-2 helicopter has been successfully converted into an unmanned aerial vehicle, which reduces operating costs by up to 25%. This statement was made by Igor Gladun, Head of Marketing Communications at UVR, the company that developed the solution, at the "Unmanned Aviation – 2026" forum.
The company's engineers removed all crew equipment from the machine — instrument panels, controls, life support systems. In their place, they installed their own autopilot boards, servos, and a ground control station based on two rugged laptops.
By removing the "human" load, it was possible to slightly increase the payload while maintaining all the original flight characteristics of the helicopter.
The unmanned Mi-2 is capable of carrying from 200 to 500 kilograms of cargo — both in the cabin and on an external sling.
The machine is fully suitable for monitoring forests, delivering medicines to hard-to-reach areas, treating fields with agrochemicals, and extinguishing fires.
Igor Gladun emphasized that converting existing helicopters is significantly cheaper than developing new unmanned platforms from scratch. He noted the widespread use of the Mi-2 in former USSR countries, established spare parts production, and the possibility of repairs at the Ural Civil Aviation Plant. This reduces downtime risks and lowers maintenance costs for the fleet.