Blog on World of Civil Airplanes : Aerokopter AK1-3

Intoduction :

The Aerocopter company was founded in 1999 by I.V. Polituchy, A.N. Zapishny, and A.I. Polituchy with the purpose of creating a design office for creating and experimentally producing a light helicopter. After conducting marketing research, it was decided to create a light two-seat helicopter with a piston engine and an airborne weight of 650-700 kg. The first experimental helicopter was flown on October 12, 2001. This helicopter was used for many ground and factory tests so that constructional elements could be improved and engineering processes for units and parts could be worked through. The second AK1-3 was flown in July 2003.

The Amazing AK1-3 Helicopter is a lightweight helicopter that has been designed and built for a wide range of practical purposes including:

· Surveillance, monitoring of borders, facilities and territories;
· search missions;
· geological exploration, aerial photography;
· pilot training;
· aerial spraying (crops);
· business and pleasure flights;
· aerial sports competitions.

The AK1-3 helicopter conforms to International Airworthiness Regulations (FAR, Part 27) for normal category rotorcraft and international noise abatement regulations. The AK1-3 is certified under The State Administration of Ukraine for Aviation Safety Oversight and bears a Type Certificate Number ?? 0008. When empty, the helicopter weighs 390 kg. This allows it to be transportable by a small trailer attached to a car. The trailer serves as a mobile landing strip for the helicopter.

The AK1-3 Helicopter is designed according to the one-airscrew scheme with the rudder airscrew consisting of skid-equipped landing gear, a tubular chassis, power-plant, main reducer, main rotor and braced tail beam with a rudder reducer and plumage and a power floor on which the cabin is installed. The cabin is made of composite materials. The cabin of the helicopter provides free accommodation for two members of the crew. The width of the cabin at shoulder level is 1200 mm (at helicopter R.22 - 1055 mm).

The large windows provide good visibility in all directions. The pilot seats are adjustable on the ground and are equipped with waistband and humeral seat belts. The pilotage-navigating equipment of the helicopter allows for daytime flights in simple meteorological conditions according to the rules of visual flights. At the request of the customer, the system of onboard navigation GPS can be installed. The system of onboard registration of parameters of flight is in a stage of development. The airscrew consists of three blades with elastic fastening blades. The blades are made of composite materials with a nonlinear construction. The rudder airscrew consists of two blades with one general horizontal hinge. Blades of the rudder airscrew are made from composite materials.

In the helicopter, the power-plant on the basis of the piston internal-combustion engine with liquid cooling ?J-25 "Subaru" is installed. The engine uses automobile gasoline with fuel performance number 95. Power from the engine is transmitted through a belt drive with overrunning clutch to a power shaft of the main reducer.

Cabin :

The cabin is very spacious and comfortable for two large persons and at 1,353 mm wide you don't rub elbows, even when wearing bulky clothing. By comparison, the Robinson and Rotorway cabins are only 1,100 mm wide. The composite cabin floor together with its lower triangulated aluminum sub-frame are the main structural elements. The floor is made of a 16mm plywood with machined out pockets so as to leave a light wooden grid. This wooden grid matches all the required attachment points for the sub-frame and other control attachment points. All the machined out pockets are filled with foam inserts. then a skin of composite material is applied to both sides resulting in a very light and rigged floor structure. The lower Duralumin frame is constructed of riveted together CNC machined elements which are attached to the rest of the airframe.

A large scope of theoretical and experimental research was done due to Aerocopter’s close cooperation with National Aerospace University Named after N.Y. Zhukovskiy “KAI”, the National Academy of Ukraine, and other scientific organizations. Thus, for example, rotor and anti-torque rotor blades, as well as other constructional elements, were tested for static and dynamic strength. To ensure the reliability of the most responsible units, a close cooperation with the Progress Design Office Named after A.G. Ivchenko, the state-run enterprise PO UMZ Named after A.M. Makarov was established for producing transmission parts, propulsion reduction gear parts.

For pilot production, the Aerocopter factories are equipped with the necessary machinery and manufacturing equipment. The overall square of the company’s workshops and areas exceeds 1200 m 2, making it possible to produce more than 65% of listed componentry, including the main and anti-torque rotors’ blades from composite materials, and assemble the helicopter. As of 2005, the Aerocopter Design Office is running certification tests of the AK 1-3 according to the APU-21 requirements for receiving the type certificate.

Design features :

- Composite rotor blades
- Fuel injection
- Skid type landing gear
- Aluminum tailboom
- Laminated torsion bar system replacing flap, lead-lag and feathering hinges
- Belt driven main transmission
- Shaft driven tail rotor

The Ak-5 “Sanka”, which was the nick-name of the chief designer who died in a motor hang-glider accident, was the first helicopter model produced, and first flew on 12 October, 2001. This model proved to be vital for Aerokopter when it came to gaining the necessary know-how about helicopter design and construction. The current model (2013) is the AK-3, which made its maiden flight in July 2003. The model is certified for the Ukraine only and must therefore be categorized as an experimental aircraft in all other countries. Remarkable are the use of a starflex type rotorhub and a Subaru automotive engine. The fuselage is mainly built from composite materials and aluminium, and the machine can be delivered in kit form or ready-to-fly.

Preeti Bagad [BE(CS)]

SW Engineer Cum Blogger

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