What's new
By:

More Silly Questions

V

Vortex Ring

Advanced
Joined
Jun 3, 2003
Messages
146
Reaction score
0
I see in chats about Australia that there are some Mi-8 down under. I've been to a lot of developing countries as many of you have, the Hip or Mi-8, Mi-17 etc.... seem to be "the" work horse. Why don't we see any imported into North America.

I know Kelowna Flightcraft did some panel upgrades on them and VIH managed to get Kamovs certified. But why aren't there any Mi-8s around? They seem robust as heck and simple beasts. I have always wanted a chance to fly one, closest I've gotten is to ride in one. They just seem like rugged trucks so what's up...anyone had a closer look at operating them?

Here's a piccie of the one I saw in Haiti run by a company out of Oregon, USA. (crewed by Russian Ex-Pats)
 
I think you will find it is certification problem with any thing produced in the former iron curtain countries.

I could be wrong, but other than a few isolated cases of a granted certification for certain types, the Russains or whoever do not go for bylateral certification in other countries that have FAA ,CAA,TC or JAA

As usual I stand to be corrected.

Don McDougall
 
Terrific piccies boys, thanks.

Blackmac I understand but it seems the machine is such a workhorse and relatively simple, much like pilots.... 😉 so why has it not made any inroads. It's got a hook plus you can ramp stuff up the arse end of it....just curious....it is probably cheaper to buy than a brand new 412 and lifts more I think with similar daily operating costs as I believe most components go till failure.....ah but here lies the problem I guess....MOT probably doesn't allow operators to fly components to failure before inspection....ok I'm answering my own questions...I'm certifiable....... :wacko:
 
its always a certification problem.
Didn't it take VIH a very long time to get that aircraft certified?
(Here's another to ponder, the 355N model, you won't see any in Canada for a long time, (same reason as above), I wonder what the going rate is to get a type certificate???)
 
It isn't just a matter of paying for a Type Certificate. Canada doesn't have a bilateral agreement, memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other techincal agreements with Russia. Therefore there is no way to even start a formal technical investigation between TC and the Russian aviation authority.

Second, like any aircraft, the certification basis that is adopted for type certification is usually the latest domestic or recognized standard for the category of aircraft and it is HIGHLY unlikely that any of the machines discussed have a chance of complying with FAR/CAR/JAR 29 (Transport Category Helicopter) standards at the current amendment level without significant modification.

So...don't hold your breath on seeing any of this stuff type certified in Canada.
 
I worked a contract in Africa and we had one with us for logistical support, flown and maintained of course by Russians. Great guys to work with.

I got a chance to pole it a bit in Niger one day and the fu..ing thing is incredible, built like a German tiger tank and will work like a bear with very little maintenance problems that I could see.

To bad we can't get them in Canada.

Chas W. Your President..Bullet said so....
 
Gotta Buddy of mine that worked on them a while bacl in Afganistan.

He's since retired (from the Russian Airforce) and immigrated to Canada, works at test bench for a company out of Edmontchuck. Called him and asked him about the machine.

He's informed me that machine, as well as most helicopters manufactured in the former USSR, had a fixed life on it. Something like the Robbies. After so many cycles and hours it's supposed to head back to the factory for a honking overhaul/rebuild.

Stated that those things were designd to fly to the max life, and that was it, back to the factory.

I concur with Chas, I had a chance to look one over a few years back, over in the mountains, those things are built to work. I don't know about the later models, but the one I was looking at had a titanium floor in it. Simple design, well built.

I do believe ##### has hit the nail on the head. There is no agreement between the former USSR and Canada, on pretty much everything aviation from that area.
While it is not impossible to get one certified or a type certificated, man, ya better have a heck of a contract. Cause it's gonna cost ya an arm and a leg and probably two hockey socks full to get the certification.

Last lime I saw the VIH Kamovs, they were being maintained by Russian mechanics. Don't know if they got any of the Canadian guys certified on it or not.

The panel up grades carried out by KFC were on the VIH machines to bring the avionics up to North American standards.

Anybody else have anything on these?
 
I know when TC gave VIH approval for them they (TC) felt later it was going to open a can of worms as the machines did not meet Canadian type rules - at least in TC's mind. This was a senior (as in very Senior, Mandarin from the Puzzle Palace on the Rideau) who told me about the entire process. That being said, obviously the machines have worked out good.

I was invovled in a USSR-Canada venture many moons ago to bring YAK 40s to Canada before anyone even heard about Regional Airlines. The deal fell through because TC was under pressure to not approve the a/c as the Dash 7 was about to come out and the Russians helped out by not submitting any decent documentation. You have to realize that by documentation it includes items that we would take for granted such as AN or NAS hardware as they had no certification or process documentation on how they built their hardware much less an aircraft. fun while it lasted and I got a trip to the URRS in the midst of the Cold War :unsure:
 
I remember those YAKS coming through Winnipeg trying to convince Transair to buy them. But the F-28 won out (Not the Dash 7s).
 
:shock: 🙄 And the F-28 was/is Such an lovely aircraft..... :angry: :unsure

Give me a dash of any kind anyday..... although am partial to the dash-8
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top