Russia puts its newest Ka-62 civilian helicopter project on hold

The development and certification of the Kamov Ka-62 utility helicopter is being stopped, Russian aviation authority announced.

The reason for that was an abundance of foreign-made components in its construction.

According to the head of Russian Federal Air Transport Agency Alexander Neradko, although the aircraft received a limited category certification in 2021, its type certification is not going to be continued.

“Currently all further work on this project is frozen due to known reasons,” Neradko said, according to Russian newspaper Vedomosti.

Approximately 60% of the Ka-62’s parts are foreign-made, according to a Vedomosti source within Russian Helicopters, the manufacturer of the Ka-62. Those parts include rotor blades, engines, avionics and various materials.

“All imports were cut, we have to completely revise everything. There is no point in continuing certification,” the source told the newspaper.

The development of the Ka-62 started in the early 1990s, as a civilian version of the Ka-60 military helicopter. It was intended to be a lighter counterpart of the ubiquitous Mil Mi-8/17 and a replacement of the Mi-4.

While the development of the Ka-60 remained dormant since the early 2000s, Russian Helicopters continued promoting the Ka-62 at various events, including the Moscow Airshow 2021.

Capable of carrying up to 15 passengers or 2,500 kilograms of cargo, the Ka-62 is powered by the Ardiden 3G, an engine manufactured by Safran.

According to the manufacturer, the helicopter was mostly intended for the international market and already received some orders from foreign customers.