Russian Helicopters announced that the third prototype of the Mi-38 heavy twin, and the first fitted with Klimov TV7-117V engines, made its maiden flight on November 29 at the Mil Moscow helicopter plant. The helicopter’s new Fadec-controlled turboshaft engine outputs 2,800 shp at takeoff and up to 3,750 shp in “emergency power.”

This compares favorably to the 2,500-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127/TSs that powered the previous prototypes. “Thanks to its TV7-117V engines, the Mi-38 has a significantly broader range of potential applications,” Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev said.

For the protracted program, the manufacturer is now planning Russian AP-29 certification in 2015. Serial production is planned to start during the same year at Kazan Helicopter Plant, where the fourth and final prototype is currently being assembled. It will be fitted with a shock-resistant fuel system supplied by Zodiac’s Aerazur and enlarged windows. Serial production Mi-38s will be fitted with TV7-117V engines. The Mi-38 has an mtow of 34,400 pounds with an internal load and a passenger capacity of 30.