Helicopter Deemed "Irreplaceable" In Firefighting Operations

Russia's JSC Kamov-Holding says it has a contract for delivery of two Kamov Ka-32A11BC utility helicopters to Helicopteros de Sureste (HSE), the largest helicopter operator in Spain. Valery Lukin, Kamov's director general of JSC Kamov-Holding said the contract "is a logical development of our cooperation with the Spanish customer. The first two machines purchased by HSE past July proved extremely efficient in fire-fighting, so this decision to expand the Ka-32 fleet is no coincidence."

The Spanish company says it appreciates the advantages of the Russian helicopter: unique performance characteristics, high reliability, maneuverability and controllability. Technical solutions used in Ka-32 eliminate loss of engine efficiency in high temperatures, which makes the helicopter irreplaceable in fire-fighting operations, according to the design bureau.

"The past summer season of 2004 has been very tense in terms of bush fire hazards: two Kamov machines spent over 300 hrs airborne. The helicopter has indeed performed magnificently, there is no equal when it comes to extinguishing bush fire," commented Aurelio Martinez Pillet, HSE Technical Director.

Besides Russia and Spain, the Ka-32A11BC is flying in Switzerland, Canada and South Korea, carrying out heavy-duty operations in adverse weather and severe climate conditions. High-accuracy construction and mounting, cargo transportation to mountainous areas with limited accessibility, emergency operations -- a few of the tasks this machine copes with successfully.

Last year, the Ka-32 garnered headlines while putting out bush fires in Portugal, Greece and Cyprus, mounting 4.5-ton power line masts in Germany and Switzerland, establishing two new cable railways in the Alps.

"Our helicopters compete successfully and in many respects excel their western countertypes. Our continuous cooperation with the world's leading operators is an obvious proof of the same", said Kamov's Valery Lukin.

FMI: www.kamov.ru/market/index1.htm