Russian Flying Alligator

Kamov Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter is aircraft that can operate in a variety of weather both day and night which is an advanced variant of the Kamov Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter. NATO calls it as Hokum B. This gunship helicopters were produced by the Kamov company in Russia. In 1996, the Russian Air Force showed off the first prototype of the Kamov Ka-52 Alligator at 1996 Aero India exhibition. While the Aviastar site states that Kamov Ka-52 Alligator was exhibited at the Paris Air Show event in 1995.

Russia’s Ka-52 Alligator Scout-Attack Helicopters. (Picture from: http://www.flickr.com/)

Unlike other combat helicopters, which generally provides the tandem seat for crew (front and rear, even on the cockpit), Kamov Ka-52 Alligator provides two seats side by side for the crew. The placement of crew seats like this could make the pilot is able to work better than using a tandem seat. The Ka-52 is a twin-seat derivative from the Ka-50 Hokum-A attack helicopter, and is designed primarily for reconnaissance and target designation purposes. It is comparable with the U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

Ka-52 Alligator at MAKS 2011 Air Show, in Moscow. (Picture from: http://www.flickr.com/)

The helicopter also has no tail rotor because use coaxial rotor on its main drive. Using coaxial rotor allows Ka-52 make the unique maneuver and could perform combat maneuvers in a minimum airspace. The rotor is attached multilevel type with the opposite rotation direction so that the body of the helicopter did not join rotate. 

The helicopter features has two-man crew, maximum take-off weight of 10,800 kg (23,810 lb), two Klimov TV3-117VK turbo-shaft engines, cruising speed of 270 km/h (168 mph), combat range of 545 km (339 miles) and service ceiling of 5,500 m (18,000 ft). The helicopter is capable of destroying ground and air targets in all weather conditions, day and night. Mistral class amphibious assault ships, ordered by the Russian Defense Ministry, will be armed with Ka-52 helicopters.

Ka-52 Alligator, son of Black Shark, is an all-weather machine, a deal-maker in the mountains. (Picture from: http://indrus.in/)

The helicopter is armed with 30-mm cannon, Vikhr (Whirlwind) laser-guided missiles, rockets, including S-24s, as well as bombs. The helicopter is also equipped with two radars, one for ground and one for aerial targets, and a Samshite nighttime-daytime thermal sighting system. For improved pilot survivability in the Ka-52 is fitted with a K-37-800 ejection seat. Before the rocket in the ejection seat deploys, the rotor blades are blown away by explosive charges in the rotor disc and the canopy is similarly jettisoned.

Cockpit of Ka-52 Alligator. (PIcture from: http://en.rian.ru/)

The Ka-52 has completed the state trials. The fourth operationally configured helicopter was taken on strength by the Russian Air Force on February 10, 2011. Under the current State Defense Procurement Plan, Russian Armed Forces will receive 30 helicopters by 2012. A second batch of 36 helicopters will be inducted to service in early 2012. *** [EKA | FROM VAROUS SOURCES | RIA NOVOSTI]

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Specification of the Ka-52 Alligator:
Produced by: Kamov. 
Rotor diameter: 14.5 m each. 
Length:    15 m. 
Hight: 4.95 m. 
Kerb weight: 7,700 kg. 
Take-off weight: norm. 9,700 kg, max. 10,800 kg. 
apex speed: 270 km/h.
100 km/h sideways.
100 km/h backwards. 
Service ceiling: 5,500 m. 
Rate of climb:    10 m/s (13 m/s vertical). 
Range: 545 km (max. 1,160 km). 
Number of crew:  2. 
Propulsion unit: 2 x Klimov WK-2500. 
Performance: 2,400 hp each.