KA - 50 ‘Black Shark’

Role:Attack helicopter

National origin : Soviet Union / Russia 
Manufacturer: Kamov
Introduced :28 August 1995

Status:Limited service

Primary user:Russian Air Force (VVS)

Number built :  Ka-50 : 10
Ka-52: 20

Unit Cost: 500 million rubles

(approx. $16 million) as of May 2011

The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" (Russian: Чёрнаяакула; NATO reporting name: Hokum A) is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995. It is currently manufactured by the Progress company in Arsenyev.

During the late 1990s, Kamov and Israel Aerospace Industries developed a tandem-seat cockpit version, the Kamov Ka-50-2 "Erdogan", to compete in Turkey's attack helicopter competition. Kamov also designed another two-seat variant, the Kamov Ka-52 "Alligator" (Russian: Аллигатор, NATO reporting name: Hokum B)

Genaral Characteristics

• Crew: One (for Ka-52: two)

• Length: 16.0 m (52 ft 6 in)

• Rotor diameter: 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)

• Height: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)

• Disc area: 330.3 m² (3,555 ft²)

• Empty weight: 7,700 kg (17,000 lb)

• Loaded weight: 9,800 kg (21,600 lb)

• Max. takeoff weight: 10,800 kg (23,810 lb)

• Powerplant: 2 × Klimov TV3-117VK turboshafts, 1,641 kW (2,200 shp) each

• For Ka-52: 

o Loaded weight: 10,400 kg (22,930 lb)

Performance 





• Never exceed speed: 350 km/h (189 knots, 217 mph) 
• Maximum speed: 315 km/h (170 knots, 196 mph
• Cruise speed: 270 km/h (146 knots, 168 mph)
• Range: 545 km (339 miles)
• Ferry range: 1,160 km (720 mi) with 4 drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10 m/s (32.8 ft/s)
• Disc loading: 30 kg/m² (6 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.33 kW/kg (0.20 hp/lb)

Armament 

• 1x mobile semi-rigid
30 mmShipunov 2A42 cannon (460 rounds total, dual feeding AP or HE-Frag)

• A variety of payloads on the four under-wing hardpoints, including 23 mm
UPK-23-250 gun pods (240 rounds each), 2 x APU-6 Missile racks, able to accommodate a total of 12 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missiles, Vympel R-73 (NATO: AA-11 Archer) air-to-air missiles, 80 x 80 mm S-8 rockets and 20 x 122 mm S-13 rocket, Kh-25 semi-active laser guided tactical air-to-ground missiles, presumably S-25/S-25L high caliber rockets, 4x 250 kg (550 lb) bombs or 2x 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs, 500 L (130 US gal) external fuel tanks. Reportedly, twin Igla light air-to-air missile launchers under each wingtip countermeasure pod (total 4 missiles). Maximum total payload 2,000 kg.

• Two pods on the wingtips with flare and chaff countermeasure dispensers, 4 UV-26 dispensers each (total 512 chaff/flare cartridges in each pod)