TsAGI Holds Research-and-Technology Meeting Timed to Coincide with Its Helicopter Department’s 75-Year Anniversary

19 December 2022

Helicopters are an essential part of transport system providing national defense capacities and technological sovereignty. The domestic rotorcraft industry origins from TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”). The area is actively developing and meets the contemporary scientific challenges.

In December, TsAGI had a meeting on research and technology; it was timed to coincide with 75-year anniversary of foundation of Special Laboratory No. 5 which deals with rotorcraft engineering and study of spinning (its current name is the Center for Rotorcraft Integrated R&D).

The meeting was opened with D. Sc. Aleksandr Medvedsky, First Deputy General Director, TsAGI. ‘The Institute has been researching into rotorcraft and autogyro since its establishment. Promising researchers and engineers, such as B. Yuriev, A. Cheryomukhin, A. Isakson, I. Bratukhin, N. Kamov and M. Mil, worked in this area. Today, we continue the honorary mission of developing fundamental and applied research into aerodynamics and flight dynamics of rotorcraft. It is very honorable to work for the national rotorcraft engineering. It is your work that enables every flight of each Russian helicopter,’ said Aleksandr Medvedsky.

The participants were also addressed by Ruslan Mirgazov, Head of the Center. According to him, the young talents support and strengthen the Center’s traditions established by the veterans, and industrial interaction gives birth to the new, internationally unsurpassed, helicopters.

‘Our Center is unique with its multiple research areas—including complex aircraft modes, aerodynamics and flight dynamics of rotorcraft, and control systems. A new area which deals with measuring of air flight parameters, and the test facilities which are unique domestically and internationally should also be mentioned. Each remarkable achievement by the Center has been done due to the coherent work of its members,’ said Ruslan Mirgazov.

Other reports were made by Mikhail Golovkin, Scientific Director of the Center who headed the Department for Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Flight Dynamics from 2000 to 2016; D. Sc. Vladimir Vermel, Head of Research-and-Technology Center at TsAGI; D. Sc. Vasily Petronevich, Head for Measuring Equipment and Metrology at TsAGI; and veterans of the Institute.

Welcoming remarks were made by representatives of Mil&Kamov: Sergey Mikheev, Academician of the RAS; Nikolay Pavlenko, Chief Designer; Aleksandr Tarasov, First Deputy Executive Director and Head of the United Design Experimental Bureau; Sergey Novoselov, Chief Designer; Fyodor Pavlidi, Head of the Design Bureau; and by the colleagues from Ural Works of Civil Aviation.

The meeting ended with awarding ceremony where the Center’s employees were given Certificates of Honor from TsAGI and Zhukovsky Mayor.

TsAGI started studying and designing rotorcraft in the 1930s in the Special Design Department and Experimental Aerodynamics Department. In 1932, the TsAGI 1-EA helicopter set a world record for flight duration and altitude. In October 1939, as construction of the T-105 vertical wind tunnel started, TsAGI organized a department for spin study, Laboratory No. 5, which was headed by A. Zhuravchenko, the outstanding aerodynamicists and winner of two Stalin Prizes. In 1947, it was reorganized into a special laboratory for helicopter design and study of spin; M. Mil headed it. Later it would be renamed into the Department for Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics, Aircraft Spin and Aerodynamics at High Angles of Attack. The Department was headed by E. Pokrovsky, A. Martynov, E. Vozhdaev, M. Golovkin, and O. Kirillov. Its milestone works include studies on the Mi-26 and Ka-50 helicopters, the MiG-23 aircraft, the flying laboratory based on the Mi-24, development of the world’s unique measuring system for the Ka-52 rotorcraft, etc.

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