Leonid Belykh, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant
Release Date: 2009-12-21
Leonid Belykh, Managing Director of Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant JSC (UUAP), was interviewed by RussianAvia.net to talk about the glorious history of Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant and its contribution in the current revival of the Russian aviationUlan-Ude Aviation Plant produces both planes and helicopters, but it is attached to the Russian Helicopters holding. Why does your activity only fall under the jurisdiction of Russian Helicopters (and not United Aircraft Corporation)?
UUAP is indeed the only plant in Russia producing both helicopters and aircraft. We have a long history of producing aviation equipment developed at almost all the aviation construction bureaus of the former USSR, namely those of Lavochkin, Polikarpov, Mikoyan, Gurevich, Yakovlev, Antonov, Sukhoi. As for the helicopters, UUAP was producing both Kamov and Mil helicopters: Ka-15, Ka-18, Ka-25, Mi-8 of all the modifications. Now we produce Mi-171 and Mi-171Sh.
As I said, the experience of producing both aircraft and helicopters is unique for Russia. We have special technologies, a special quality and production control system. Each General Designer has unique solutions that we managed to implement successfully. What’s most important is that UUAP can implement aircraft technologies for helicopter production and helicopter technologies for aircraft production, enriching the technologies both ways.
Of course, the state authorities responsible for developing aviation are doing their best to preserve our unique production potential and use it with maximum efficiency. We’re not going to be a purely helicopter production or aircraft production enterprise. The main objective is to find the best balance between the two spheres.
Currently we’re part of Russian Helicopters holding company due to the fact that during the last 10-15 years we were mainly focused on helicopter production (Mi-171 and Mi-171Sh in particular). Now that Russia is capable of upgrading the military air fleet and needs fighter jets like Su-25, the state is developing a scheme of organizing mass production of these jets. It is impossible to organize mass production without UUAP because it is the only Russian enterprise with the know-how of producing Su-25 type fighters.
As a result, after a series of meetings with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Oboronprom and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) agreed that Su-25UBM fighters are going to be produced jointly by UUAP and UAC enterprises.
What is the share of aircraft and helicopter production?
Currently the share of aircraft production at UUAP is less than 5%. But as soon as we set up mass production, the share of aircraft production should reach 20-30%.
UUAP is one of the most important plants in Russia. How was integration in Russian Helicopters affected the way the plant operates, your work and that of your employees?
When we were entering the helicopter holding, we did have problems and doubts. At the same time, we were fully aware that it was necessary to consolidate the sector. In fact, Russia was 20 years late to start this process; we should have created the holding before.
All the Russian helicopter enterprises became independent in 1992, and it was then that they started developing their marketing strategy, production and services. Historically, in the Soviet times the entire production cycle of aviation equipment was focused at each single enterprise, unlike other countries where cooperation was more developed.
In the new economic conditions, independent work of the Russian helicopter enterprises had to face a lot of challenges: unjustified competition among the Russian producers on the external markets, lack of resources for development and mass production of new helicopter models, for the technical re-equipment, developing services. It became obvious that it was time to join the capacities of different companies to increase the overall competitiveness of the Russian helicopter production sector globally.
As a result, three years ago, when consolidation started, appeared a helicopter holding managed by Russian Helicopters. I would like to note that UUAP was one of the first enterprises to join it, as the state share in our shareholder capital was 38%.
Has the technology moved forward since then?
It is yet too early to judge. It is impossible to fully restructure the industry in a couple of years and develop new helicopters, modernize the technology and production system, create new service system. It is a slow and difficult process.
As you might know, our ambition is to gain 15% of the world helicopter market by 2015. This is when we’ll be able to appraise the results of what we’re doing now.
At the same time, some results are already here: there’s no more competition among the Russian companies abroad, we’ve formed a range of new promising models, foreign service centers are being created, we’re investing in technological re-equipment and development of more models.
Do you have your own maintenance centers in UUAP?
UUAP does the full range of servicing: after-sale servicing, repair and modernization of equipment, information support for the operators, training for pilots and engineers, supplies of spare parts. Our facilities include the Ulan-Ude Aviation Repair Plant responsible for all kinds of repair works including overhaul. The problem is to organize full-fledged modern standard servicing. For instance, our operators need spare part warehouses, local training and service centres. The Helicopter Service Company (VSK) was created especially for this purpose: to implement Russian helicopter servicing (including the helicopters produced at UUAP) all over the world.
The servicing problem is rooted deep in the Soviet times when the USSR had only large civil airlines operating 50-100 helicopters, and each of them flew 1,200-1,500 hours every year. Every company or authority serviced its fleet independently. Supplies were centralized according to the state plan.
Collapse of the Soviet Union destroyed this practice and the way servicing used to be organized. Each company had too limited resources to do something independently.
Now that a helicopter holding is there, improvement of service is one of its top priorities. Joining our forces gave us the necessary resources to create foreign service centres, spare part supplies and implement new technologies in servicing. It is clear that it would take time before we reach the Western standards but what’s important is that we’re progressing: a new joint venture, International RotorCraft Services, has been opened in November in the United Arab Emirates. It will service Russian helicopters operated in the Middle East.
Does this put any pressure on you in terms of achieving and keeping high standards of production?
Quality has always been our main concern. Our quality system is certified according to ISO 9001-2001 and AS9001REV.B.
When it comes to buying helicopters, the main advantage of Russian Helicopters products is their low price. Will this continue to be so?
Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are grateful to Mikhail Mil for creating the unique Mi-8 helicopter which was the basis for the newer Mi-171. It has over 40 years of flying and about 13,000 models have been produced. Its main advantage are its technical capabilities and not the price.
Mi-8 and Mi-171 are primarily characteristic for their high operational characteristics and reliability. All the great things are simple! Mi-8, for instance, is capable of operating flawlessly in extreme conditions.
As you might well know, we have supplied more than 100 helicopters to China, and this year, during the Sichuan earthquake, almost all of them participated in rescue operations. Our helicopters have transported over 100,000 t of cargo and evacuated 40,000 people. According to the witnesses, at some critical points Mi-171 were taking up to 50-60 people on board while the maximum allowed are 37. Do we still have to argue that the main advantage of our equipment is the price?
Moreover, the construction of Mi-8/171 allows constant modernization. During the last years, Western piloting and navigation systems have been installed on Mi-171. Besides, we cooperate with Breeze-Eastern and with Aero-Taxi Service for production of a highly comfortable VIP model of Mi-171. So, the modern Russian helicopter is compliant with the highest world market standards and is competitive with the best products from Europe and the USA.
One of the trends that will soon come to the helicopter business is joint development and production of Russian factories and foreign companies, just as it has happened with Sukhoi Superjet. How ready is UUAP for international cooperation, and what sort of cooperation could take place at UUAP?
Development of joint production with the foreign companies is a pronounced trend of the modern helicopter business. Today Russian Helicopters is negotiating with Asian countries, with the Middle East and Latin America for setting up joint production. We’re ready to participate in these programs under the brand of Russian Helicopters.
UUAP´s relations with China go back a long way. What has changed in the last few years, and how can you assist them to produce their own helicopters in China?
Jointly with Russian Helicopters, we’re considering organization of Mi-171 assembly facilities in China. It begins with ‘screwdriver technology’: the plant supplies ready-made body and engines, and assembly is done locally. This can be feasible under an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and China for technology transfer.
Since you’re an expert in production, what would you advise to countries that want to assemble at home?
I would advise them to produce Mi-171. Technologically speaking, it’s a very advanced model to start with.
What would you like to accomplish as Managing Director, and how do you see the plant in ten years?
Our main mid-term and long-term objectives are to launch a modernized version of Mi-171. Currently it is developed under the name Mi-171M Helicopter. The new helicopter will be improved technically, with new equipment and systems and a new operation system based on servicing the helicopter according to its technical condition.
By all means, we’ll continue the launch of mass production of Su-25UBM and Su-39 jointly with UAC. There fighter jets are almost unique in the world. The Russian army and the air forces of some other countries are interested in these planes.
The next strategic task is to launch the new supersonic helicopter. The prospective Advanced High Speed Helicopter (AHSH) will represent a symbiosis of helicopter and aircraft technologies allowing it develop the speed of up to 500 km/h with vertical take-off, landing and hovering. Given the available production expertise for both helicopters and aircraft, it is difficult to think of a better manufacturer for AHSH than UUAP.
As for the production system, there’s a lot to do here as well: in the coming years we must modernize the equipment, implement new technologies and improve the quality system. It requires cooperation with other manufacturers of the holding because it ensures lower production costs which means keeping the global competitiveness in terms of the price of the end product.
What would be your final words about the future of the Russian helicopter industry and of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant?
Today, competition on the global aviation market is gaining momentum. Customers require more, a lot is invested in implementing new technologies, new models appear. I’m sure that the enormous production expertise of the Russian Helicopters and of UUAP and their potential will help to remain competitive and deliver products that will go beyond the expectations of our customers.
| Company: | Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant |
| Position: | Managing Director |
| Country: | Russian Federation |