Saphir 15 development agreement signed
Microturbo has signed a memorandum with Rostec's Russian Helicopters and Technodinamika to jointly develop and manufacture a new Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) called Saphir 15. Russian Helicopters announced the signing on 12 March.
The memorandum will see Russian Helicopters become the first potential customer of the APU. It also covers future joint work for modernising the Saphir 15 APU.
The joint product, which will be suitable for virtually all models of Mi- and Ka- helicopters, will be Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register (IAC AR) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified, with series production scheduled to begin in 2017.
Roman Chernyshev, deputy CEO, Russian Helicopters, said that the new APU will help diversify component supplies for its helicopters, creating new technologies and and reducing delays.
According to Maxim Kuzyuk, CEO, Technodinamika, around $31.74 million will be invested in this joint development project by 2017. The next stage will see the company sign a binding agreement on financing with its partners and financial institutes.
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