Rotorhub
ATE exhibits latest Mi-24 upgrade features
South Africa’s Advanced Technologies & Engineering (ATE) exhibited its upgraded Mi-24 Hind at this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence. According to Deputy Chairman, Peter-Paul Ngwenya, the company is continuing to look for further upgrade customers beyond Poland and an undisclosed North African country.
ATE has just finished construction of a new manufacturing facility at its premises in Midrand to support its upgrade activities. Among the latest offerings for the Mi-24 are new composite main rotor blades that Ngwenya says vastly improve the performance and maintainability of the aircraft.
ATE has also teamed with the UK’s PALL Corporation to add sand filters to the engine intake. Ngwenya says that the sand filters are expected to double the life of the helicopter’s engine.
ATE says that there is still a large market for Mi-24 upgrades with hundreds of the helicopters in service around the world. They believe that despite the age of the airframe it continues to perform and that their upgrades further enhance the capability of the helicopter.
ATE continues to have competitors in the upgrade market, but they say that recent years have seen the number of companies operating in the market dwindle. ATE said one of the major advantages was that the company has now secured an agreement with the Russian manufacturers to obtain technical information on the helicopter and pass on design authority.
By Darren Lake, Cape Town
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