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Prototype of Russia’s first electric-powered 1,500 kg convertiplane to emerge by 2019

One of such aircraft’s main advantages is that they need no runway

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, October 18. /TASS/. A prototype of Russia’s first-ever electric-powered convertiplane with a lift-off mass of 1,500 kilograms will emerge by 2019, the Helicopters of Russia (an affiliate of Rostec) said on Wednesday.

The remote-controlled convertiplane VRT30 will be used as the basic platform.

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"The VR-Technologies design bureau (affiliated with Helicopters of Russia) plans to come up with a prototype of Russia’s first electric-powered convertiplane with a liftoff mass of 1.5 tonnes by 2019," the company said.

One of such aircraft’s main advantages is that they need no runway. Also, the rotors’ tilt mechanism allows convertiplanes develop high speed in horizontal flight and perform a variety of operations in the hover mode.

"In cooperation with our partners in the Super-Ox company we have been working on a new convertiplane-based laboratory boasting such a feature as high-temperature superconductivity cable network, which will considerably improve the prototype’s mass, size and flight parameters," Helicopters of Russia CEO Andrey Boginsky is quoted by the holding company’s press-service as saying.

Last July the then Aerospace Force commander Viktor Bondarev said that Russia was working on military convertiplanes and heavy drones. He disclosed no details of future models.

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