MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russia’s Mi-34M1 light helicopter, powered by the new domestically produced VK-650V engine, has completed its maiden flight and now awaits certification testing and serial production, CEO of Russian Helicopters Holding (part of the Rostec state corporation) Nikolay Kolesov said.

"<…> The Mi-34M1 is designed not only to complement the line of domestically produced rotorcraft, but, without exaggeration, to strengthen Russia's technological independence and take our industry to a new level. Certification testing and serial production of the Mi-34M1, which will undoubtedly be highly appreciated by operators, are ahead," Kolesov was quoted by Rostec as saying.

Russian Helicopters Holding has begun flight testing of the Mi-34M1 multirole prototype, powered by a Russian-made VK-650V engine. The helicopter took off under the guidance of Sergey Barkov, a test pilot at the Mil and Kamov National Helicopter Center, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters.

The flight tested the helicopter’s stability and controllability, and the loads on its main components were determined in level flight with turns.