Maksim covers aerospace developments in Central Asia for Aviation Week. He has worked for Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine and was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications after working for the Moscow-based CAST defense think tank.
Maksim has a degree in international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow.
Helicopters have proved to be an early success story for Russia as the country strives to restore its aerospace prowess. Russian Helicopters, the holding company behind the country's rotorcraft industry, is involved with several equipment upgrades aimed at both the domestic and international market.
MOSCOW — Russian Helicopters has begun operating the new Mil Mi-38 medium helicopter with Klimov TV7-117 turboshafts. The twin-engine rotorcraft has been powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127s. The Russian engines were installed on the Mi-38 immediately before the Moscow air show, where the rotorcraft debuted. The model has been designated the Mi-382. The Mi-38 transport helicopter has been in development since the 1980s.
MOSCOW — The first two prototypes of the modernized Mil Mi-34S1 single-engine helicopter have commenced development trials. The rotorcraft is the lightest model in the Russian Helicopters product portfolio. The holding company says one of the rotorcraft completed its 23-min. first flight on Aug. 5. The other model, painted in Russian air force livery, is undergoing ground engine tests before joining the flight test program, according to Dmitry Rodin, Mi-34 program director, speaking to Aviation Week at the Moscow air show.
