Ka-50 Hokum

The Kamov Ka-50 Hokum (aka Black Shark) is a coaxial rotor system-employing attack helicopter.

Overview
The coaxial, contra-rotating, three-blade main rotors are widely separated with swept-back tips, and there is no tail rotor. The equally tapered, short, stubby, weapon-carrying wings with end plates are mounted on the streamlined fuselage, which tapers to the front and rear. The fuselage, which is flat-bottomed except for the underbelly gun pod and sensor, features a flat plated glassed-in canopy. The tail is thick with a tapering tail boom and back-tapered tail fin with a square tip. The tail flats are high-mounted on the tail boom with end plates, and located forward of the fin. Twin turboshaft engines are mounted high on the fuselage above the stubby wings, with semicircular air intakes and exhausts that are turned outward.

The helicopter has a number of unique characteristics including single seat to increase combat and flight characteristics and reduce operational costs. It was designed for remote operations, and not to need ground maintenance facilities for 2 weeks. The airframe is 35% composite materials with a structural central 1m 2 keel beam of kevlar/ nomex that protects critical systems and ammunition. The fully armored pilot's cabin can withstand 23-mm gunfire, and the cockpit glass 12.7-mm Heavy Machine Gun gunfire. The Zvezda K-37-800 pilot ejection system functions at any altitude, and enables a successful ejection at low altitude and maximum speed.

External stores are mounted on underwing external hardpoints. Each wing has two hardpoints for a total of four stations. A typical mix for targeting armor formations is 12x AT-16 ATGMs, 500x 30-mm cannon rounds, and 2x 20-round pods of 80-mm folding fin unguided rockets. The 30mm cannon is the same as on the BMP-2. The firing computer will turn the aircraft to keep the gun on target. It is equipped with downlink to provide information from the battlefield. The targeting and control system and weaponry enable accurate target engagement at ranges of up to 6 miles.

The Ka-50 features unique maneuverability and operating characteristics due to the contra-rotating co-axial rotors. The coaxial counter-rotating rotor system negates the need for a tail rotor and its drive system. Because of this, this aircraft is unaffected by wind strength and direction, has an unlimited hovering turn rate, and gives a smaller profile and acoustic signature, while allowing a 10-15% greater power margin. The HOKUM is fully aerobatic. It can perform loops, roll, and the funnel, where the aircraft will maintain a concentrated point of fire while flying circles of varying altitude, elevation, and airspeed around the target.

Armaments

 * Gun: 1x 30mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon


 * XAGM: 12x AT-16 VIKhR ATGM


 * RCL: 2x S-8 rocket pods


 * RCL: 2x S-13 rocket pods

==Specifications ==


 * First Flight: 1982


 * Engine: 2 Klimov TV3-117VK Turboshafts, 4380 SHP


 * Rotor Diameter: 47 ft 7 in


 * Overall Length: 52 ft 6 in


 * Height: 16 ft 2 in


 * Max Takeoff Weight: 23,810 lb


 * Warload: 6,610 lbs


 * Max Speed: 193 mph


 * Endurance: 4 Hours w/Aux Tanks


 * Crew: 1 (2 for the Ka-52)