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This month Mike Fletcher brings us a Kamov that is being used for heli-logging in British Columbia. This particular one flew into Courtenay Airpark, and in talking with the aircrew, the photographer discovered that they were getting about 200 hours a month flying time, which is very high for a helicopter.
In Front - Between the rotors and the bulbous appearance it looked positively insect-like when it flew into the air-park. kamov_1t.jpg (22204 bytes)
Front Left - Observers blister has a cut out underneath (left open) and interior was primarily grey with black cushions. kamov_2t.jpg (22727 bytes)
Side - Note the mass balances on the lower blades and the segmented blades - if they get damaged, they just replace the damaged segment instead of the whole blade. kamov_3t.jpg (22339 bytes)
Front Right - Pilot's blister was smaller and there were all kinds of brackets on the fuselage for attaching things. kamov_4t.jpg (23155 bytes)
Mid Left - Tires were almost bald and the main gear oleo scissors were missing. The rivets followed Russian practice in not being consistent. Spacing was uneven and didn't always follow a straight line. Lock nuts had their cotter pins wrapped around and back into themselves. This was tried on a replacement, but without much success. kamov_5t.jpg (19413 bytes)
Right Side - Still in Russian registration but Canadian Certification is pending. The factory has finally made the required modifications to meet MOT specs and this machine will be updated in the near future. kamov_6t.jpg (17015 bytes)
Rear Left - There was a stinger (antenna) on the tail that looked like it was intended to grab a rope. kamov_7t.jpg (15275 bytes)
Right Side - Standard NATO symbols were used on the airframe. This is a big helicopter and has a cabin seating 11 and also has a large underfloor space. kamov_9t.jpg (16508 bytes)
If you have any photos that you would like to have put up here, please e-mail me with more information. Thanks!