Ka-50 question

[Flying Sorcerer]

At page 144 of Biill Gunston's Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft (1996 edition) he notes that US Special Forces were reportedly interested in buying an evaluation batch of Ka-50s. I haven't been able to find out anything more about it. Any one?

 

[Foxglove]

This is new to me, but it's not as outrageous as it sounds. US Navy uses a Kh-31 derivative for a practice missile, the F-35 engine exhaust design is based on the Yak-141 drive, the K-36 ejection seat was once tested with the F-35 in mind and NASA used for quite some time Russian rocket engines and if the T-100 wins the bid for a new trainer, US pilots will be learning to fly in a plane originally designed by Yakovlev.

 

[yasotay]

Certainly not authoritative, but a heavily armored no tail rotor, carries lots of rockets and don't cost to much (compared to western aircraft) combat helicopter might have an appeal to organizations that a. like to shoot up close and personal b. likes to have the firepower to do up close and personal c. does not need a crew of four and d. its not as iconic as a little bird.

 

[flateric]

No word of it in recent highly detailied 75-page in-house memories series on Ka-50/52 story in Aviatciya i Kosmonavtika magazine - while it has a bunch of details on attempts to sell family abroad (Turkey, South Korea etc).

 

[yasotay]

No word of it in recent highly detailied 75-page in-house memories series on Ka-50/52 story in Aviatciya i Kosmonavtika magazine - while it has a bunch of details on attempts to sell family abroad (Turkey, South Korea etc).

I recall they did completely rework the nose of the aircraft for the Turkey effort, along with the deploy-able cannon. Did they have a similar effort for Korea?

 

[flateric]

quite a lot

 

[fightingirish]

[...] the F-35 engine exhaust design is based on the Yak-141 drive,[...]

Wrong, it was based on the design for the General Dynamics Convair Models 200, 201 and 218 Sea Control Ship fighters.
See here:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,103.msg309091.html#msg309091

 

[Mikhael]

...in recent highly detailied 75-page in-house memories series on Ka-50/52 story in Aviatciya i Kosmonavtika magazine...

Here it is.

And with google tranlsate.