A B Aerocopter AK1-3M ZK-HKH

 A new type for us is the Ukranian built AB Aerocopter AK1-3M as assembled and certified at Heli Maintenance in Christchurch recently.

Below is what NZ Aviation News said about it.

Another exciting new helicopter type to arrive is the D B Aerocopter AK1-3M. 

This was designed to comply with the Ukrainian AP-27 rules, which are similar to the European Aviation Safety Agency CS-27 standard. It is a light 2‐seater helicopter designed by DB Aerocopter in cooperation with ASTC Antonov, OJSC Motor‐Sich and the Kharkov Aviation Institute. 

It is of two-seat side-by-side configuration with, skid-type undercarriage and is powered by a four-cylinder, water cooled, four-stroke electronic fuel injected Subaru EJ25 automotive engine of 156 hp driving a belt driven reduction to three bladed composite rotor blades. The tail rotor is solid shaft driven. The main rotor system comprises three torsion bars, each made from a stack of steel plates. These torsion bars are flexible up and down, can twist easily and replace the more conventional bulky and heavy lead-lag, flapping and feathering hinges. These torsion bars connect the blade grips to the rotor hub. The advantages are mechanical simplicity, weight savings, ease of inspection and no maintenance servicing and are non-serviceable items that are replaced on condition. In the Ukraine AK1-3M  has no calendar time limit before overhaul and will not have to be shipped back to the manufacturer for an overhaul after 2,000 flight hours, as this can be done by our local approved maintenance organizations. Center piece on the instrument panel is a Garmin G5 which can record date from two video cameras, one in the cockpit and another on the tail boom looking forward towards the engine. The design received its Ukrainian type certificate in 2006 with a MAUW weight of 650 kg. 

Our example arrived at Heli Maintenance Ltd at Christchurch International in early January and became ZK-HKH₃ on March 30, 2022 to Kiev Holdings of Christchurch. 

With the current situation in the Ukraine this may well delay further deliveries of this promising helicopter which fits roughly between the Robinson R22 and the Schweizer 269. The earlier issues of the ZK-HKH marks were applied to a Bell 47G-3B2, a Robinson R22 Beta and a Robinson R44 Astro.