The first flight was made on September 4, 1997. The Ka-226 is a further development of the well-established Ka-26 helicopter. Designed to carry 6 passengers or 1350 kg of cargo (including on an external sling). The main disadvantage of the basic version of the helicopter is its low cruising speed.
When designing the Ka-226, most of the design and layout solutions of the Ka-26 predecessor were retained. The changes mainly consisted in the installation of two modern gas turbine engines, new rotors with semi-rigid torsion blades and the placement of new equipment. The helicopter fuselage includes a cockpit, a central compartment, two tail booms and an empennage, which includes a fixed stabilizer with two spaced keels with rudders. When creating the fuselage, aluminum alloy elements and fiberglass honeycomb panels were used. The tail booms, plumage and panels of the transport cabin are also made of fiberglass.
