"It is a great honor for me to represent one of the oldest of the still operating aircraft repair factories of Ukraine - Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant “AVIAKON”.Established on September 5th, 1931, at the basis of the aircraft repair workshops the plant in 2006 celebrated its 75-year jubilee. Summing up the covered path, one can say with certainty that the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant has contributed much to maintaining the prestige of the 1st class aerotechnics: first aircraft designed by Tupolev, Polikarpov, Ilyushin and Mil.

Today AVIAKON is a unique plant considering its production and processing facilities, providing overhaul and refurbishment of any complexity, re-equip¬ment and upgrade of “Mi”-series helicopters of all types and modifications. High quality of helicopter overhaul at our enterprise is achieved due to the original military-purpose technology, designed and developed by the “Mi”-series helicopters designer - JSC “Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant”, and components and accessories manufacturers, as well as our conviction of the fact that the plant`s success to a great extent depends on quality and reliability of the overhauled aerotechnics. Excellent serviceability, reliability and modern design of the helicopters overhauled at our plant was many times highly estimated by the customers.

In January 2000, the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant was certified by the oldest in the world certification company – “Bureau Veritas Quality International” to meet the requirements of ISO 9002.The personnel of the plant has all the ground to be proud of the performed job and to strive to carry out orders meeting the highest world standards."

Director of the State Enterprise “AVIAKON”
A.Yenin

History

1964. Since 1964 till 1996 over 900 pieces of Mi-6 and Mi-10 helicopters of various modifications were overhauled and reconditioned at the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant for the needs of USSR, CIS countries, Ukraine and foreign countries. The overhauled and refurbished helicopters were efficiently used in combat operations during Indian-Pakistan, Arabic Israel conflicts, wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and have beei operated in many countries up to the present time.

1976 and up to the present. Development, overhaul and refurbishment, conversion and upgrade of helicopters Mi 24/35, Mi-26, Mi-8/17, Mi-2 and their modifications. In 1976 the plant started development of overhaul and refurbishment of combat-transport helicopters Mi-24 (export version – Mi35).

Thanks to rich experience of overhaul of Mi-6 and Mi-10 helicopters, close cooperation with M.L. Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, “Progress” Plant (the town of Arseniev), Rostov Helicopter Plant and many other aviation enterprises, there was developed and implemented at the Kontop Aircraft Repair Plant a unique procedure for overhaul and bench testing of Mi-24 helicopter components and equipment. Later on the plant developed overhaul of many modifications of Mi-24/35; Mi-24B, Mi-24Ä, Mi-24ÄÓ, Mi-25, Mi-25Ó, Mi-24Ï, Mi-24K, Mi-24PX.

In 1992 the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant successfully developed overhaul of multi-purpose transport helicopters Mi-8, Mi-17 of all modifications. The powerful plant facilities and logistics support, research and laboratory complex allowed to perform supervision of the overhaul technological process and usage of non-destructive test methods for the overhauled items.

Nowadays the plant performs overhaul and refurbishment of all modifications of Mi-8 helicopters: Mi-8Ï, Mi-8 “Passenger”, Mi-8T, Mi-8MT, Mi-8MTB, Mi-8ÏÏÀ, Mi-8TÃ Mi-8CMB, Mi-9, as well as re-equipment and upgrade of basic helicopters in accordance with the customer`s requirements.

In 1989 the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant developed overhaul of the heaviest helicopter in the world – Mi-26 of the third generation, as well as all its modifications. Engineering staff of the enterprise developed and implemented over 100 new technological processes, over 60 unique test benches, providing high quality and reliability of the overhauled components, equipment and helicopter itself.
At present the State Enterprise “AVIAKON” is able to perform any complexity overhaul, re-equipment and upgrade of all versions of Mi-26 helicopter within the shortest possi¬ble time and meeting international standards.

Nowadays over 1 500 of Mi-2 helicopters are operated in dif¬ferent countries, these are the helicopters with expired service life and due to overhaul. The State Enterprise “AVIAKON” performs qualitative overhaul of all modifications of Mi-2, extension of helicopters service life, improvement of helicopter performance, as well as conversion and upgrade of basic helicopters in accordance with the customer`s requirements.

Having a 75-year experience in refurbishment of aerotechnics and 42 year of experience in overhaul of helicopter based on the original military-purpose technology, modern overhaul technologies, powerful facilities and sufficient equipment, qualified personnel allow the plant to solve
very complex task on overhaul and maintenance support of “Mi” series helicopters for Ukraine, CIS countries and other countries of the world.

The specific feature of the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant “AVIAKON” production structure is complete autonomy of overhaul and processing trains per each helicopter type, provided by the three independent lines for overhaul of “Mi”- series helicopters:

• Line 1 - overhaul of heavy helicopters Mi-6, Mi-26 and their modifications.
• Line 2 - overhaul of middle-weight helicopters Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-24, Mi-35 and their modifications.
• Line 3 - overhaul of light-weight helicopters Mi-2 and their modifications.

Each line is supplied with ground maintenance devices, test¬ing and diagnostic facilities, test bench equipment, tools and devices specifically per each helicopter type. The separated lines for helicopter overhaul allow to adjust the production facilities within a short period of time, meeting the customer's requirements and reducing the overhaul time. The production structure of the plant provides for further production development ensuring high results, excellent quality at the lowest expenses.

The State Enterprise “AVIAKON" was the first of the aircraft repair plants that developed the procedure for the helicopters anti-corrosion treatment, as well as modem production process for painting of helicopters with polyurethane enamels of “Akzo-Dexter" and "Du Pont" with prior paint stripping and special surface treatment.

One of the upgrade activities is carrying out of main and tail rotors dynamic balancing for helicopters Mi-24/35 and Mi-8/17 using “CHADWICK” equipment (USA) which assures reduction of vibration level by up to 4 times.

In 1980-1989 there appeared a need for overhaul of MI-35 helicopters operated in specific conditions. It demanded to carry out overhaul using the original military-purpose technology involving a great number of modifications, improving helicopter flight performance. Last years the main activity of the plant is upgrade of helicopters intended for improving aircraft survivability, fire power and navigational characteristics:

• ”ADROS-KT-01 A” station for optical-electronic suppression;
• Helmet “600” with the mounted “SURA” unit;
• Fitting of short-range navigation system and VOR/ILS, DME;
• Fitting of radio-communication and navigation equipment of western origin (transponders, direction finders, GPS etc.);
• Replacement of flight data recording system (SARPP-12) with a digital system (BUR);
• Fitting of engines TB3-117BMA, having improved performance;
• Anti-corrosion protection of fuselage.

The quality of overhaul, excellent service¬ability and reliability of the overhauled and refurbished helicopters was many times highly evaluated by the helicopter opera¬tors.

The State Enterprise “AVIAKON” has long-term cooperation with over 30 countries, including contracts for overhaul components and helicopters Mi-17, Mi-24, Mi-35, Mi-26 for India, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Bangladesh, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Peru, Western Guinea, Djibouti, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech, Lithuania, CIS countries.
The State Enterprise “AVIAKON” is the only enterprise in Ukraine, which performed overhaul and preparation of sep¬arate squadrons of Mi-24, Mi-26, Mi-8MT for UN peace-making missions in Yugoslavia.

The Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant has an advanced production and technical base. There is a training center organized at the plant for training of the customer`s pilots and engineering staff. The programs for training courses of engineers and pilots are based on the effective documentation for certain helicopter types, experience on overhaul and operation of the helicopters refurbished at the State Enterprise “AVIAKON”. The plant has at its disposal helicopters, experienced instructor-pilots, professional interpreters, which allows to provide unhindered training of customers` pilots and engineering staff for any application variants of “Mi” series heli¬copters.

The helicopters refurbished at the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant are widely used not only in Ukraine, but in many countries of the world, doing such responsible tasks as border patrol, elimination of natural calamities consequences, urgent cargo deliver and participation in war conflicts.

Specializing in overhaul and refurbishment, conversion and upgrade of aerotechnics, the State Enterprise “AVIAKON” is constantly striving to expand its activities. The basic conversion line of the enterprise is repair of stationary gas-turbine engines HK-12CT for the gas-pumping mains. In 1991 the plant developed assembly of city and inter-city buses of types JIaç-420212 and JIaç-5259 (in total there were assembled and sold 70 buses). Nowadays the plant performs painting of any type of aircraft with polyurethane enamels with prior paint stripping and special surface treatment, repair and servicing of all types of cars, renders services on long-range transportation of bulky cargoes.

State enterprise of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine “Konotop aircraft repair plant “Aviakon”: 25, Ryaboshapko str., Konotop, Sumy region, 41601, Ukraine. Tel.: +38 (05447) 7-61-00 Fax: +38 (05447) 7-61-02, e-mail: aviakon@konotop.net