Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., and Russian Helicopters (part of Rostec) today announced that the Pratt & Whitney PW207V engine has been selected to power its VRT500 light, single-engine civil helicopter designed by VR-Technologies LLC (part of Russian Helicopters).

"The PW200 engine family is a highly successful program that has come to power several of the light, twin-engine helicopters around the world," Anthony Rossi, vice president, business development and commercial services, Pratt & Whitney. "Having flown more than 12 million hours, it has earned a reputation for exceptional reliability, with mission availability rates that exceed industry benchmarks. We are pleased that Russian Helicopters has recognized the capabilities of the engine for its first single-engine application."

According to VR-Technologies, once equipped with its PW207V engine, the aircraft will reach speeds of up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) an hour and have a range of up to 860 kilometers (534 miles) with a payload of up to 730 kilograms (1,609 pounds).

"The PW200 engine family has shown itself to be exceptionally versatile in powering a broad variety of missions such as training, cargo, passenger, VIP, emergency medical services and more," said Rossi. "These are the same types of missions that VR-Technologies envisions for the VRT500."

"Russian Helicopters and Pratt & Whitney have worked together for many years on the Ansat helicopter engine. Through our joint efforts, we have delivered more than 70 such rotorcrafts that currently operate in Russia and are entering the international market. The PW207V is a reliable and highly efficient power plant that support the objectives of VR-Technologies," said Andrey Boginsky, director general of Russian Helicopters.

"The main component of any operating system is the engine. We are thrilled to announce that our VRT500 helicopters will be powered by PW207V engines that offer a proven track record in safety, reliability, economy and ease of maintenance which of course is key for our future helicopter operators," said Alexander Okhonko, CEO of VR-Technologies.