The Creative Work of Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

All the World's Rotorcraft

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

At 1991 M.N.Tishchenko retired. For the first time there were held democratic elections of new designer general. Mark Vladimirovich Vainberg was elected to this post by overwhelming majority.

Mark V. Vainberg

Mark V. Vainberg
( 1937 - 1997 )
the head of Mil helicopter plant
in 1991-1997

M.V.Vainberg was born on the 27 June 1937 in the town of Cherkassy. In 1961 he completed his studies at Ship-building Faculty of Kaliningrad Fish Institute and joined the fuselage department of Plant ¹329 at the invitation from Mil. Few years after talented young expert, who proved his worth as calculating engineer, was appointed the head of strength team of that department. He directly participated in designing fuselages of Mi-2, Mi-14 and Mi-24 helicopters. M.V.Vainberg was one of those who pioneered introducing threelayer sheathing constructions with honeycomb aggregate. Methods of computation, design and using three-layer constructions in helicopter fuselages, elaborated by him, became the base for his Ph.D. thesis on "Compound Materials Construction Strength", defended in 1971, and also for "Honeycomb Constructions" monograph, published in 1986. After the defence of dissertation he was appointed leading designer and deputy head of fuselage • department. In 1974 M.V.Vainberg transferred to the department of general perspectives and prospective design. From 1980 he was in charge of creating Mi-28 combat helicopter. Eight years later he was appointed deputy chief designer for that particular helicopter.

M.V.Vainberg - general director and designer general - was in charge of helicopter plant during the most difficult years in its history. He had to guide the firm when habitual mechanisms of management and co-operation were upset and state financing almost ceased, when the plant team had to find sources of financing and sales markets, to set relations with factories manufacturing parts, used by Moscow Helicopter Plant, with suppliers and serial plants. He managed to find new forms of co-operation and to attract businessmen's interest to helicopters. In 1993, in compliance with President's order, Moscow Helicopter Plant was transformed from state plant to open joint-stock company "Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant". Plant shares were bought by large national and foreign companies including the "Sikorski Aircraft".

Under M.V.Vainberg alterations in management took place. S.A.Kolupayev and G.A.Sinelshchikov became his first deputies. Well-known expert in designing reduction gears and transmissions O.P.Smirnov and leading expert in designing light helicopters A.P.Belov became chief designers. E.K.Tolkushkin was put in charge of Experimental Design Bureau. V.Ya.Krechet became plant director and S.A.Urmancheyev was appointed flight-test polygon director. V.G.Voronin, G.N.Leonov, N.A.Nazarov, A.N.Ptitsyn, A.G.Samusenko, A.V.Fedotov and V.G.Shcherbina became deputy chief designers.

During five years of managing, despite the worsening of economic situation in industry year after year, M.V.Vainberg succeed in many respects, joining the ranks of confederates. Testing of Mi-34 prototypes was completed and main part of testing Mi-28 was carried out. New modifications were created on the basis of Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-24 and Mi-26 models in co-operation with serial plants. Then they were put to serial production and extensively used both in Russia and abroad. Mi-171, Mi-172, Mi-26 and Mi-34 helicopters received flight certificates according to CIS (Commonwealth of Independed States) Aviation Register. On November 14, 1996 "helicopter from future" - night and all-weather Mi-28N combat helicopter made its first take-off. Thanks to support from Moscow Government, by means of aviation plant in Arsenyev, it became possible to organise serial production of Mi-34 helicopter. The final stage of assembly of those helicopters is carried out at Moscow Helicopter Plant. “Euromil” joint venture and “Eurocopter” corporation, the largest European helicopter manufacturer, elaborated the model of new promising Mi-38. Nowadays the old dream of Mil's team is coming true at last - thanks to the assistance from Moscow Government the construction of stationary flight and research complex of Moscow Helicopter Plant is coming to an end on “Chkalovskaya” aerodrome. Services and laboratory buildings, modern storehouse and hangar for development have already been elevated. The construction of the complex is to be completed in 1998.

Creating helicopters is a very hard work for their designers. First designer general and legendary firm-founder M.L.Mil died at the age of 60. M.V.Vainberg couldn't reach even that age - he suddenly died of heart failure on February 3, 1997. In April 1997 Georgy Alexandrovich Sinelshchikov was elected new general director and designer general.

Georgy A. Sinelshchikov

Georgy A. Sinelshchikov
( 1947 )
the head of Mil helicopter plant
since 1997

G.A.Sinelshchikov was born on the 24 of March 1947 in Egoryevsk-town. In 1971 he completed studies at the Moscow Aviation Institute with distinction and was assigned to the chief designer department of "Progress" machine-building plant in Arsenyev. He participated in the fuselage development of serial Mi-24 and its modifications. In November 1975 G.A.Sinelshchikov was transferred to the department of prospective design of Moscow Helicopter Plant, where he started working as a designer. He was engaged in the elaboration of new types of helicopters. In 1980 he was in charge of designing Mi-32 superheavy helicopter and two years later he was appointed the head of prospective research team. In 1987 after completing studies at chief designer courses in Central institute of improving professional level for aviation industry he was appointed deputy head of the Experimental Design Bureau of Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. During free elections in 1989 plant team elected G.A.Sinelshchikov the head of Experimental Design Bureau. When M.V.Vainberg was appointed designer general, Georgy Alexandrovich Sinelshchikov became his first deputy. In 1996 he combined this post with the post of general manager of closed type joint-stock “Euromil” company.

G.A.Sinelshchikov headed Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant in the year of its half-century anniversary. New general director- designer general appointed S.A.Kolupayev and A.G.Samusenko his first deputies. New leaders follow the traditions, laid down by founders 50 years ago. Joint-stock-company “Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant" holds leadership in experimental helicopter manufacturing. It continues to develop and upgrade domestic helicopters.

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

From "Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. 50 years" by V.R.Miheyev