Rotorcraft Report: EMA Shows New Ka-32s at Helitech

COMMERCIAL | MILITARY

Empresa de Meios Aereos (EMA) of Portugal presented its new Kamov Ka32A11BC helicopter in public for the first time at Helitech Portugal in October. The Lisbon-based company has now received the last of six KA32s to be used along with its Eurocopter AS-350 Ecureuils for fire fighting and search and rescue operations for the Portuguese Ministry of the Interior.

The six are modified versions of the standard Ka-32, with rear sliding doors on both sides of the aircraft rather than just a sliding door on the port side. The aircraft use counter-rotating, three-bladed main rotor blades to negate the need for rear anti-torque rotor blades. Color scheme is bright yellow with two red stripes fore and aft. Old analogue cockpit instruments have also been replaced with digital data screens.