Kamov Ka-50 Werewolf
The Kamov Ka-50 Werewolf is one of the only single-seat attack helicopters ever built into full production, most rivals use a two-person crew to split flying and weapons duties across separate workloads. Its coaxial twin-rotor layout, standard for Kamov designs, removes the need for a tail rotor and gives it exceptional agility for its size. In a genuine emergency, the entire rotor system explosively separates and the pilot ejects using a rocket-assisted seat, a safety feature almost unheard of on any helicopter. Its complexity and single-pilot workload eventually led the Russian military to favour the two-seat Ka-52 derivative for most frontline orders instead.
Did you know?
The Ka-50 Werewolf is one of the few single-seat attack helicopters ever built, with a coaxial rotor and a rocket-assisted ejection seat.
Specifications
| Length | 13.5 m (44 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 4.9 m (16 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 14.5 m (48 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 10.8 t |
| Range | 285 NM (528 km) |
| Maximum speed | 173 kt (320 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 18,040 ft (5,499 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,970 ft/min (10 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,800 l |
| Engines | 2x Klimov VK-2500 |
| Units built | 18 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Kamov Ka-50 Werewolf starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Kamov, the Ka-50 Werewolf family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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