HORMONE

Description

Ka-25 Hormone

The deployment of the Polaris naval strategic nuclear missile system in the USA acted as a catalyst accelerating development of aircraft carrying ships in the USSR. The Ka-25 Hormone helicopter was developed to meet a Soviet Naval Air Force specification for an anti-submarine helicopter for ship or shore-based use. The first Ka-25 prototype flew in 1961. Designed by the world's leading pioneer of co-axial helicopters, Nikolai I. Kamov (1902-1973) this Soviet AV-MF (naval aviation) anti-submarine warfare rotary wing aircraft was assigned to the Soviet Helicopter Carrier Moskva. The Hormone is powered by twin turbines, installed side-by-side above the cabin, that drive two, three-bladed coaxial, contra-rotating rotors. The contra-rotating rotors eliminated the need for an anti-torque tail rotor, and made a very compact design possible, with obvious benefits for shipboard operations. Hormone cannot hover or dip at night.