Unique Flying Machines: Kamov Ka-32

Throughout 2017, we’ll be bringing you some of the most unusual and unexpected aviation inventions we’ve ever seen. These are truly unique flying machines – some more successful than others, some strange, and some would-be legends.

All of these uncommon aircraft share one common theme: They are the byproducts of man’s indomitable quest to tame the sky. Each displays a level of ingenuity, creativity and innovation that keeps the aviation industry climbing higher and striving for excellence still today.

This month, we’re celebrating the Kamov Ka-32, a Russian-built rotorcraft, is the mid-1980s civilian counterpart to the Russian military’s Ka-27 and was used for transport (Ka-32T) or shipboard utility and ice reconnaissance (Ka-32S).

These helicopters were designed to carry cargo inside the cabin or to use a sling. Some were equipped with radar and navigation systems. The prototype’s first flight was on October 8, 1980. The utility prototype debuted at the Paris Airshow in 1985.