What are the remarkable features of Russian Ka -52 helicopter?

The most striking feature of Ka -52 is the cockpit with parallel two-seat layout, while traditional armed helicopters all adopt tandem two-seat layout. The parallel two-seat layout of the aircraft is not unconventional, but is designed and developed according to the driving needs and combat tasks of modern armed helicopters. First of all, Ka -52 is designed for all-weather, all-weather and ultra-low altitude attacks on ground targets.

When the United States made the F-11and the Soviet Union developed the Su -24 all-weather attack aircraft (also for low-altitude combat), the pilot and the navigator/weapon operator sat side by side in a cockpit. This layout was once regarded as the best scheme, and it has been used in the new generation fighter/bomber of Su -34.

Secondly, as early as 1972, when the United States implemented the AH- 1 "Huey Cobra" tandem two-seater night fighting armed helicopter plan, it also reached the same conclusion: the crew members had better adopt parallel layout. Therefore, the two-seat layout of Ka -52 helicopter is not retrogressive, but a reasonable design according to the needs of use, which is a creation of the cockpit layout of armed helicopters.

The advantage of juxtaposing two seats is that two people can use some instruments and equipment, thus simplifying the operation of instruments, enabling the driver to concentrate on tracking the target and minimizing the decision-making time.