Mil Mi-6
The Mil Mi-6 (NATO reporting name Hook) was a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter that was designed by the Mil design bureau. It was built in large numbers for both military and civil roles.
Design and development
The Mi-6 resulted from a joint civil-military requirement for a very large vertical-lift aircraft, which could be used to add mobility in military operations as well as assist in the exploration and development of the expansive central and eastern regions of the USSR. Flown for the first time on 5 June 1957, the Mi-6 was the first Soviet turboshaft powered production helicopter.
The R-7 gearbox and rotor head developed for the project have a combined weight of 3200 kg, which is greater than the two turboshaft engines.
Veriable-incidence winglets were first mounted on the craft's sides in 1960 to the 30 pre-series units. These wings provide approximatley 20% of the lift required during cruise flight.
The Mi-6 was by far the world's largest helicopter when it was introduced; it was also the fastest, with a top speed of 300 km/h (190 mph). Its maximum load capacity is 12,000 kg.
When designed in 1954–56 it was by far the largest in the world. In its early days this helicopter set many world records, including one for sheer circuit speed at 340 km/h (211 mph). From 1959–72 a total production of at least 500 were built for various general transport, utility, firefighting and flying-crane duties, the last two sub-types not being fitted with the large fixed wings which in other versions bear part of the lift in cruising flight and thus enable higher speeds to be attained. The twin nose wheels and large low-pressure main wheels do not retract.
Normally flown by a crew of five or more, the Mi-6 seats 65 armed troops and can alternatively carry 41 stretcher (litter) patients and two attendants, or a wide range of bulky loads, including vehicles, loaded through rear clamshell doors. In exercises, fleets of these aircraft have airlifted many kinds of weapons, including FROG-7 rockets on their PT-76 tracked chassis, as well as large radars and heavy artillery. All Soviet Armoured personnel carriers, armoured cars and light Mechanised infantry combat vehicles can be carried.
The CIS Interstate Aviation Committee cancelled the Mi-6's Type Certificate in October 2002 after the crash of RA-21074 in the Taimyr Peninsula. There have also been reports that the wooden tail rotor blades have reached the end of their service life.
Variants
- V-6 : (Zavod No.329 Moscow) First prototype series.
- Mi-6 (NATO – Hook-A) : Heavy-lift transport helicopter.
- Mi-6A : Civil transport helicopter, with accommodation for 65-90 passengers.
- Mi-6T (NATO – Hook-A) : Military transport helicopter, which can seat up to 70 people on tip-up seats along the cabin sides, with additional seat along the center-line.
- Mi-6VKP (NATO – Hook-B) : Command post, electronic warfare helicopter.
- Mi-6BUS (NATO – Hook-C) : (Also Mi-6AYa and Mi-22) airborne command post helicopter of 1975.
- Mi-6AYaSh (NATO – Hook-D) : (Also Mi-6VUS and Mi-6VzPU) airborne command post with SLAR.
- Mi-6L : (Also Mi-6LL: Letayushchaya laboratoriya) Flying laboratory variant with D-25VF engines used for flight improvements of the Mi-6 and testbed for the powerplant of the Mi-12.
- Mi-6M : Anti-submarine variant armed with four aerial torpedoes and ASW rockets, and equipped with various experimental ASW systems. First built in 1963 and modified in 1965 for the "Barge Hauler" program.
- Mi-6P : Passenger transport helicopter, with accommodation for 80 passengers.
- Mi-6PP : Electronic reconnaissance and AWAC detection jammer developed in the 1980s.
- Mi-6PR : (Protivodeystviya Radiorazvedke) Development in 1962 for jammer/electronic warfare variant.
- Mi-6PRTBV : A few modified as mobile rocket/technical bases and rocket fuel transports.
- Mi-6PS : Search and rescue helicopter developed in 1966 for pick-up of the landed "Vostok" and "Soyuz" space modules.
- Mi-6PSA : Little-known modification similar to Mi-6PS.
- Mi-6PZh and Mi-6PZh2 : Fire fighting variant, with 12,000 litre tank in the cabin and six 1,500 litre bags suspended from the fuselage.
- Mi-6R : (Retranslyator) specialised radio communications variant developed in 1974.
- Mi-6RVK : Tested in 1965 armed with mobile missile launchers.
- Mi-6S : Medical evacuation helicopter, which can carry 41 litters.
- Mi-6TP : Convertible freight/passenger helicopter.
- Mi-6TZ : (Also Mi-6ATZ) fuel transport helicopter.
- Mi-6VR "Vodoley" : Experimental Mi-6 developed in 1976 for testing helicopter de-icing systems and for testing the rotor system of the Mi-26 .
- Mi-6? : Developed in 1962 with collapsible BU-75BRM drilling rig for oil exploration in Siberia. Exact designation unknown.
Facts
- Test pilot N.B. Leshin has set the world record of speed. This event was awarded by the American Helicopter Society.
- Small numbers are still in service, most in Siberia plus a small number with the People's Republic of China. The Russian Air Force currently operates 5 Mi-6s.
- Several contaminated Mi-6s can be found with the thousands of other pieces of equipment in the "vehicle graveyards" in the Chernobyl disaster alienation zone.
Operators
- Algerian Air Force
- Belarus Air Force
- China People's Liberation Army
- Egyptian Air Force
- Ethiopian Air Force
- Indonesian Air Force
- Iraqi Air Force
- Kazakh Air Force
- Laotian Air Force
- Peru : Peruvian Air Force, Peruvian Army
- Polish Air Force
- Russian Air Force
- Ukrainian Air Force
- Soviet Union : Aeroflot, Soviet Air Force
- Vietnamese Air Force
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