Takeoff weight mi 8. Russian Aviation. Combat use in Afghanistan

The history of the MI-8 helicopter began in the USSR. For the first time, it was developed in the early 60s. It is the most popular twin-engine helicopter, not only in Russia, but throughout the world. The main purpose of using this aircraft is various military and civil operations.

After all, it is precisely thanks to its technical and flight characteristics that this flying machine has earned its authority among many air forces around the world. Due to the rich range of possibilities for using this helicopter, its serial production began back in 1967. And despite rich history, today it is used in flights no less actively. Moreover, it is worth noting that this helicopter is actively purchased for service by foreign countries.

Thanks to its good speed and technical characteristics, its design modifications are being actively carried out today. Combined with its good flight range, the MI-8 model is one of the highest priority aircraft for further improvements. Thus, MI-8 definitely occupies an honorable place in our aviation industry.

Modifications of the MI-8 helicopter

Over the years of history, after the release of the first prototype, many different modifications of this flying machine were produced. Moreover, each of these modifications was intended to fulfill specific purposes. All possible variations of helicopter models were equipped with a variety of equipment, depending on the purpose of use. All models of this helicopter can be divided into several types:

1. Experienced. The first samples of both the MI-8 itself and its modifications. In other words, this various models of this helicopter, to which certain changes were made.
2. Passenger. From the name it is clear that these helicopter models are used to transport passengers. Moreover, we are talking about both civilians and military personnel. In both cases, it can accommodate 18-30 people, depending on the modification, which makes it very attractive for this purpose.
3. Transport. MI-8 is capable of carrying a load with a total weight of up to 4 tons. Not many helicopters can boast such characteristics. And because of the possibility of using it to perform multi-purpose tasks, it remains completely out of competition.
4. Multipurpose. In addition to all the above methods of application, the MI-8 is capable of performing another number of different combat missions. A good example of this is the installation of up to 200 anti-personnel mines. In some cases, they are used to perform a number of technical and repair work, thanks to special equipment. There are known cases of MI-8 being used in search and rescue operations. Sometimes it is also used as an air hospital, again, using special equipment.

Separately, it is worth noting one of the newest modifications of the MI-8 helicopter, which was designed literally at the end of last year - MI-8MTV-5. It was this modification that was originally developed for the purpose of conducting combat operations in a wide variety of climatic conditions. Unlike older models, here they introduced the possibility of transporting large-sized cargo by attaching it to the external sling of a helicopter. And thanks to its combat and speed characteristics, new version helicopter it became possible to provide fire support for allied infantry. Moreover, precisely thanks to the latest equipment, it is not at all necessary to provide fire support in daytime conditions.

And if this model shows itself well in combat conditions, then it will definitely be accepted for permanent service. And having such reliable and efficient technology is very important for any country. After all, it is thanks to it that the security of the entire state is ensured.

Design of the MI-8 helicopter

MI-8 belongs to the class of single-rotor helicopters. It has five main rotors and three tail rotors. The propeller blades, made of solid metal, have a full spar made of aluminum alloys pressed together. In addition, all helicopter blades have an alarm, and if any of the blades are damaged, the pilots will be immediately notified.

Thanks to the presence of two engines, in the event of failure of one of which, the second one automatically increases the supplied power through the use of modern equipment. This allows you not to lose speed and maneuverability in case of malfunctions. And this is an undeniable advantage among other helicopters of a similar model.

Some modifications of the MI-8 helicopter use a specialized armored cabin. Often, such modifications are used in combat models. And such variations are very often adopted by different countries.

The chassis design has three static wheel supports. This allows the helicopter to land even in the most inaccessible places. This is its undoubted advantage.

In addition, the helicopter has one of the best antifreeze systems. It is she who prevents the helicopter from icing up. Thanks to this, it can be used even in the most extreme conditions.
The MI-8 helicopter has an excellent heating and ventilation system. It allows you to heat or cool not only the cockpit, but also the passenger compartment, which makes all flights very comfortable. In addition, this system also works on helicopter front windows and air intakes.

The MI-8 helicopter has quite a serious electronic filling. Moreover, it, in turn, has completely different characteristics and purposes. But it is precisely because of this that the helicopter has its own special distinctive properties.

It is worth noting that the helicopter’s flight characteristics themselves are very attractive. Good speed, along with its payload and passenger capabilities, makes it a favorite among similar single-rotor helicopters. Despite the fact that the very first model was developed relatively long ago, its modifications are being actively developed to this day.

Technical characteristics of the MI-8 helicopter

• Required crew: 3 people.
• Maximum flight speed: 250 km/h.
• Maximum flight altitude: 4700 m.
• Maximum transport flight range: 445 km.
• Maximum passenger flight range: 500 km.
• Helicopter weight: 6600 kg.
• Maximum suspended load weight: 3000 kg.
• Fuel weight: 2800 kg.
• Helicopter length: 25.24 m.
• Engine: 2 x TV2-117A
• Maximum engine power: 1700 hp.
• Fuel consumption: 0.680 t/hour.

Technical characteristics of the flight characteristics of the MI-8 1965

• Years of production: since 1965.
• Total manufactured: about 12 thousand units.
• Combat use: military conflicts of the second half of the 20th century.
• Crew - 3 people, landing party - up to 28 people.
• Take-off weight - 12 tons.
• Dimensions: length (with propellers) - 25.3 m, height (with tail rotor) - 5.5 m, main rotor diameter - 21.3 m.
• Armament: 1x12.7 mm or 7.62 mm machine gun, hardpoints for unguided aircraft missiles and bombs.

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A number of original technical solutions were used in the design of the helicopter: large-sized duralumin stampings, adhesive-welded joints, automatic system regulation of engine operation. Compared to the Mi-4, the new helicopter had higher flight characteristics and twice the payload capacity. The first experimental V-8 with one AI-24V engine and a four-bladed propeller from the Mi-4 first took to the air on June 24, 1961 (test pilot B.V. Zemskov). On August 2, 1962, test pilot N.V. Lyoshin lifted off the ground the B-8A prototype with two TV2-117 and a five-bladed propeller, and on September 17 its first free flight took place.

In May 1964, assembly of the new passenger V-8AP in the government cabin version was completed. It was almost no different from the V-8AT and served as the basis for testing the modernized AP-34B autopilot and main rotor speed synchronizer. The V-8AP was shown to party and government leaders. In September of the same year, the second stage (“B”) of the joint state testing program began with flights on the V-8AP. Having successfully completed the state testing program, the V-8AP was converted in the spring of 1965 at the pilot production of plant No. 329 into a comfortable version for transporting 28 passengers. By this time, the experimental V-8AP helicopter had been practically brought to perfection, the service life of most of its units reached 500 hours. In June, it was presented at the Paris Aviation Show, where it was highly praised by foreign experts for its excellent flight performance and comfort, and was recognized as one of the most successful middle-class helicopters. The helicopter was demonstrated just as successfully a few months later at an industrial exhibition in Copenhagen. Subsequently, Mi-8 helicopters took part almost every year in all major international air shows and exhibitions, worthily representing the domestic aviation industry in different parts of the globe.

Serial production of the Mi-8 began in March 1965 at aircraft plant No. 387 in Kazan. At the end of the year, the first production samples left the assembly shop. By 1969, the Mi-8 had completely replaced the Mi-4 on the assembly line. In 1970, the Ulan-Uden plant also began producing it.

The Mi-8 helicopter has a single-rotor design with a five-blade, three-hinge main rotor and a three-blade tail rotor. The landing gear is tricycle, non-retractable, with a self-orienting front strut that is fixed in flight. To protect the tail rotor there is a tail support. The Mi-8P helicopter differs from the transport Mi-8T by rectangular windows and the absence of a Doppler antenna for the DIV-1 ground speed and drift angle meter on the tail boom. The cabin of the main version of the Mi-8P has 28 soft passenger seats. The twenty-eight-seat passenger cabin layout became the main one on the production Mi-8P. Only in 1968 it underwent minor modifications. The rear fuselage compartment was changed - a luggage compartment was located in it. The passenger cabin has lengthened by more than a meter. The rear doors were made smaller and a rear entrance door with a ladder was installed in them. The Mi-8P could also be used as an ambulance or transport helicopter for transporting small-sized cargo inside the cabin and large-sized cargo on an external sling. A few years later, based on the Mi-8P and its later modifications, versions with a passenger cabin with 20, 24 and 26 seats were created. The Mi-8P can be used as an ambulance and transport (small-sized cargo inside the cabin, large-sized cargo on an external sling).

In 1968, the fuselage design at the rear was modified. The luggage compartment was located there. The passenger compartment has lengthened by more than a meter. The rear doors became smaller and a rear entrance door with a ladder was installed in them.

In 1962-1991, two factories produced about 5,200 Mi-8 helicopters (3,700 in Ulan-Ude). Of these, about 2,800 were exported to 40 countries. Half of the helicopters produced are still in operation. In 1964-1967, the Mi-8 set 7 international records (mostly by female crews).

Modifications:

V-8A is the second prototype. It featured two engines and a five-bladed propeller.
V-8AP is the fourth prototype. Manufactured in 1964 in the government salon version. In 1965, converted into a passenger version.
Mi-8APS, Mi-8AP-2, Mi-8AP-4 - increased comfort options (“salons”). They differ in the engine. TV2-117AG. Produced in Ulan-Ude.
Mi-8M - modernized for 40 passenger seats (project). It was distinguished by an extended fuselage and TV3-117 engines. Developed in 1964-1971.
Mi-8PA - with uprated TV2-117F engines (1700 hp). Certified in Japan in 1980.
Mi-8PS - salon" for 7, 9 or 11 passengers (Mi-8PS-7, Mi-8PS-9, Mi-8PS-11, respectively).
Mi-8S - (the second with this designation) - “salon” based on the Mi-8T. Developed in 1969.

Modification: Mi-8P
Main propeller diameter, m: 21.29
Tail rotor diameter, m: 3.91
Length, m: 18.17
Height, m: 5.65
Weight, kg
-empty: 6800
-normal takeoff: 11100
-maximum take-off: 12000
Engine type: 2 x GTE TV2-117A
-power, kW: 2 x 1257
Maximum speed, km/h: 250
Cruising speed, km/h: 225
Practical range, km: 480
Practical ceiling, m: 4500
Static ceiling, m: 1900
Crew, people: 2-3
Payload: up to 28 passengers or 12 stretchers with attendants or 4000 kg of cargo in the cabin or 3000 kg on the sling.

The prototype B-8A helicopter is the second prototype.

The third B-8A prototype in flight.

The experimental V-8AP helicopter is the fourth prototype. 1964

The experimental V-8AP helicopter is the fourth prototype. 1964

Experienced helicopter V-8AP.

Mi-8P of the first series in flight.

Mi-8P helicopter. In the background is a Mi-8T.

Mi-8P lands on the site near the Peter and Paul Fortress. Saint Petersburg.

Mi-8P helicopter on the site near the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Mi-8P of Altai Airlines.

Mi-8P of the U Tair company in the parking lot.

Mi-8P comes in for landing.

Government Mi-8PS.

Government Mi-8PS.

Mi-8P cockpit.

Helicopters of Russia and the world video, photos, pictures watch online occupy an important place in the overall system of the national economy and the Armed Forces, honorably fulfilling the civil and military tasks assigned to them. According to the figurative expression of the outstanding Soviet scientist and designer ML. Mil, “our country itself is, as it were, “designed” for helicopters.” Without them, the development of the vast and impassable spaces of the Far North, Siberia and the Far East is unthinkable. Helicopters have become a familiar element of the landscape of our grandiose construction projects. They are widely used as a means of transport, in agriculture, construction, rescue service, military affairs. When performing a number of operations, helicopters are simply irreplaceable. Who knows how many people were saved by the helicopter crews who took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The lives of thousands of Soviet soldiers were saved by combat helicopters in Afghanistan.

Russian helicopters, before becoming one of the main modern transport, technological and combat means, helicopters went through a long and not always smooth path of development. The idea of ​​lifting into the air with the help of a main rotor originated with mankind almost earlier than the idea of ​​flying on a fixed wing. In the early history of aviation and aeronautics, generating lift by “screwing into the air” was more popular than other methods. This explains the abundance of rotorcraft projects aircraft in the XIX - early XX centuries. Only four years separate the flight of the Wright brothers' airplane (1903) from the first flight of a man in a helicopter (1907).

The best helicopters were used by scientists and inventors; they hesitated for a long time which method to give preference to. However, by the end of the first decade of the 20th century. the aircraft, which was less energy-intensive and simpler in terms of aerodynamics, dynamics and strength, took the lead. His successes were impressive. Almost 30 years passed before the creators of helicopters finally managed to make their devices operational. Already during the Second World War, helicopters went into mass production and began to be used. At the end of the war, the so-called “helicopter boom” arose. Numerous companies began to build samples of new promising technology, but not all attempts were successful.

Combat helicopters from Russia and the USA were still more difficult to build than aircraft of a similar class. Military and civilian customers were in no hurry to compare them with already familiar aircraft. aviation equipment new type. Only the effective use of helicopters by the Americans in the early 50s. in the Korean War, it convinced a number of military leaders, including Soviet ones, of the advisability of using this aircraft by the armed forces. However, many, as before, continued to consider the helicopter a “temporary aberration of aviation.” It took more than ten years until helicopters finally proved their exclusivity and indispensability in performing a variety of military tasks.

Russian helicopters played a big role in the creation and development of Russian and Soviet scientists, designers and inventors. Their importance is so great that it even gave rise to one of the founders of the domestic helicopter industry, Academician B.N. Yuryev consider our state the “homeland of helicopters.” This statement, of course, is too categorical, but our helicopter pilots have something to be proud of. These are scientific works of the school of N.E. Zhukovsky in the pre-revolutionary period and the impressive flights of the TsAGI 1-EA helicopter in the pre-war years, the records of the post-war Mi-4, Mi-6, Mi-12, Mi-24 helicopters and the unique family of coaxial helicopters "Ka", modern Mi-26 and Ka -32 and much, much more.

Russia's new helicopter is relatively well covered in books and articles. Shortly before his death, B.N. Yuriev began writing a fundamental work, “The History of Helicopters,” but only managed to prepare chapters relating to his own work in 1908 - 1914. Let us note that insufficient attention to the history of such a branch of aviation as helicopter construction is also typical for foreign researchers.

Military helicopters of Russia shed new light on the history of the development of helicopters and their theory in pre-revolutionary Russia, the contribution of domestic scientists and inventors to the global process of development of this type of technology. A review of pre-revolutionary domestic work on rotary-wing aircraft, including previously unknown ones, as well as their analysis were given in the corresponding chapter in the book “Aviation in Russia”, prepared for publication in 1988 by TsAGI. However, its small volume significantly limited the size of the information provided.

Civil helicopters in their best liveries. An attempt has been made to cover as fully and comprehensively as possible the activities of domestic helicopter enthusiasts. Therefore, the activities of leading domestic scientists and designers are described, and projects and proposals are also considered, the authors of which were significantly inferior to them in their knowledge, but whose contribution could not be ignored. Moreover, in some projects that were generally distinguished by a relatively low level of elaboration, there are also interesting proposals and ideas.

The name of the helicopters denoted significant qualitative changes in this type of equipment. Such events include the beginning of continuous and systematic development of helicopter projects; construction of the first full-scale helicopters capable of getting off the ground, and the beginning of mass production and practical use of helicopters. This book tells about the early stages of the history of helicopter manufacturing: from the birth of the idea of ​​lifting into the air by means of a propeller to the creation of the first helicopters capable of getting off the ground. A helicopter, unlike an airplane, a flywheel and a rocket, has no direct prototypes in nature. However, the propeller, which creates the lifting force of a helicopter, has been known since ancient times.

Small helicopters Despite the fact that propellers were known and there were empirical prototypes of helicopters, the idea of ​​​​using a main rotor for lifting into the air did not become widespread until the end of the 18th century. All rotorcraft projects being developed at that time remained unknown and were discovered in archives many centuries later. As a rule, information about the development of such projects was preserved in the archives of the most prominent scientists of their time, such as Guo Hong, L. da Vinci, R. Hooke, M.V. Lomonosov, who created the “aerodrome machine” in 1754.

Literally dozens of new designs have been created for private helicopters in a short time. This was a competition of a wide variety of designs and forms, usually single- or double-seat devices, which had mainly experimental purposes. The natural customers for this expensive and complex equipment were the military departments. The first helicopters in different countries were designated as military communications and reconnaissance vehicles. In the development of helicopters, as in many other areas of technology, two lines of development can be clearly distinguished - but the dimensions of machines, i.e. quantitative, and the almost simultaneously emerging line of development of qualitative improvement of aircraft within a certain size or weight category.

A website about helicopters that contains the most complete description. Whether the helicopter is used for geological exploration, agricultural work or for transporting passengers, the cost of an hour of operation of the helicopter plays a decisive role. A large share of it is depreciation, that is, the price divided by its service life. The latter is determined by the resource of the units, i.e. their service life. The problem of increasing the fatigue strength of blades, shafts and transmissions, main rotor hubs and other helicopter components has become a primary task that is still occupied by helicopter designers. Nowadays, a service life of 1000 hours is no longer uncommon for a production helicopter and there is no reason to doubt its further increase.

Modern helicopters comparison of combat capabilities, original video preserved. Her image found in some publications is an approximate reconstruction, not entirely undisputed, carried out in 1947 by N.I. Kamov. However, based on the above archival documents, a number of conclusions can be drawn. Judging by the test method (suspension on blocks), the “aerodrome machine” was undoubtedly an apparatus vertical take-off and landings. Of the two methods of vertical lift known at that time - using flapping wings or using a rotor - the first seems unlikely. The report says that the wings moved horizontally. For most flywheels, they are known to move in a vertical plane. A flywheel whose wings perform oscillatory movements in a horizontal plane with an angle of installation that changes cyclically, despite repeated attempts, has not yet been built.

The best helicopter design is always forward-looking. However, in order to more clearly imagine the possibilities for further development of helicopters, it is useful to try to understand the main directions of their development from past experience. What is interesting here, of course, is not the prehistory of helicopter engineering, which we will only briefly mention, but its history from the moment when the helicopter, as a new type of aircraft, became suitable for practical use. The first mention of an apparatus with a vertical propeller - a helicopter - is contained in the notes of Leonardo da Vinci dating back to 1483. The first stage of development stretches from the model of a helicopter created by M. V. Lomonosov in 1754, through a long series of projects, models and even real-life devices. , which were not destined to take off until the construction of the world's first helicopter, which managed to get off the ground in 1907.

The fastest helicopter in the outlines of this machine we will recognize the schematic diagram of the most common single-rotor helicopters in the world now. B. I. Yuryev managed to return to this work only in 1925. In 1932, a group of engineers headed by A. M. Cheremukhitsnch built the TsAGI 1-EA helicopter, which reached a flight altitude of 600 m and stayed in the air at 18 m/sh , which was an outstanding achievement for that time. Suffice it to say that the official flight altitude record, set 3 years later on the new Breguet coaxial helicopter, was only 180 m. At this time, there was some pause in the development of helicopters (helicopters). A new branch of rotorcraft—gyroplanes—has come to the fore.

The new Russian helicopter, with a greater load on the wing area, came face to face with the then new problem of spin loss of speed. Creating a safe and fairly advanced gyroplane turned out to be easier than building a helicopter helicopter. The rotor rotating freely from the oncoming flow eliminated the need for complex gearboxes and transmissions. The hinged fastening of the main rotor blades to the hub used on gyroplanes provided them with much greater strength and stability of the gyroplane. Finally, stopping the engine was no longer dangerous, as it was with the first helicopters: by autorotating, the gyroplane easily landed at low speed.

Large helicopters for landing marines from ships have been identified further development military helicopter construction as a transport and landing one. The landing of American troops on S-55 helicopters at Inchon during the Korean War (1951) confirmed this trend. The size range of transport-landing helicopters began to be determined by the dimensions and weight of ground vehicles used by troops and which had to be transported by air. The fact is that conventional weapons, mainly artillery, transported by tractors weigh close to the weight of the tractors themselves. Therefore, the carrying capacity of the first transport helicopters in foreign armies was 1200-1600 kg (the weight of a light military vehicle used as a tractor and corresponding weapons).

USSR helicopters correspond to the weight of light and medium tanks or corresponding self-propelled chassis. Whether this line of development will be completed in such a range of dimensions depends on the constantly changing military doctrine. Artillery systems are being replaced to a greater extent by missiles, which is why we find demands in the foreign press. The power did not lead to an increase in payload. Indeed, but at the technical level of that time, the weight of the propellers, gearboxes and the entire apparatus as a whole increased with increasing power faster than the lifting force increased. However, when creating a new useful, and especially new for national economic application, the designer cannot tolerate a decrease in the achieved level of weight output.

Soviet helicopters are the first examples, relatively short time were created because specific gravity piston engines always decreased with increasing power. But in 1953, after the creation of the 13-ton Sikorsky S-56 helicopter with two 2300 hp piston engines. The size range of helicopters in Zapala was interrupted and only in the USSR, using turboprop engines. In the mid-fifties, the reliability of helicopters became significantly higher, therefore, the possibilities of their use in the national economy expanded. Economic issues came to the fore.

The most popular Soviet helicopters are still in service in the Russian Air Force and around the world (export version Mi-17). Numerous modifications of these machines are widely used for both military and civilian purposes. They are still in demand in the global helicopter market, are constantly being improved and will be in use for decades to come.

History of creation

Multipurpose Mi-4 with one piston engine and a four-bladed main rotor, it proved itself well, but its time was over and at the end of the 50s of the last century the development of second-generation helicopters with turboshaft engines began. In 1961, a new car was shown for the first time in Tushino AT 8 with one turboprop engine above the cabin, but still with a main and tail rotor, a tail boom and a transmission inherited from Mi-4. Only the fuselage and power plant were new. AI-24V.

Two engines were installed on the next prototype TV2-117, a main rotor with five blades and a tail rotor of increased rigidity. This machine received the designation and was tested in the air in September 1962. The designers boldly introduced original technical improvements.

Glue-welded joints and large-sized stampings made of duralumin were widely used, the synchronization and speed of the main rotor were regulated by a new automation system, and the external suspension was radically different from the old one. So in the design bureau of M.L. Mil received a start in life with a new gas turbine helicopter.

Description of the helicopter

The aerodynamic configuration is based on a design with one five-blade main rotor and a tail rotor of three blades. The steel main rotor hub with all-metal blades is located in horizontal and vertical hinges and is controlled by a cyclic pitch handle in the longitudinal control. The main rotor and tail rotor blades are equipped with an electric anti-icing system.

The all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage houses the cockpit at the front. Inside, two pilots sit side by side, and an on-board technician sits slightly behind in the middle on a folding seat. A new autopilot that stabilizes the helicopter in roll, pitch, heading and speed, altitude and hovering altitude is included in the standard equipment.

Two turboshafts gas turbine engine TV2-117A are installed on top of the helicopter body in special engine nacelles; the sides of the nacelles fold down and provide a convenient approach to the power plant for maintenance. The air intake located above the engines serves as an air access channel to the oil radiator fan.

The cargo compartment accommodates 24 people on folding seats; in the sanitary version, 12 stretchers are installed for the wounded. There are load securing points on the floor, and a winch with a lifting capacity of 200 kg is located above the front door. A double-leaf cargo hatch and a ramp are used for loading equipment.

The rear part of the fuselage consists of a tail boom with a tail rotor, a Doppler speed and drift meter, a stabilizer and a support that prevents the tail rotor from touching the ground. The helicopter landing gear consists of three supports, the front control strut is fixed in the air during flight, the supports are not retracted.

Standard electronic equipment includes VHF and HF radios, an automatic radio altimeter, an automatic radio compass and a Doppler speed and drift meter.

Since 1989, they have been equipped with a weather radar in a container located under the fuselage, long-range navigation equipment operating using the LORAN system and equipment that stabilizes the helicopter in hovering mode.

Tactical and technical data of the Mi-8T

• Fuselage length – 18.17 m
• Height along the main rotor hub – 5.65 m
• The length of the helicopter with rotating propellers is 25.24 m
• Engines – 2 X TV2-117A
• Thrust-to-weight ratio – 2 X 1481 hp.
• Unloaded helicopter weight – 7160 kg
• Maximum take-off weight – 12 t
• Fuel capacity – 1870 l
• Additional tank in the cargo compartment – ​​980 l
• Maximum ground speed – 260 km/h
• Maximum rate of climb – 450 m/s
• Dynamic ceiling – 4500 m
• Ferry range – 930 km
• Combat radius – 350-480 km

Armament

• Suspension points – 4 beam holders
• NUR S-5 – 32 pcs. in blocks UB-32-57
• NUR S-5 – 192 pcs. in blocks UB-32-57 (since 1979)
• PTR "Phalanx" - 4 pcs.
• Air bombs 250 kg - depending on load
• Small arms – 12.7 mm machine gun

Combat use in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, Soviet helicopters solved a wide range of tasks - transporting personnel and cargo, evacuating the wounded, providing close fire support and much more. Thousands of Soviet officers and soldiers owe their lives to these machines.

In the Afghan war, helicopter pilots improved their tactics by adopting the “spinner” technique; it was used when attacking in a group, when they approached the target from a dive and covered each other on the way out. The chain of firing points was attacked by the front of the helicopters, forming a ledge relative to the leader. Between the mountains in narrow gorges they attacked one after another with the minimum possible interval.

Having no combat experience and shackled by various instructions and restrictions, the pilots who arrived in Afghanistan quickly learned during combat missions. Only those who quickly mastered maneuvers with high overloads survived: turns with a roll of up to 90 degrees, combat turns in the manner of fighters, dives from which the earth filled the entire view in the cockpit, and slides with negative overloads that were unacceptable for a helicopter in theory.

The pilots said that they learned to really fight in Afghanistan and did not tell the Union about their achievements; instructions and prohibitions at home were still in effect.

In general, in this war the annual losses were 30-35 helicopters, an entire regiment was out of action per year, but a large percentage of losses were among the flight personnel. The main losses occurred during the landing and pick-up of paratroopers on areas under fire - 50% and about 15% when transporting people and cargo.

Mi-8 crashes in peacetime

Analyzing disasters and accidents that occurred outside of combat operations, we can state that the main flight accidents occurred: due to the human factor - 41.5%; aircraft failure – 37.7%; bad weather conditions – 7%; for other reasons – 14%.

Here is the most typical disaster due to the human factor. When flying over the city of Grozny on March 10, 2005 in Chechen people's republic The helicopter got caught on a high-voltage power line. 15 people died, one managed to survive.

Here is another similar, but more resonant catastrophe. On April 28, 2002, near the village of Ermaki, in poor visibility conditions, he crashed into a power line. On board was the Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Alexander Lebed and his inner circle. Together with the head of the region, 9 people died.

The case of human negligence is confirmed by the following disaster. During a flight from Surgut to Lyantor on August 30, 2001, a cable that fell out of an open door hit the tail rotor area and was thrown into the main rotor. The car became uncontrollable, overturned and crashed into the swamp. Five people died.

In such cases, as they say, comments are unnecessary.

Video: Mi-8 crash