aft cabin
// BEN SAMPSON
FROM RUSSIA WITH ROTORS
The Mi-8, the world’s most-produced helicopter was
developed in the 1960s by Russian engineers
Around 17,000 Russian Mil Mi-8 helicopters
have been made since production
started in 1961. Used in over 50 countries
and still in production today, the
twin-turbine Mi-8 is widely accepted to be
the world’s most-produced helicopter.
Today the Mil Mi-8, also known by its
export designation Mi-17 outside of Russia,
is available from the company Russian
Helicopters, a state-backed company
formed in 2007 by the merger of all of
Russia’s helicopter factories, design offices
and MRO facilities.
Originally designed in 1960 as a
medium-lift military transporter to replace
the Russian Army’s Mil-produced Mi-4, the
Mi-8 is most commonly used for transport,
including civilian. However, the helicopter’s
flexibility and robustness means its design
has been adapted throughout the decades
for applications as varied as a military
gunship, reconnaissance, crop spraying
and firefighting.
Its development is linked to Russian
leader Nikita Khrushchev, who reportedly
ordered a luxury VIP helicopter to be built
after visiting the USA in 1959 and riding
presidential helicopter. The existing Mi-4
was modified but in the subsequent
inspection flight, Mikhail Mil convinced
Khrushchev a two-engined version was
needed for reliability. Up until then a singleengine
prototype, called the V-8 had been
in development. The V-8 was an evolution of
the Mi-4 design and was used for the Mi-8’s
maiden flight in June 1961. A second
prototype also flew in September 1961.
The V-8 used an engine originally
designed for fixed wing aircraft, the
Soloviev turboshaft, but the twin-engine
helicopter required the development of an
engine specifically designed for a rotorcraft.
This led to the production of the Isotov TV2
and a new main rotor gear box, which was
integrated into a third test aircraft and
successfully flight tested for the first time in
August 1962. That twin-engined helicopter
completed its factory testing in August 1963.
A fourth prototype was then designed
and produced as a VIP transport in 1963,
with the rotor changed from four to five
blades to reduce vibration, the cockpit
doors replaced by blister perspex slides
and a sliding door added to the cabin. A
114 MARCH \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
Constructed of light alloys, the Mi-8 has a
bus-shaped fuselage with a rounded nose
and glassed-in cockpit for up to three crew.
The cabin, which can carry up to 24
passengers, 8,800 lbs of cargo or twelve
stretchers has a large sliding door and rearopening
clamshell doors for large cargo. Its
interior seats can be removed and an
internal winch capable of lifting 350 lbs
fitted to it. Its long tailboom extends from up
from the fuselage to a vertical fin which
houses the gearbox and tailrotor.
Production of the Mi-8 began at the
Kazan Production Plant, with the first
aircraft delivered by the end of 1965. The
aircraft was first used by Soviet and Russian
armed forces in 1967. Military versions of the
Mi-8 have round windows and are armed
with machine guns and rockets. The export
variant, the Mi-17 was introduced in August
1975. It retained the fuselage design and
used the Mi-14’s Klimov TV3-117MT engines.
The latest version of the Mi-17 has upgraded
engines and many variants have been
produced around the world.
According to Mil By 2000 the Mil-8/17 was
being operated in 54 countries and more
than 10,000 had been produced in Russia
June 9 1961
First flight
21.29m
Rotor diameter
18.17m
Length
13,000kg
Max. take-off weight
140mph
Cruising speed
380 miles
Range
14,800ft
Ceiling
1,950hp
From each of the two
Klimov TV3-117Mt
turboshaft engines
26
Passenger capacity
(+3 crew)
1 //
The Mi-8P
prototype used
for testing during
1964 and 1965
Mil Mi-8
vital statistics
commercial passenger
version. Testing of this
version was completed by
and by foreign licensees. Current estimates
of the number produced vary, but whatever
the exact number, the helicopter is an icon
of Soviet-era engineering. //
in the S-58
fifth and final prototype developed was a
November 1964.
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