The helicopter - a giant MI-12 (22 photos)

The Soviet Union has always been famous for its gigantomania. Therefore, the development project of the helicopter, which is on the right will carry the status of the largest and lifting, looks quite natural.



Development Project-12 began in 1963, at a time when talks and preparation started four years earlier. The basis for the future has become a prototype at that time had the serial Mi-6.

For simplicity, the developers just decided to double the number of propeller groups.


As a result, we got a "celestial monster" with four gas turbine engines, each producing 6497 horsepower!

The cabin of the helicopter was a two-story.










Fuselage itself was designed as a monocoque.


Dimensions of the cargo bay is really stunning: 28m x 4, 4 x 4 m, 4 m.






Passenger helicopter was 196 people, plus a 6-person crew


Cruising speed - 230 km / h, with a maximum of 260 km / h.


Without refueling the helicopter could not overcome a thousand kilometers. Ceiling - 3500 meters.


Maximum take-off weight - 105 tons, the basic empty weight - 69 tons. The brainchild of "OKB ML Mile "is a length of 37 meters and height - 12, 5 meters


The diameters of the two rotors are 35 meters and a wingspan - 65 meters




Heavy transport helicopter Mi-12 has seven records. One of the most important are its dimensions, as well as the weight of the load, which was raised to them. August sixth 1969, the helicopter lifted to a height of 2255 meters of cargo weighing 44,205 kg than improved his record set six months ago.


The serial production of the Mi-12 has not been sent. In total there are two prototypes. One is in Monino museum BBB and the second, in the Moscow Helicopter Plant