The Mil Mi-26 helicopter made its maiden flight on this day 45 years ago. With a maximum takeoff weight of 56 tons, it is the largest helicopter to have entered serial production. The largest helicopter however was the Mil V-12.
Alex Beltyukov, CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons
The helicopter was designed by Marat Tishchenko and was meant to replace the Mi-6 and Mi-12 heavy lift helicopters. It was given the project name Izdeliye 90 before being designated the Mi-26.
It is used for a variety of tasks, including transportation of military equipment and troops, cargo handling, search and rescue operations, and disaster relief. The helicopter has a large cabin that can accommodate up to 90 passengers or a variety of cargo, including vehicles and artillery pieces.
The rotorcraft entered service in 1985 after development was completed in 1982. It is used by several military forces around the world, including the Russian Air Force, the Indian Air Force, the North Korean Air Force, and the Venezuelan Air Force.
The Mil Mi-26 has a main rotor with eight blades. The rotor diameter is 32.15 meters, and it is powered by two ZMKB Progress D-136 turboshaft engines. This gives the Mi-26 a cargo capacity of up to 20 tons.