Mi-26. Meet the Helicopter King

Video Description

In this video we will get acquainted with the Mi-26 – the largest and heaviest helicopter in the world. We will walk around this giant, study all its details and features, and learn its history of the helicopter king. The Mi-26 is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter with a lifting capacity of up to 20 tons (44,000 lb). The largest operational helicopter in the world. The Mi-26 was created in the late 1970s with the aim of increasing the transport capabilities of helicopter aviation and complementing the heavy Mi-6. The previously initiated project of the giant V-12 (Mi-12) with a lifting capacity of up to 40 tons (88,000 lb) was considered excessively complex and, after its closure, the Mi-26 project was initiated. Equipped with two 11,400 hp engines, an advanced 8-blade rotor and an improved design, the helicopter turned out to be optimal for performing a wide range of tasks: transporting military and civilian cargo, acting as a flying crane, rescue and fire-fighting helicopter, etc. In this role, it quickly replaced the Mi-6, significantly surpassing it in all parameters. The Mi-26 took part in the war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and most military conflicts in the post-Soviet space, and eliminated the consequences of the radiation disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In the civil sector, it is actively used in all areas, including being leased for special tasks and supplied for export. The Mi-26, in the Mi-26T2 and Mi-26T2V versions, continues to be produced to this day. More than 330 of them have been delivered by 2025. Thanks for watching! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyships_world/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyshipscom/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/skyships Time codes: 00:00 – A child of two worlds 01:04 – Crazy ambitions 02:15 – A new project 04:38 – Birth of the Mi-26 06:02 – Design 08:26 – Cargo hold 10:23 – Cockpit and systems 11:45 – Powerplant 14:51 – Performance 15:25 – Mi-26 vs Mi-6 16:09 – One of a kind 18:00 – In service 20:58 – A civilian Mi-26T 21:46 – Export 22:36 – Modern versions 24:04 – Helicopter King