V-12

• Twin rotor • Heavylift helicopter • Unbroken records

Everything about the V-12 was enormous. The twin-rotor giant shattered every record for helicopter payload, and mado every previous rotary­wing machine seem like a toy. But the problems of operating such a machine were also enormous and, despito the Ingenuity of the design, it was not roally a viablo machine for commercial use. After a momorable appearance at the Paris Air Show, the V-12 rarely flew again.

A Loading ramp

Practical touches like tho rear clamshell doors and loading ramp showed that the V – 12 was not just a record breaker. Tho fuselage intenor also had four cargo winches and a reinforced floor structure.

▼ Paris performance

The Pans Air Show was the V – 12’s greatest moment, attracting enormous attention. But there was little interest in tho machine from foreign customers.

FACTS AND FIGURES

► Tho enormous D-2S turboshaft engines were also used In other very large Mil hollcoptors like the Ml-6 and Mi-10.

► Tho one remaining V-12 con be soon at the Monino air force museum In Moscow.

► Tho V-12 had hydraulic flight controls, but It could also be flown manually.

► Fully loaded, tho V-12 was os hoavy as nlno Mi-24 •Hind’ gunships, or more than twico as hoavy os an MI-6.

>• Tho main cabin of tho V-12 was 28.1 S n’ (83 ft.) long ond 4.4 m (47 ft.) square.

> Optional forry tanks could be carried inside the V-12 for maximum range.

Produced by the man who had built the world s previous largest helicopter. Mikhail Leontyevich Mil the 12 was a giant W ith л mavitmtin lake-oil weight nt over 100 tonnes, it Was biggei than manv transport. lircrati Dcvelo|Hxl with the engines. tnulMmvsion and rotors of the Mi-ti. but in double |K)d> outlv. uil of a long reverse-taper wing, the -li lud a huge fuselage space that contained one-tonne cargo hoists ami seats could ІЧ’ lined for more-

than too passengers The V-I2 even had a split-level flight deck, with pilots and flight engineer lxdow and navigator and radio operator alxive The lust V-12 was damaged in a crash in І‘ХГ. mused by resoiunce and control system problems. Ihe second appeared at the I’ans ir Show and went on to break nutty helico|Mor payload атоїхк. most of which (vmain to this day But despite its stunning performance and size, the V-12 was not really economical to use*, and Mil

Above: Twin-rotor power was a new concept for the Mil company. Despite overcoming many of the technical difficulties, the V-12 was plagued by problems with resonance.

decided to develop the Mi-26 lor heavy cargo Work instead, leaving tlx – V-12 in a museum,

Below: The Soviet obsession with having the biggest and fastest of everything was manifest in the V-12. Mil turned his attentions to the more successful Mi-26 after the problems with the V-12 became apparent.

The podded engines tv»d access panels on that undersides lo afVw easy rmntenance. The whole engine asserrety was moulted at a 4′ nose down angle Fuel was carted n the outer wrig section,

The втре centra ftUfm gave me V 12 some rmeh needed stacalty m toward fight suoptomenlod by auOtory tatfns outbowtJ,

Tho pwi Itew the V-12 with the ad of an m/crv’.i! Htsabon system. A ground-mappnq radar лід-. fitted under tho nose /-Т

V-12 CH S» Mi-26 HALO ttOOSig ISS. OOO П І 16330 kg (35.326 Ik.) 20000 kg 1*4,000 h I

■чЧІЇЛі!

Ueng tour engmea trот the Ш4. the V-12 had nrnxra power The modern M. 20 has ahnosl the same poem trom two more modem enpnet. winch dnvo through a leas waste IU ttarvsnxtaen The СН-5ЭС la dr hen by three rntolrvaly small angne*

The V-12 had а тпжигмп UAe-oft woght tX 105 torrw*. or mom than a MadM VUcim Bens** The CM-53 s dnirlod try №• much lug»

>.U httec&Ti, Out a an почти таеЫ-е. the M.-2S л emost as heavy as a My loaded С-1 Э0 Horses* at та»rm»n oi-up weghc.

M. 26 HALO

«•53f 56000 kg (123,453 0) )

13400 kg (73.414 lb.)

Mil