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Mi-8 /Mi 17 - HIP
More than 12,000 Mi-8 Hip multi-purpose helicopters have been produced with more than 2,800 exported and they are operational with over 50 air forces worldwide.
The helicopters are manufactured by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant Joint Stock Company in Moscow and the Kazan Helicopter Plant JSC in Kazan, Tartazan, and are available in civil and military versions. The military variants include the transport, VIP transport, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, armed versions and the search and rescue Mi-8MPS.
MI-8T TRANSPORT HELICOPTER
The Mi-8T military-transport helicopter provides mobility to ground force units and performs tactical landing of troops with light and group armament.
STRUCTURE
The helicopter is configured with a conventional pod and boom with a tail rotor. The cockpit accommodates three crew stations for the commander, navigator and the flight mechanic. The cockpit and the main cabin are heated and air conditioning is optional. An oxygen system is provided for the crew and for casualties in the ambulance and rescue variants of the helicopter.
The helicopter has a five-bladed rotor consisting mainly of aluminium alloy. The helicopters have non-retractable tricycle nosewheel landing gear suitable for landing on unprepared pads.
ENGINES
The Mi-8T helicopter is powered by two Klimov TV2-117 turboshafts engines. Deflectors are installed on the engine air intakes to prevent ingestion of dust when taking off from unprepared pads. The helicopters also have an auxiliary power unit (APU) for self-contained operations.
The helicopter carries 1,870 litres of fuel in two flexible internal tanks and two external tanks. The total fuel capacity can be increased to 3,700 litres by installing up to two ferry tanks in the cabin. The tanks are foam-filled to protect against explosion.
SURVIVABILITY
The survivability features of the Mi-8 include crew cabin armour plating, explosive resistant foam filling in the fuel tanks, a fire-fighting system and duplicated and stand-by hydraulic and power systems and main control circuits. De-icing systems are installed.
WEAPONS
The armed version of Hip, designated Mi-8TV, is capable of destroying enemy installations with rockets and of laying minefields. The Mi-8TV is fitted with 7.62mm built-in machine guns. The six external suspension stations carry weapons racks with UV-32-57 packs with S-5 rockets. The helicopter can also deploy AT-2 Swatter 9M 17P Skorpion anti-tank missiles. The helicopter's weapon sighting system is the PKV collimating sight.
The armed Mi-8TV helicopters are fitted with more powerful TV3-117VMA engines which gives an improved hovering ceiling (3,950 m compared to the 1,760 m of the Mi-8MT). The maximum slung payload of the armed helicopter is increased to 4,000 kg against 3,000 kg carried by Mi-8T.
ELECTRONIC WARFARE
An infrared jammer, Hot Brick, can be fitted for protection against infrared guided missiles. Six flare dispensers ASO-2V are installed, three to the port and three to the starboard side of the fuselage.
CARGO TRANSPORT
The helicopter's landing-transport equipment can be used to load light towed combat material and armament via winches and to rescue people from the ground or from the sea by an electrically operated hoist (200 kg capacity) in hovering mode of operation.
The cabin has cargo tiedown points on the floor. Ramps are provided for loading vehicles.The cabin can accommodate 12 litters (stretcher patients) and a medical officer. The external cargo sling is rated to carry 3,000 kg.
MI-8MPS SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER
The search and rescue helicopter, designation Mi-8MPS, was developed from the military transport helicopter.
The helicopters are deployed in rescue missions involving searches for distressed aircraft and sea vessels and their crew and passengers. Having located the distress area the helicopter crew drop radio-beacons to mark the area and deliver rescue teams to aid and recover the casualties. The helicopter can lift ten people at a time on a sling via a PSN-10 life raft.
The crew can choose to carry out evacuations while operating in hover mode or they can choose to carry out the rescue after landing on unprepared sites selected from the air. Search and rescue operations are carried out by day and night in any weather and climatic zones including sea areas and arctic zones.
To ensure the survivability of passengers and crew when hovering over water, the helicopter is provided with an emergency landing device that ensures buoyancy for up to 30 minutes needed for the crew and passengers to board life rafts.
SPACECRAFT RECOVERY
For spacecraft recovery the Mi-28MPS search and rescue helicopter delivers operational and technical groups with rescue equipment to the landing zone. Instrument and visual search methods are used to locate spacecraft returning from space missions and parachuting into landing zones. The helicopter is used to recover the cosmonaut and return him to base. Space objects weighing up to 3,000 kg are transported by sling to the nearest aerodrome.
FUSELAGE
The fuselage design of the Mi-8PS incorporates modifications specifically to meet the requirements of search and rescue missions, including the installation of the larger entrance door, two starboard hatches, a raft container in starboard rear compartment, external additional fuel tanks, PNKV-8PS pilot/navigation system, YuR-40.1 radar system, TAPAS thermal search and rescue equipment, medical, ambulance, rescue equipment and floatation equipment for emergency landing on water.
AVIONICS
The pilot/navigation system provides the capability to fly the helicopters in preset routes to the rescue area and back to the base aerodrome or to any other preset waypoint. The flight control and navigation system provides automatic flying on a zigzag course with preset parameters input on the control panel. It also provides the capability to perform automatic hovering manoeuvres over waypoints en route.
THERMAL DETECTORS
The infrared thermal search and rescue equipment can detect objects and people day and night in a rescue region from a 1,000 meters height. The detected objects are marked by four marker radio-beacons to facilitate subsequent instrument piloting of rescue vehicles to the marked region.
The Mi-8MPS is fitted with an airborne jib with LPG-300 winch and scoop to lift and lower people (two persons simultaneously) in normal mode of operation on land and on a sling. There are 12 folded seats for seated casualties or six stretcher patients.
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