MIL  MI-6
^"HOOK^"

 Por mas de 10 años el MI-6 permaneció, por las dimensiones al menos, como el helicóptero mas grande del mundo, siendo el primer helicóptero a turbina en producirse en la Unión Soviética. Los primeros cinco prototipos, volados por Rafail Kaprelian, realizaron su primer vuelo en el otoño de 1957, originalmente sin las alas que tuvo en sus costados posteriormente. Considerando las medidas de la máquina, los desarrollos de los vuelos de prueba fueron relativamente cortos y la producción, se cree, comenzó a principios de 1960. Durante los vuelos de prueba el MI-6 estableció un número impresionante de records en 1959, con carga y de velocidad ; la mayoría de los cuales fueron mejorados tres años mas tarde cuando estableció 11 records homologados por la FAI. En uno de esos, levanto una carga paga de 20117 lbs, carga mayor al peso total del helicóptero mas grande de USA, el Sikorsky S-64. Se comenzó la construcción con 30 ejemplares.

Como helicóptero de transporte militar puede transportar hasta 70 soldados equipados. Posee una puerta trasera que se abre en dos permitiendo el acceso de grandes cargas en pallets o vehículos. El MI-6 está en servicio para Aeroflot como carguero, con una carga paga de 12000Kg. La versión standard de pasajeros puede transportar hasta 65 personas pudiendo llevar hasta 120 en la versión de alta densidad. Si se lo utiliza como ambulancia puede transportar hasta 41 camillas con dos médicos. A  pesar de la existencia del MI-10, el MI-6 aún se lo utiliza como grúa volante, sin las pequeñas alas de su predecesor. Su gancho externo puede soportar cargas de hasta 9000 Kg.

Se cree que entró en producción en 1960 y se construyeron 860 máquinas para 1981, cuando se paró su fabricación.

 For more than ten years the Mi-6 has remained, dimensionally at least, the world's largest helicopter, and it was also the first turbine-powered helicopter to go into production in the Soviet Union. The first of five prototypes, flown by Rafail Kaprelian, made its maiden flight in autumn 1957, originally without the shoulder-mounted stub wings which are sometimes fitted to production Mi-6's. Considering the size of the machine, the flight development period of the Mi-6 was relatively short, and production is believed to have started early in 1960. During flight trials the Mi-6 established a number of impressive load-to-altitude and speed-with-payload records in 1959, most of which it bettered three years later when it set a total of eleven new FAI world records. In one of these, still unbeaten by early 1968, it lifted a payload of 20117kg - greater than the entire weight of the biggest helicopter outside of the Soviet Union, the Sikorsky S-64A.

An initial batch of thirty production Mi-6's was undertaken, but this has undoubtedly now been exceeded, since the Mi-6 is known to be in both military and civil service inside the USSR and examples have also been supplied to the air forces of Indonesia, North Vietnam and the United Arab Republic. As a military transport the Mi-6 is capable of carrying up to 70 armed troops and has large rear clamshell loading doors for heavy loads such as army vehicles or large palleted items of freight. The Mi-6's in service with Aeroflot are employed mainly as freighters, in which role they have an internal capacity for 12000kg of payload. The standard passenger version seats 65 people normally, although up to 120 persons can be accommodated in a high density seating arrangement. If used as an ambulance, the Mi-6 can carry 41 stretchers and 2 medical attendants.

Despite the existence of the later Mi-10, the Mi-6 is still utilised in the flying crane role, when the stub wings (which provide some 20 per cent of the total lift) are usually omitted. The Mi-6 has already demonstrated publicly its ability to airlift such large items as the Vostok space capsule and would clearly be of equal use in large engineering projects, such as bridge-laying or the transport of oil drilling rigs, etc. The under-fuselage hook can support an externally slung load of 9000kg.

It is believed to have entered production in 1960, with about 860 built to end of production in 1981.

K.Munson "Helicopters And Other Rotorcraft Since 1907", 1968

Characteristics
Características

Information
Información

Characteristics
Características

Information
Información

1957

    2 Soloviev
D-25V

5 / 65-70
or 41 patients

5500 SHP each

27240 Kg

NA

42500 Kg

8200 Ft

135 Kts

 14800 Ft

162 Kts

335 NM

Dimensions / Dimensiones

108,85 Ft
33,18 m

114,82 Ft
35,0 m

32,48 Ft
9,90 m

20,66 Ft
6,30 m