As practice shows, very often military developments over time begin to be actively used not only for their intended purpose, but also in the civilian sphere. A striking example of this is the history of the creation and operation of one of the winged vehicles called the Mi-10 helicopter crane. We will talk about this interesting aircraft in detail in the article.
Start
On February 20, 1958, the Soviet leadership gave a very important task to engineers - to create a “flying crane” that would be able to lift loads weighing up to 12 tons and transport them to a distance of up to 250 kilometers. At the same time, the maximum load indicator should be equal to 15 tons.
In the process of forming the terms of reference, Soviet ministers made a point that the Mi-10 helicopter was supposed to become a carrier of cruise and ballistic missiles.
For long-haul flights, the car could be equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks. It is worth noting that the cargo on the described helicopter was planned to be transported in two ways: using highly reliable hydraulic grips and using a special platform mounted on the landing gear.
First flight
For the first time, the Mi-10 helicopter, a photo of which is shown a little below, came off in 1961. Just a year later, the flying machine was able to set a world record - it lifted a cargo weighing 15 tons to a height of more than 2 kilometers. And a year later, the entire project was in jeopardy, as the government refused to transport military missiles by helicopter due to the high degree of risk. At that time, already produced 24 copies of the Mi-10.
Tragedy
In May 1961, during the flight from Kazan to Moscow, the Mi-10 helicopter under number 04101 crashed. The thing is that at a certain point in time the crew discovered a sharp drop in oil pressure in the main gearbox, and Commander Anufriev decided to make an emergency landing. Seeing the lawn on the edge of the swamp, the pilot gave the command to the navigator to inspect the site. Klepikov (name of the assistant) determined that the left landing gear was located directly above the swamp, and therefore did not give the go-ahead for landing. As a result, the team was again forced to look for a new landing spot. At the same time, the machine in the process of horizontal movement was completely without gear lubrication, the flight speed increased very much. Ultimately, the helicopter flew on the hill on the ground, turned over and caught fire. Only Klepikov managed to escape death, which escaped with minor bodily injuries. Among the dead was the commander, who had already died within the walls of the district hospital, the second pilot, on-board technician, technician.
An hour after the tragedy, Miles personally learned about the incident, and he, along with the military representative and engineer of the Air Force Research Institute, went to the scene. In the process of studying the situation, it was revealed that the cause of the accident was the breakdown of the oil pump in the main gearbox.
Soon, a second prototype 04102 was used in flight tests. This Mi-10 helicopter, whose history still has more positive points than negative ones, received a modified gearbox oil system and was also equipped with double wheels on struts. Special cables were mounted on the fuselage near the places of pilots, designed for emergency escape of pilots from the cockpit to the ground in the event of a force majeure situation.
Demonstration
On July 9, 1961, the Mi-10 helicopter, the description of which is of interest to many people today, was first shown to the general public during the celebration of the USSR Air Fleet Day. The car was presented to the audience in an air parade, and the aircraft itself brought to the guest stands a house of the geological group, in which they later opened a point of sale.
On September 23, the crew, led by the pilot Zemskov, was able to lift a cargo weighing 15103 kilograms on the Mi-10 to an altitude of 2200 meters, which set an absolute world record, broken on the same day by another group of pilots.
Final check
During state tests, the Mi-10 helicopter, the characteristics of which will be given below, was repeatedly tested for the possibility of transporting various cargoes inside and outside using special fasteners and a platform. During these manipulations, the helicopter transported trucks, buses, and railway containers. And despite the fact that many of these objects created problems for the helicopter with aerodynamics during the flight, still the machine was able to produce high-quality, fast and safe transportation.
Ultimately, the state commission issued a positive response to helicopter flights. Officially confirmed the transportation of items weighing no more than 15 tons. However, at the same time, several shortcomings of the machine were identified, among which are:
- Large vibration during flight at low speeds.
- Poor operation of the television system installed to monitor the loading / unloading of items. Initially, it was supposed to help pilots in this matter, but in reality, pilots were forced to stick their heads out of the cockpit windows to control these operations.
- Long landing gear because of its size caused the helicopter to swing during its landing or take-off.
Design Features
The Mi-10 helicopter, the speed of which can reach 235 km / h, is produced according to a single-rotor scheme. A tail rotor is also available. The number of chassis racks is four. The fuselage of the car is semi-monocoque with a cockpit for two pilots. The cabin itself has a good overview in all directions.
The cargo compartment is made quite large and has a volume of 60 cubic meters. A door with a winch is installed on the starboard side of the car, with the help of which loads up to 200 kilograms are lifted. Under the cockpit, a gondola is mounted, with the help of which the load is mounted. It allows pilots to clearly control this process.
The rotor of the helicopter is made five-blade, and its diameter is 35 meters. The blades are all-metal, rectangular in shape and equipped with an anti-icing system and an alarm for damage to the side member.
The tail rotor has four blades and a diameter of 6.3 meters. Each of its blades is made with variable thickness and in the form of a trapezoid. Material - delta wood with steel tip.
To maintain the horizontal position of the cockpit on the ground, the right landing gear made 300 millimeters shorter than the left.
Since 1975, all helicopters have received a damping system for vibrations and vibrations of the cargo, mounted on an external sling.
International recognition
In 1965, the Mi-10 helicopter was demonstrated at the XXVI aerospace show in Le Bourget. But before that, the car overcame the airspace of six European countries and completed refueling in 6 cities of the continent. As a result, the helicopter covered a distance of 7 thousand kilometers to its destination. At the exhibition itself, the Mi-10 transported on the platform of the LAZ bus, which enthralled the audience. A film about the helicopter was also presented to the audience.
Power point
The Mi-10 helicopter, the engine of which was developed by P. A. Soloviev, has autonomous oil systems and oil radiators. The flying machine is equipped with two gas turbine engines, each with a capacity of 5500 horsepower. Moreover, if necessary, a flying crane is able to move in the air on one of the engines.
Application
On the whole, the Mi-10 helicopter, whose work was sometimes accompanied by some difficulties, turned out to be "superfluous" in the Air Force. And all because in the process of its long-term operation, everyone forgot about its original purpose, which so changed its design. A rather narrow specialization of the helicopter required pilots to develop special tactics and control style, which cast doubt on the combat value of the developed machine.
Nevertheless, the Mi-10 was for some time in service with the Lugansk, Alexandria, and Dzhambul helicopter units and was even used for civilian purposes, for example, for transporting power line towers.
By the way, for operation in the national economy, the Mi-10K helicopter was created, which had somewhat shortened landing gears and had an auxiliary suspended cabin in the gondola under the nose of the fuselage. In this cockpit, the pilot could clearly see the load and simultaneously control the entire machine.
One cannot ignore the fact that the helicopter was even involved in the course of hostilities in Afghanistan and there it received several times serious damage from shelling.
Models
- Mi-10GR is an air direction finder equipped in 1970.
- Mi-10PP - jammer. His task was to counter the enemy radar.
- Mi-10P is a record. It established several world achievements.
- Mi-10RVK - transported 9K74 missile system.
- Mi-10UPL is a carrier of a universal field laboratory.
Parameters
The Mi-10 helicopter was endowed with the following indicators by its creators:
- The crew is three people.
- Normal carrying capacity - 12,000 kg.
- The weight of the load on the suspension is 8000 kg.
- The length of the car is 41.89 meters.
- Fuselage - 32.86 m.
- Height with tail rotor - 9.9 meters.
- The area covered by the rotor is 962 square meters. m
- Ground clearance - 3.73 meters.
- Track gauge - 7.55 meters.
- The mass of the empty helicopter is 27,100 kg.
- Normal take-off weight is 38,000 kg.
- The maximum allowable take-off weight is 43,550 kg.
- The maximum permissible mass of fuel is 8230 kg.
- The volume of fuel tanks is 10 620 liters.
- Engine type –TVD D-25V.
- The maximum possible speed is 235 km / h.
- Cruising flight speed with a mass of up to 38,000 kg - 220 km / h.
- The maximum vertical lift speed is 6.3 m / s.
- The practical range is 250 km.
- Ferry range - 695 km.
- The maximum flight altitude is 3000 meters.
Conclusion
Exotic in many aspects, the Mi-10 could still be involved in solving many issues over a fairly long period of time. We must not forget that the helicopter was created on the basis of the Mi-6, which also made some adjustments to its design. In general, Miles and his team received state awards for the development of the machine, and the chief engineer himself was also awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor.
An amazing fact: in 1982, in the city of Yakutsk, just in five days, a television tower with a height of 241 meters was mounted. The complexity of the operation was that all the components of the tower were assembled thanks to the Mi-10. High-altitude builders were delighted with the car.
In total, for the entire existence of the helicopter, 55 pieces were created. However, only one copy was sold abroad.