When in the distant 15th century the ingenious inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci created his own project for an aircraft, he did not suspect how far ahead of his time. Only in the twentieth century. the first operating machines using the principle of the great Italian appeared.
A brief history of the helicopter
The first experiments on the construction of the current model of the helicopter occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century, when gasoline engines appeared with a power sufficient to provide the lifting force of the rotor. Among the pioneers of helicopter engineering were Russian designers: Igor Sikorsky (created two working models) and Boris Yuriev (invented the screw skew mechanism). The outbreak of World War II spurred research in the field of helicopter engineering, and in the 40s the first production models of rotorcraft were created. Almost immediately, new aircraft became interested in the military, but only the US war in Vietnam fully revealed the combat potential of helicopters.
The birth of the legendary G8
In the Soviet Union, they tried to keep up with the potential enemy in the creation of helicopters, so two design bureaus were created, Kamov and Mil, developing rotorcraft. Aviation enthusiasts know that these aircraft designers use a different scheme for their cars. If the Kamov helicopters have two coaxial rotors rotating in the opposite direction relative to each other, then Mil machines use a tail rotor to rotate. According to the terms of reference, the development of the Mi-8 was planned as a modernization of the main helicopter of the Soviet Air Force Mi-4, and began in 1959. But the designer managed, with the support of N. S. Khrushchev, to insist on the creation of a practically new machine. Thus was born the legendary "eight" - the most massive and most recognizable Soviet helicopter. On its basis, many modifications were created, some of which, being electronic warfare machines , are secret until now.
Modification for export
Due to the fact that the G8 very quickly became popular not only in the USSR, but also interested foreign allies, it was decided to create a special modification of the helicopter for delivery to foreign markets. If we compare the Mi-8 and Mi-17, and the export machine got such an index, then the main difference of this helicopter is immediately evident: the tail rotor on the tail boom is located on the left (on the Mi-8 - on the right). It was also envisaged to introduce changes in the design of the seventeenth, according to the requirements of a particular operator. Mi-17 helicopter is produced in Kazan and Ulan-Ude.
Design
Structurally, the Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters are actually one model. The main difference is the location of the tail rotor, its direction of rotation and the shortened nacelles of the power units. The main rotor is equipped with a vibration damper; its blades are made of fiberglass. The Mi-17 helicopter is equipped with two gas turbine power plants with a capacity of 1,400 kW. In the event of a breakdown of one unit, it is possible to continue flying on the remaining engine. As a transmission, a VR-14 gearbox is used. The Mi-17 helicopter uses equipment that provides piloting in difficult meteorological conditions at night, and on military modifications - the device for shooting thermal traps and dipole reflectors. As weapons, the GSh-23 cannon and heavy machine gun are used. It is also possible to place a variety of combat installations on the external sling.
Mi-17 helicopter: technical specifications
The engine power of the helicopter is 2x1400 kW, the main rotor with a diameter of 21.29 meters, speed: maximum - 250 km / h, cruising - 240 km / h, flight range - 465 kilometers. As we can see, the characteristics of the Mi-17 are at a fairly high level and do not lag behind the parameters of more modern machines.
Major modifications
Since 1981, when the Mi-17 helicopter received its ticket to life, a large number of its modifications were released, both in civilian and military versions. Let's consider some of them. Mi-17P is designed to carry passengers, there is its option "Salon", which is used for VIP-persons. The Mi-17 rescue helicopter, the photo of which is given in the article, has the M index, is equipped with an arrow with a winch and an on-board searchlight for searching for objects at night. Mi-17-1V is a transport vehicle with increased engine power and carrying capacity. Among other things, it is also intended for landing. In this case, standard weapons are installed on the external suspension.
Modern options
In the late 80s of the XX century, the Mi-17 was modernized, which began to be produced under the Mi-171 index. At its base, the flying Mi-171BA hospital, equipped with an operating room, was developed. Intended for emergency medical care and evacuation of wounded from hard-to-reach areas. Mi-172 - a helicopter for transporting passengers with increased power of the new power plant. On the basis of the Mi-17, a flying "environmental laboratory" was also created, which is designed to monitor the state of the environment. The helicopter is equipped with equipment for sensing the surface of the earth and atmosphere, radiological control, as well as analysis of the ecological condition of the area. The fire option is designed to localize and eliminate the fire in hard-to-reach and remote areas and in the forest. Equipped with a spillway device with a total volume of 2 cubic meters. The next modification of the helicopter - Mi-17PL - is a jammer with phased antenna arrays. It is designed to suppress radar stations of aircraft and anti-aircraft missile systems, disruption of the enemy air defense systems. The system allows you to choose the most effective type of interference for specific sources of radio emission. Mi-17MD - a modernized Mi-17 helicopter (a photo of improved contours of the nose of the fuselage is presented in the article). For quick loading and unloading of paratroopers, sliding doors of the cabin from the port side were increased to 1.25 meters. In the event of an emergency landing on water, a buoyancy maintenance system is provided, consisting of four balloons, which are filled with gas for half a minute and keep the helicopter afloat for up to thirty seconds. The helicopter can be equipped with additional equipment and tanks.
Main operators
From the very beginning of its production, Mi-17 helicopters have gained immense popularity in different parts of the globe. And even now, having stepped over their thirtieth anniversary, these machines conquer the skies of almost a hundred countries and serve in the United Nations. They can be found on all continents: from cold Antarctica to hot Africa. Helicopters deliver a variety of goods and passengers, put out fires and evacuate the wounded, fight. The most numerous Mi-17 fleet belongs to Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Of the countries of the far abroad using these machines in both civilian and military spheres, we can distinguish India, Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan and Turkey. I would especially like to note the aviation of Iraq and Afghanistan. To replenish it, the Pentagon signed a contract with Rosoboronexport for the supply of about a hundred Mi-17 helicopters. The United States, which has a very developed aircraft manufacturing industry, has recognized that the Russian helicopter is most fully adapted for operation in high mountains and deserts, reliable and unpretentious in maintenance. On the basis of these deliveries, even a conflict arose between the US Army and American lawmakers: the Pentagon demanded that the sanctions imposed against Russia do not concern the contract for Mi-17 helicopters. Also interesting is the fact that countries such as Romania, Sudan, Turkey and South Korea chose to use the Mi-17 in police units. Based on the foregoing, we can conclude: time is not dominant over such successful machines as the Mi-8-17, and although more than 50 years have passed since the first helicopters of this model took to the air, this machine is still it is in demand and has a good resource for further modernization.