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The Eastern European helicopter
industry has been dominated by Mikhail Mil who ranks
as one of the worlds leading rotorcraft designers. Mil was
the head of his own design bureau by 1947 having been head
of the Soviet Air Force's 1st Rotorcraft Squadron during
World
War II.
At one time in
Eastern Europe Mil
helicopters represented 95% of
all helicopters in service. Another
major design influence in Russia was Nikolai Kamov who was
working on helicopters designs as early as 1929. His
designs incorporate a two blade co-axial
contra-rotating
rotor system an example of which can be found in the
museum collection.
Mil Mi-1 "Hare", 2007, C/n.
5112007. The Mi-1 was designed by Mikhail Mil in 1945 to
meet a Soviet requirement for a two/three seat helicopter and is powered by one Ivchenko
AI-26V 7-cylinder radial piston. The museum example is a Polish built SM-1 variant, which
was completed by PZL-Swidnik, Poland in February 1959 and delivered to the Polish
Air
Force. Used primarily for pilot training from 1962 until the late 1980s,
the aircraft was
then grounded and used for ground instruction. The final log book entry is dated 29th
November 1990. Purchased by the museum in 1992 it was delivered by road in 1993. It is
restored in Soviet markings as an example of the first Russian production helicopter.
Mil Mi-2, SP-SAY, C/n. 529538125. The first of two Russian designed Mi-2s first
flew at the Mil test facility in September 1961. Following the completion of development
trials the Mi-2 was put into production in
Poland at the PZL-Swidnik plant. Over 5200
Mi-2s have been built since 1966 mainly for the former Soviet Union and other former
Warsaw Pact nations. The museum example is a production model built in Swidnik, Poland in
1985 and was operated by ZEUS, a civil helicopter charter company. Used for a wide range
of civil and military roles the Mi-2 is powered by two 400shp Isotov GTD-350 turboshaft
engines. SP-SAY was purchased in Poland and arrived on 24th November 1997.
Mil Mi-4 "Hound", 9147, C/n.
09147. The Mil Mi-4 assault transport was the product
of an October 1951 ultimatum by Stalin for the design and construction of a transport
helicopter within 12 months, powered by one Shvetsov ASh-82V 14-cylinder two row radial
piston engine. Over the following 15 years more than 3000 Mi-4s were built for military
service with the Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces and for civil operations with Aeroflot.
The
Mi-4 acquired by the museum was probably built in the fifties and was last
in service with
the Czechoslovak Air Force. It was purchased by the museum in
1992 and delivered by road
in major sections during the first half of 1993. Reassembly and
restoration began in 1995
and was finished in late 1996, but some missing parts
are still required, especially in
the cockpit area, to complete the restoration.
Mi-8PS,10618.
First flown in the early 1960s as Russia’s first
turbine-engined medium transport helicopter and with
a large open cabin with rear ramp access, the Mi-8
with more than 11,000 built to date. The museums
example is a rare Mi-8PS VIP variant, initially
delivered to the Polish Air Force in the 1970s for
service in a VIP configuration with 36 Special Air
Transport Regiment, based at Warsaw. Externally
identifiable by the square, rather than round, cabin
windows the PS variant was built in limited numbers
for heads of state and similar high-ranking VIPs.
Originally painted in a red/white colour scheme for
service with 36 SPLT, sometimes known as the ‘Papal
Squadron’ because the unit supported the travels of
Pope John Paul II during his pilgrimages to Poland
in June 1979, and again two years later.
Later modified for a military Command and Control
role and reallocated to 37PST assault regiment at
Leznica Wielka near Lodz. Here it was repainted into
a camouflage colour scheme and later reverted to a
military transport role before being finally retired
by 2005.
This is the first Russian Mil Mi-8 transport
helicopter to go on display in the UK and the 18m
(60ft) long aircraft arrived at the museum by road
on 5th February.
Mil Mi-24D "Hind", 96+26/421, C/n.
230270110073. Built in 1981 as a ground attack/assault helicopter powered by two Klimov TV-3-117 turboshaft engines.
The Hind in
the museum collection is a Mi-24D variant, some 350 of which were built at factories in Arsenyev and Rostov-on-Don.
Armament includes a 12.7 mm four barrel 9-A 624 machine gun,
four Falanga anti-tank missiles and 80 rockets in four under wing pods. First flown on 2nd
April 1981 it was delivered to the East German Army based at Basephol, North
of Berlin. In
early 1992 it was decided to disband the Hind squadrons and its last
flight was on 24th
February 1992. The German Government allocate it to the
Helicopter Museum and a team went
to Basephol in early 1995 to dismantle and transport it to the United Kingdom. It was
delivered to the museum on 20th February with assistance from Bristow Helicopters.
WSK-Swidnik SM-2, 05. The SM-2 helicopter was developed in 1959-60 as a
Polish derivative
of the four-seat Soviet Mil Mi-1. The museum example was
built in 1961 at Swidnik, Poland, as a 5-seat general transport helicopter and is believed to have been the 6th built.
It is
one of only a handful that still survive today. Power is provided by a Russian
designed Ivchenko AI-26V 9-cylinder radial piston engine. The SM-2 was used as
a utility and air
ambulance helicopter that can carry a crew of 2, a stretcher and
50 kg of medical
equipment. Withdrawn from service by the end of the 1970s most of the aircraft were
scrapped soon afterwards. Originally a gate guardian at
a Polish Air Force base, it was
sold in early 1991 and subsequently offered to the museum. It was delivered by road,
using
two vehicles, in June 1991, then assembled. It has since been restored to static display
condition.
Kamov Ka-26 "Hoodlum",
D-HOAY, C/n. 7001309. Designed by the Kamov design bureau in the
Soviet Union the Ka-26 features a co-axial contra-rotating main rotor system with two
3-bladed rotors, one above the other and turning in opposite directions. 600 Ka-26s
were built and the museums aircraft was built in 1973 in Russia as a utility and
crop spraying helicopter, powered by two Vedeneyev M-14V-26 9-cylinder radial piston
engines. Interchangeable units, which could be fitted behind the cockpit
section, meant it was very easy to convert the aircraft from crop spraying to passenger carrying or
crane
work. The museum example was originally purchased by Interflug in East
Germany in 1973 and
was finally stored in a museum in Berlin, together with
another example. The museum agreed
to exchange D-HOAY for a spare WS-55 Whirlwind Series 3. The Kamov has now been
returned to public display, at the end of the summer 2002, after
undergoing a major restoration programme.
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