The best attack helicopters in the world. The best combat helicopters in the world Top 10 military combat helicopters

First seen over the battlefield during the Korean War, helicopters revolutionized military tactics. Today, rotorcraft confidently occupy their niche in the arsenal of modern armies and civil services, performing the tasks of transporting people and cargo, fire support, take part in search and rescue operations and reconnaissance missions.
To earn the right to be called the best, cars must show everything they are capable of. In the most severe climatic conditions, loaded "to the eyeballs", under enemy fire and at the limit of their capabilities.

We bring to your attention the top ten helicopters in the world according to the Military Channel. As always, the selection criteria will be the technical excellence of designs, production volumes, the legendary and chief and impartial judge - experience in military conflicts.

All 10 helicopters presented in the review have their own remarkable features, they all went through the school of survival in hot spots and received funny slang names.

Like any Military Channel show, this rating is not without bias. Another controversial point - how can you compare transport and attack helicopters? According to the creators of the rating, there are few highly specialized designs, most helicopters are multi-purpose. For example, the transport Mi-8 can successfully support ground troops with fire, not to mention its assault modification Mi-8AMTSh Terminator.
All the necessary comments have been made, now I propose to get to know the technique better.

10th place - Cow

Mi-26 - heavy transport helicopter
First flight - 1977
310 built
Carrying capacity - 20 tons of cargo or 80 paratroopers

The rotary-wing heavyweight has become the largest helicopter in the world. Unique capabilities required special technical solutions. Eight-bladed main rotor, multi-threaded power transmission, three video cameras for monitoring the condition of the load on the external sling - these are just some of the features of this machine.
A serious test for the Mi-26 was the work to eliminate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Overloaded with lead radiation shielding, Mi-26s were engaged in complex assembly operations on the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In order not to raise clouds of radioactive dust, it was necessary to work with an elongated external suspension, which required remarkable courage and skill from the crews. All Mi-26s that took part in this operation were buried in the Exclusion Zone.

9th place - Links (Lynx)

Westland Lynx - British multi-purpose helicopter

First flight - 1971
400 built
Combat load - 750 kg, including 10 troops and outboard weapons: 4 anti-ship missiles in the marine version or 20 mm guns, 70 mm Hydra rockets and up to 8 TOW anti-tank missiles in the land version.

The appearance of the "Lynx" is not impressive: there is no aggressiveness of the American "Apache" or Mi-24 in it. But despite its typically civilian appearance, the combat "Lynx" is one of the most common ship-based helicopters in the world. The Lynx took part in the Falklands War, a cycle of naval battles that became the largest naval conflict since the Second World War. The combat debut was successful - the Lynxes of the Royal Navy sank an Argentinean ship with the help of Sea Scua anti-ship missiles patrol ship. Over its forty-year history, the Lynxes were noted in the combat zone in the Balkans, where they provided a blockade of the coast of Yugoslavia and in Iraq in the winter of 1991, destroying the T-43 minesweeper, 4 border boats, a landing ship and a missile boat.
But what makes the Westland Lynx truly unique? Incredibly, this unsightly machine holds the world speed record among serial helicopters - in 1986, the Lynx accelerated to 400 km / h.

8th place - Flying car

Boeing CH-47 "Chinook" - heavy military transport helicopter of the longitudinal scheme
First flight - 1961
1179 built
Carrying capacity: 12 tons of cargo or up to 55 people

An important property modern army is its mobility. If on a global scale the transfer of troops provides transport aviation, then directly on the battlefield this is the task of helicopters.
This problem was especially acute for the American army in Vietnam - mountainous terrain, sudden changes in weather, lack of maps and roads, an ubiquitous and numerous enemy - all this required a special air means. This is where the Chinook heavy transport helicopter came in handy, built according to an unusual longitudinal scheme with two rotors. During his long service, many funny stories have accumulated. For example, one of the loading options sounded like this: you can stuff 33 Americans or ... 55 Vietnamese into a Chinook. Once, during the evacuation of Vietnamese refugees, a record was registered: 147 people were taken on board.

"Flying wagons" tried to stay away from the battlefield, specializing in the transfer of cargo from ships to supply bases. Although more exotic applications are known: as bombers, smoke curtains, tear gas sprayers, artillery "tractors". They looked especially impressive in raids on evacuation of damaged aircraft: in the first year of hostilities, the Chinooks took out 100 planes and helicopters that made emergency landings.In total, during the Vietnam War, they evacuated a thousand devices with a total value of 3 billion dollars!
The helicopter is still in service, taking part in operations around the world.

7th place - Cobra

Bell AH-1 “Cobra” – attack helicopter
First flight - 1965
1116 Cobras and 1271 Super Cobras built
Built-in weapons: a remote-controlled installation with two six-barreled Miniguns + 4 suspension points, on which containers with machine guns, air-to-air missiles, 70 mm NURSs, TOW anti-tank guided missiles can be placed.

Scary helicopter. As if Death itself descended from heaven in the guise of a narrow, sinister silhouette of the Cobra. The nose machine gun turret continued to fire even if the helicopter was flying in the other direction. Bloody Vietnam, the Middle East, where the Cobras unexpectedly turned into tank hunters, the meat grinder in Waziristan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq - this is an incomplete track record of the Cobra ...

The AH-1 was the world's first purpose-built attack helicopter. The pilots' cockpits and side projections are protected by NORAC composite armor. "Cobra" received a powerful sighting system that allows you to work on targets in any weather conditions.
To date, the modernized "Cobra" are in service with the Corps Marine Corps USA. The light compact helicopter has excellent characteristics for being based on universal landing craft and aircraft carriers.

6th place - Crocodile

Mi-24 - transport and combat helicopter
NATO code name - Hind ("Doe")
First flight - 1969
Over 2000 units built
Built-in armament: four-barreled machine gun of 12.7 mm caliber on a mobile mount; suspended weapons: free-fall bombs, NURSs with a caliber from 57 to 240 mm, the Falanga anti-tank missile system, suspended cannon containers, as well as up to 8 people in the troop compartment.

American experts issued a stunning verdict: the Mi-24 is not a helicopter! Like this. No more and no less.
The Mi-24 looks like a helicopter, it is used as a helicopter, but from a technical point of view, it is a hybrid of an airplane and a helicopter. Indeed, the Mi-24 cannot hover in one place or take off from a "patch" - it needs a runway (under normal load, the takeoff run is 100 ... 150 meters). What's the secret? Visually, the Mi-24 has disproportionately large pylons (in fact, these are decent-sized wings). US Air Force specialists, testing the Crocodile that fell into their hands, determined that at least a quarter of the lift force it creates with the help of wings, and, at high speeds, the value can reach 40%.
The Mi-24 piloting technique is also unusual - when the lift force decreases, the pilot slightly lowers the nose - the car accelerates and lift occurs on the wings. Like on a plane.

And you thought such wings for beauty?

What are the benefits of this outlandish hybrid? Firstly, the Mi-24 was created according to the concept of a "flying infantry fighting vehicle", which required non-standard technical solutions from the designers - heavy armor, an airborne compartment and a powerful weapon system did not fit in a standard helicopter design. Secondly, due to its "aircraft" qualities, the heavy "Crocodile" is one of the fastest combat helicopters in the world (maximum speed - 320 km / h).
"Crocodile" fought in the gorges of the Caucasus and the Pamir Mountains, in the hot Asian deserts and tropical forests of Equatorial Africa. But military glory came to him in Afghanistan. The unique rotary-wing attack aircraft became a symbol of that war.

According to the Iraqi government newspaper The Baghdad Observer, in 1982, during the Iran-Iraq War, an Mi-24 shot down an Iranian F-4 Phantom supersonic fighter. Unfortunately, the exact details of that battle remain unclear. But it is known for certain that Hussein's pilots on the Mi-24 shot down two dozen Iranian helicopters. On this occasion - black humor from the creators of the rating: "Never smile at the crocodile!" (Never mess with a crocodile).
But the best thing about the "Crocodile" was said by an Afghan Mujahideen in an interview with an American news channel: We are not afraid of the Russians, but we are afraid of their helicopters.

5th place - Stallion

Sikorsky CH-53E “Super Stallion” - heavy transport helicopter
First flight - 1974
Built - 115 units
Carrying capacity - 13 tons of payload in the cargo compartment or up to 14.5 tons on an external sling; or 55 paratroopers

The giant flying boat CH-53E is a deep modernization of the famous helicopter CH-53 "Sea Stalyen", created in 1964 specifically for the needs of the Navy, Marine Corps and US Coast Guard. Specialists of the Sikorsky company mounted a third engine and a seven-bladed main rotor on the original design, for which the sailors called the modernized helicopter "Hurricane Maker" (literally - "hurricane maker"), such a powerful whirlwind of water spray and elastic air jets is created by the power plant CH- 53E.

Night operation, Iraq

What else is famous for "Stallion" (namely, this is how Stallion is translated)? On this huge machine, the "dead loop" was demonstrated!
The maritime career of the CH-53 and CH-53E was not limited to standard transport missions. Rotary-wing flying boats were used as minesweepers (modification MH-53) and took part in search and rescue operations (modification HH-53). The in-flight refueling system installed on the helicopter allows you to stay in the air day and night.
"Stallion" took root on land - the military liked the powerful transport helicopter. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the CH-53 and CH-53E were used as Gunships, supporting ground forces with fire. In total, the CH-53 family includes 522 helicopters built.

4th place - Huey (Iroquois)

Bell UH-1 - multi-purpose military helicopter
First flight - 1956
Built - more than 16,000 units
Carrying capacity: 1.5 tons or 12-14 soldiers.

This private "air cavalry", along with napalm, became a symbol of the Vietnam War. Veterans remember that the Hueys became their home - helicopters delivered them to the position, brought them equipment, supplied them with provisions and ammunition, covered them from the air, and evacuated them from the battlefield in case of injury. Despite huge losses (3000 vehicles did not return to base), combat use Huey is recognized as a success. According to dry statistics, over the 11 years of the war, helicopters made 36 million sorties, i.e. one irretrievable loss accounted for 18,000 sorties - a completely unique result! And this despite the fact that the Huey did not have a reservation at all.

Before the advent of specialized Cobras, Hueys had to perform strike operations - a pair of 12.7 mm machine guns and 48 unguided rockets on a suspension turned the UH-1 into infernal machine. The fire of the tactical combat group "Eagle Flight" (Flight of Eagles - American tactics of using helicopters) from 10 ... 12 vehicles was equal to the fire of two infantry battalions.

The Huey is Hollywood's favorite helicopter. No action movie is complete without a UH-1 flight scene. As expected, the heroes are sitting in a cockpit open on both sides, carelessly dangling their legs overboard.
Huey holds another record - so many of them were produced that by the end of the 60s, the American troops in Indochina had more helicopters than all the other armies in the world combined. Military and civilian versions of the Huey were delivered to 70 countries around the world (almost like a Kalashnikov assault rifle).

3rd place - Mi-8

Multipurpose helicopter
First flight - 1961
Built - more than 17,000 units
Load capacity: 3 tons or 24 people
Combat load of shock modifications: 2-3 machine guns and up to 1.5 tons of weapons on 6 hardpoints, including 57 mm unguided rockets, free-fall bombs and the Falanga anti-tank complex.

Created 50 years ago, the helicopter turned out to be so successful that it still receives orders from all over the world. It has three dozen civil and military modifications. It is used as a transport and attack helicopter, used for reconnaissance, as a command post, minelayer, tanker and ambulance helicopter. Civilian versions serve passenger airlines, are used in agriculture and during the liquidation of the consequences of natural and man-made disasters.

Military modification of the Mi-8TV ("heavy weapons")

The helicopter is simple, reliable, operated in any conditions - from the hot Sahara to the Far North. Passed all military conflicts, including Afghanistan, Chechnya and the Middle East. And he won't be able to find a replacement anytime soon.

2nd place - Apache

Boeing AH-64 "Apache" - attack helicopter
First flight - 1975
Built - 1174 units
Built-in weapons - 30 mm automatic cannon. Suspended weapons - 16 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, 76 NURS 70 mm caliber or Stinger missile systems for air combat.

"Apache" is a cult machine that has become the prototype of a whole class of modern combat helicopters. He gained fame during Desert Storm, where, according to NATO representatives, he successfully fought tanks. Regularly used by the Israel Defense Forces Air Force.
Only one helicopter - the Russian Mi-28N "Night Hunter" - was able to openly challenge Apache during the Indian tender for the supply of combat helicopters in the fall of 2011. But the old warrior turned out to be smarter and more agile than the young recruit - the electronics “finished” during numerous conflicts allowed the modern modification of the AH-64D “Apache Longbow” to operate more efficiently at night. However, Indian experts noted that the Apache design had exhausted its reserves for modernization, and its flight performance characteristics (static and dynamic ceiling) were inferior to the Russian helicopter, which was just starting its combat path.

More recently, in 2002, the Mi-35 (an export version of the Mi-24 with modern avionics) of the DPRK Air Force was "banged" from an ambush by a South Korean Apache. South Korea acknowledged the loss and demanded that the United States conduct a free (!) Modernization of the entire fleet of its Apaches to the Longbow version. They are still judging.

1st place - Black Hawk

Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" - multi-purpose helicopter
First flight - 1974
Built - 3000 units
Carrying capacity: 1500 kg of cargo and various equipment inside the cargo compartment or up to 4 tons on an external sling. The landing version takes on board 14 fighters.
Combat load of shock vehicles: 2 machine guns, 4 suspension points. The standard weapon system is NURSs, anti-tank Hellfires, containers with 30 mm guns. Naval versions are armed with 324 mm torpedoes and AGM-119 “Penguin” anti-ship missiles.

Without any exaggeration, the Black Hawk is a helicopter of the 21st century, despite the fact that it was created 40 years ago. The multi-purpose army helicopter was intended to replace the Iroquois, while its naval version, the Sea Hawk, was being developed in parallel. The result was a universal platform for all branches of the military, and in terms of the totality of characteristics - the best helicopter in the world.
In addition to the basic UH-60 land version, there are 2 anti-submarine versions SH-60B “Sea Hawk” and SH-60F “Ocean Hawk” (equipped with a magnetometer and a descending sonar station), a helicopter HH-60 “Rescue Hawk” for combat search and rescue and special operations, as well as a line of MH-60 "Knighthawk" models, including carrier-based helicopters, fire support helicopters, special operations vehicles, ambulance versions, jammers, etc. Sometimes they are used as staff helicopters for high-ranking officials and generals. Actively exported.

good appliances

The Black Hawk is saturated to the limit with high-tech equipment, which places high demands on the maintenance personnel and does not allow it to be stored outside the hangar for a long time.
The military plans to make the MH-60 a single type of helicopter for all branches of the military and fleet, which should radically reduce costs and simplify maintenance. With his appearance, he replaced the army "Iroquois" and the sea "Seasprite". Now the Black Hawk is successfully duplicating the tasks of transport helicopters and fire support helicopters, replacing the MH-53 sea minesweepers and SH-3 “Sea King” heavy helicopters.

Conclusion

There are exactly 10 places in the top ten. But why didn’t the iconic Ka-50 Black Shark helicopter make it into the rating? Do American experts not even suspect the existence of this machine. Despite the excellent flight characteristics and unsurpassed maneuverability, only 15 Sharks were produced, the Ka-50 never went beyond the experimental machine. The American AH-56 Cheyenne, an infernal rotorcraft, did not make it into the rating, compared to which all existing Cobras and Apaches are ugly ducklings. On tests, the car showed a speed of more than 400 km / h! Alas, only 10 Cheyennes were produced and the helicopter never hit the troops.
It remains only to summarize - the advanced design and excellent flight performance characteristics do not make the car the best yet. Much more important is its mass appearance in the troops (which allows you to quickly test the car in all modes and cure "childhood diseases" that any design suffers from) and the correct tactics of use.

Both well-known Western developments and rather unexpected Eastern and African combat helicopters were included in the list. There are also three Russian "iron birds" in the rating.

MIR 24 collected information about the main bladed "death machines", which to this day can be seen in reports from "hot spots" and at exhibitions of the best examples of military equipment.

10th place. Agusta A129 Mangusta

This Italian attack helicopter was the first fully developed and assembled in Western Europe. Its carrying capacity is 4.6 thousand kilograms, while it can reach speeds of up to 278 km / h. It is typically equipped with three 20mm Lockheed Martin cannons, as well as eight air-to-ground, air-to-air, and several dozen rockets. It is in service with the Italian and Turkish Air Forces.

9th place. Mi-24 "Crocodile"

8th place. CAIC WZ-10

Chinese helicopter developed on the basis of a Russian project. The crew in it is placed in tandem, which is not in any other combat vehicle. Used primarily as an anti-tank helicopter. Due to the relatively small carrying capacity, it can accelerate to 300 km / h, while the body of the "iron bird" is made using stealth technology. Armed with a 23 mm cannon, as well as air-to-ground, air-to-air missiles and unguided projectiles. It is in service with the Chinese Air Force.

Photo: 3GO*CHN-405/mjordan_6

7th place. AH-2

Attack helicopter developed in South Africa. Designed to destroy enemy manpower and equipment. It develops a speed of up to 300 km / h, while there are no seats for passengers, only a pilot and an operator of weapons systems get on board. Equipped with a 20 mm cannon, guided and unguided rockets. It is in service with the South African Air Force.

Photo: Danie van der Merwe

6th place. HAL LCH

5th place. Eurocopter Tiger

It was developed by a Franco-German consortium on the basis of three principles: "It should not be visible to enemies", "If it was seen, it should not be hit", "If it was hit, it must remain in the air." The combat vehicle is equipped modern systems reducing the visibility, detection and counteraction of air defense and "survivability". The latter provides for massive armor. Equipped with a 30mm cannon, versatile rockets and 12.7mm machine guns as secondary weapons. It is in service with the armies of Australia, Spain, Germany and France.

Photo: DVIDSHUB - Flickr: French, US forces continue working side by side

4th place. Bell AH-1Z "Viper"

The US-designed attack helicopter has state-of-the-art main and tail rotors and avionics. He also works unerringly in bad weather conditions and at night. Mainly used by the US Navy. IN sea ​​battles speed is important, so the Viper is one of the fastest combat vehicles, reaching speeds of up to 410 km / h. Armed with a 20 mm triple-barreled cannon, a large number of air-to-ground missiles and other projectiles. It is also possible to install two additional guns.

Photo: Lance Cpl. Christopher O'Quin, USMC-U.S. marine corps photo

3rd place. Mi-28N Night Hunter

Another helicopter developed at the Mil plant. It's maneuverable fighting machine capable of performing many aerobatics. Forward, it can fly at speeds up to 325 km/h, and its lateral speed is 100 km/h. The helicopter perfectly copes with tasks in any weather. Armed with a 30 mm cannon, several types of missiles, and can also carry small loads for setting minefields. It is in service with the Air Force of Algeria, Iraq and.

Photo: Yevgeny Volkov

2nd place. Ka-52 "Alligator"

"Alligator" - a heavily armed reconnaissance helicopter of a new generation. It develops a good speed of 330 km / h, but this combat vehicle does not need to fly fast. It has a target detection range of up to 300 km, and can also hit armored vehicles at a distance of 100 km. One of the most modern Russian aircraft is equipped with a 30 mm cannon and several diverse missiles. It is interesting that both the commander of the crew and the operator of weapons systems can control the helicopter.

Helicopter - today it is the most effective remedy used for material technical support, in military operations and rescue operations. Since the first in World War II, participation in Vietnam War and up to now, best helicopters helped change the course of events on the battlefield. Here are the ten best combat helicopters in the world. Each is characterized by features of electronic equipment, speed characteristics, firepower. Also of interest is the list of the fastest helicopters and progressive jet fighters. This is a rating of the best combat helicopters in the world.

The Z-10 attack helicopter was commissioned by the Chinese army in 2008-2009. The Z-10 has the configuration of a conventional heavily armed helicopter, a narrow fuselage and a stepped two-seat cockpit. The gunner is on the front and the pilot is on the back. The armament of the Z-10 may consist of a 30 mm machine gun mount, HJ-9 anti-tank guided missiles (comparable to TOW-2A), newly developed HJ-10 anti-tank missiles (comparable to AGM-114 Hellfire) and TY-90 air-to-air missile. -air". It also carries a block of unguided aircraft missiles.

8.AH-2 Rooivalk

7. AH-1W "Super Cobra"

6. A-129/T-129 (Italy/Turkey)

5. AH-1Z "Viper"

4. Eurocopter Tiger

3. Mi-28H Havoc (Russia)

2. Kamov KA-50/KA-52

1. AH-64D Apache Longbow

Heavy helicopters are being actively created all over the world, however, it is Russia that invariably leads in this area, and neither the collapse of the Soviet Union nor the efforts of overseas "colleagues" who tried to squeeze domestic manufacturers out of the market could affect this. Aviation expert, military pilot Dmitry Drozdenko talks about the five heaviest helicopters in Russia. One of the members American delegation told the Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil: “I just can’t believe that you Russians have overtaken us in the production of heavy helicopters!” It happened in the distant sixties in France at the international air show Le Bourget. By that time, many leading aircraft manufacturing companies were engaged in the production of rotorcraft, the bosses of which recklessly divided the sales markets. It was believed that the United States would produce at least two-thirds of all helicopters in the world. In line for the rest of the market share were the British, French, Italians and even the Japanese. Our country, as you understand, was not taken into account. As it turned out later, very in vain. Mi-4. Stalin order At the dawn of helicopter aviation, the USSR lagged behind its main geopolitical adversary, the United States. Big bosses did not really believe in rotary-winged vehicles and were skeptical about the possibility of their mass use in the troops. The successful landing operation of the Americans in Korea using Sikorsky S-55 helicopters radically changed the attitude towards them in the USSR. Changed at the highest level. Joseph Stalin demanded to "catch up and overtake" America. Soviet aircraft designers received an order from the leader - to make a transport helicopter in just one year. This process was personally supervised by Lavrenty Beria. The overwhelming task was successfully solved by the design bureau under the leadership of Mikhail Leontievich Mil - in the middle of 1952, the Soviet Mi-4 helicopter took off, the cargo compartment of which could hold 1600 kg of cargo or 12 fully equipped paratroopers. And that was just the beginning. Mi-6. nuclear cab Why were such powerful machines needed? The answer is quite simple: it was a time of missile confrontation, and a heavy transport helicopter was needed to transfer Luna mobile tactical missile systems. A solid-propellant rocket could be equipped with a nuclear warhead, and the giant Soviet helicopter gave the complex unprecedented mobility for those times. Mi-6 in the group with the An-12 aircraft became the transport component of missile systems. And besides, such equipment gave our troops unprecedented mobility, as it could deliver not only manpower, but also light armored vehicles to almost any place on the map. The Mi-6 became the first mass-produced giant helicopter. He took to the air in 1957, just five years after the Mi-4 took off. It was the world's first mass-produced helicopter with two gas turbine engines with a free turbine. In the future, this arrangement became world-renowned and is now used on almost all modern medium and heavy helicopters.
The Mi-6 was also the first in strength among the helicopters of that time. Helicopter raised - just think about it! - 12 tons in a large cargo compartment and 8 tons on an external sling. The large wings with which it was equipped made it possible to significantly unload the main rotor in level flight, as well as take to the air with a large load, using the “airplane takeoff”. The Mi-6 could reach speeds of up to 320 km/h and had a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. Mi-10. air faucet A little later, the Mi-10 was developed on the basis of the Mi-6. The military purpose of this helicopter was to transport what the Mi-6 could not carry - large-sized elements of missiles, radars and much more. In 1961, this helicopter set a record - it lifted a load of 15 tons to a height of more than 2,000 meters. Mi-10 had unusual view: narrow fuselage, long, almost 4 meters, similar to stilts chassis with a cargo platform fixed between them, and the right struts were 30 centimeters shorter than the left ones. This was done in order for the helicopter to tear off all the landing gear at the same time on takeoff. One of these helicopters was modified specifically to set the record for lifting cargo. This machine lifted 25 tons into the air.
In 1966 it was built new model- Mi-10K, on ​​which they tried to take into account the shortcomings of the first modification. The model had short "legs" and was equipped with a special cockpit in which the pilot-operator could control the helicopter, sitting facing the tail and looking directly at the load on the external sling. This made it possible to carry out unique assembly operations using a helicopter.
But the car still had many shortcomings. The military past, increased vibration and some design flaws did not allow the Mi-10 to quietly transition to civilian life, and this despite the excellent opportunities and economic effect which gave national economy flying crane. The development of the helicopter continued for several years, and only in 1974 did the Mi-10K go into production. The machine has completed many unique construction operations around the world and has been in operation to this day. AT 12. Strategic "Homer" Another heavy, or rather super-heavy, rotorcraft was the Mi-12, which received the name Homer (“Homer”) by NATO codification. Transversely spaced 35-meter screws by power plants belonged to the Mi-6 helicopter. In fact, there was one heavy helicopter at the ends of the giant's wings. A heavenly giant with a takeoff weight of 105 tons and a total power of four engines of 26,000 hp. flew surprisingly easily and quietly. There was no strong vibration inherent in large helicopters, which was a real scourge of that time. Incredible for this, and for our time, indicators - the B-12 lifted more than 44 tons to a height of more than two thousand meters. No, and is not expected in the world of a helicopter with similar parameters. The B-12 was supposed to work in pair with the An-22 aircraft, providing the delivery of strategic missiles, so the B-12 can rightly be called the "Strategic Helicopter".
The wings of the helicopter were special - they narrowed as they approached the fuselage. In level flight, the wings created additional lift and at the same time reduced the efficiency of the rotors, slowing down the air flow from them. The narrowing of the wing made it possible to reduce this effect in the area top speed air flow from the propellers and gave 5 additional tons of thrust. A transmission ran inside the wing, which synchronized the propellers, preventing the blades from overlapping, and allowed the helicopter to continue flying if the engine group of one of the sides failed. This design was a great know-how, and it was patented abroad.
But only two cars were built, after which the program was closed. The reason is quite simple - the missiles "lost weight" and began to be placed on railway and wheeled vehicles, mine complexes appeared. The unique rotorcraft became unnecessary for the military, and the B-12 was too expensive for civilian life. Fortunately, both aircraft have been preserved and can be seen at the aviation museum in Monino and at the site of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. The invaluable experience gained in the creation of heroic helicopters was not in vain. Mi-26. Raised Chinook The Mi-26, which is still produced today and is the most powerful serial helicopter in the world, became the crowning achievement of the line of these outstanding machines. It may not be able to match the mighty B-12, but its ability to calmly "pull" a weight of 20 tons makes it unsurpassed in the 21st century. In 1982, the crew of test pilot G.V. Alferov on the Mi-26 lifted a cargo weighing 25 tons to a height of 4060 meters. The helicopter holds 14 world records.
The Mi-26 is a multifunctional helicopter, without which civil and military aviation is inconceivable. It was this machine that extinguished the reactor in Chernobyl, it was she who fought with natural disasters. With the help of the Mi-26, unique construction and installation operations were carried out in preparation for the Olympics in Sochi, which made it possible to preserve the nature of Krasnaya Polyana. Such a case is indicative. In 2002, our civilian Mi-26s of the Vertikal-T airline provided assistance to the US armed forces. Our helicopter transported a downed Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, the heaviest rotorcraft of the US Army Aviation, from hard-to-reach areas of Afghanistan to the American base in Bagram. No other car, including the famous Sikorsky CH-53, was too tough for it. All serial American heavy helicopters have not been able to approach the Mi-26 in their capabilities. What do they have? How are things going with heavy helicopters abroad? The leader in this area is clearly the United States. Currently the most powerful western helicopter Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, also built according to the classical scheme, lifts only 16 tons into the air, and then on an external sling. The cockpit accommodates 37 fully equipped paratroopers against 70 of our fighters in the Mi-26. The famous "flying car" Chinook also takes about 40 soldiers, 6.3 tons in the cabin and 10.3 on the external sling. Therefore, I do not want to compare them, and so everything is clear.
Sky giants from Russia Our country has amazing, invaluable experience in the field of helicopter construction, and we have no equal in the segment of medium and heavy transport. This experience was acquired for a reason. There were many new and sometimes bold ideas. After all, a variety of layout solutions were worked out. There were successes, there were, like everyone else, failures. The latter did not pass without a trace, because it was thanks to them that our helicopter science went on the right path. I would like to believe that in the future we will see new flying giants from Russia. Text: Dmitry DrozdenkoPhoto: Alexei Ivanov TRC Zvezda / Russian Ministry of Defense / Marina Lystseva / Drozdenko
Video.

Until recently there was army aviation. Today, it is not only developing in numerous directions, but there is also a declaration on its transformation into the main striking force from the means of support ground forces. A prime example such a transformation was the creation and introduction of the latest attack helicopter Caic WZ 10 into the troops. The letters WZ stand for Wuzhuang Zhishengji, which literally means "armed helicopter".

The history of the creation of the WZ-10 helicopter

Caic wz 10 is a Chinese attack helicopter, which was adopted by the Chinese army in February 2011. The official version of China says that the caic wz 10 is its own development, but the helicopter was developed with the participation of Russian specialists. The attack helicopter wz 10 was built according to project 941, which was developed in 1995 by Russia.

The design of the helicopter was carried out at the Kamov Design Bureau by order of the Chinese government in accordance with the requirements for which the aircraft must have a mass of six tons, as well as other flight characteristics. The participation of Russian specialists in the creation of the WZ-10 was limited only to the design of the machine. China independently built all flight prototypes for testing, as well as production vehicles. Specialists from the Middle Kingdom themselves finalized the project.

The first helicopter flight took place in 2003. Production began in 2010, and the WZ-10 entered service with the PLA in February 2011.

Technical characteristics of the helicopter WZ-10

The Caic WZ 10 helicopter has the following specifications:

• The crew consists of 2 people: weapons operator and pilot.
• The fuselage length is 14.5 m.
• The main rotor diameter is 13 m.
• The empty weight of the helicopter is 5540 kg.
• The curb weight of the helicopter is 7000 kg.
• The maximum takeoff weight is 8000 kg.
• The power plant consists of 2 Zhuzhou WZ-9 turboshaft engines.
• Engine power is 2 × 1285 hp. With.
• Top speed is 300+ km/h.
• Cruise speed is 270+ km/h.
• The practical ceiling is 6400 m.

Armament:

• Small arms and cannon armament includes a 1 × 23-mm cannon.
• 4 suspension points.
• guided missiles:
  • unguided rockets include 4 blocks of caliber 90 mm or 57 mm;
  • air-to-air missiles include the TY-90;
  • air-to-ground missiles include up to 8 × ATGM HJ-10 Red Arrow.

Design features of the WZ-10 helicopter

1. The helicopter was created according to the classic single-rotor scheme with a tail wheel and a retractable tricycle landing gear. The narrow fuselage, which is trapezoidal in cross section, is made using composite materials and is also equipped with a short wing.
2. The crew is located in tandem. The glazing and cockpit of the helicopter are armored. For safety during an emergency landing, the landing gear is made energy-absorbing and non-retractable. The onboard equipment of the pilots follows the principle of a glass cockpit, for which large MFIs are installed. The seats of the crew members and the fuselage are made taking into account the possibility of a relatively rough emergency landing.
3. Caic WZ 10 is equipped with 2 turboshaft engines. Measures are being taken to reduce IR visibility. The blades are made of composite materials, and the main rotor consists of 4 blades.
4. The helicopter control system is electrically remote.
5. The body of the WZ-10 is made using stealth technology.
6. The armament of the helicopter includes an OPS, which is located in the bow, as well as a controlled rotary gun of 23-mm caliber. Guided missiles are mounted on 4 wing suspension points.

In 2012 there was a "Motor" scandal. The US authorities have fined United Technologies, one of America's largest financial and industrial groups, $75 million for supplying engines to China illegally. The engines were intended for WZ-10 helicopters. The engines were produced by the American company Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies. It has been selling engines to China for passenger and civil transport helicopters for many years.

The engines that were supplied for the WZ-10 differed from civilian versions only software. As a result, China had to abandon the PT6C-76C engines that were on the first prototypes. Production cars began to be equipped with less powerful WZ-9 engines made in China.

China for a long time claimed that Caic WZ 10 is a completely Chinese development. However, in 2013, Sergey Mikheev, General Designer of Kamov OJSC, at the Heli-Expo exhibition announced that the helicopter was created on the basis of the draft design "941" and this information was kept secret for quite a long time.

Video about the Chinese helicopter WZ-10

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