MiL Mi26

[the wizard of auz]

Any one else out there operating the MiL26 apart from Skytech.
What a beast.

[Shawn Coyle]

I did a pilot report on it for Rotor and Wing a long time ago, and the editor left off the most important part of the article -
"This is a machine for moving mountains"
Amazing machine.

[RotorPilot]

Hi Wizard

That "thing" is the size of a 737. Nope I don't know anyone that is operating the machine, but I would like just to see it

http://www.colparair.com/mi-26_gallery.htm (MI 26 Gallery)

Mi-26 Gallery (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mi-26.htm)




:)

[Irlandés]

The Discovery Channel have a documentary on the Skytech Mil 26 which they air every now and again. I think it's one of the Power Zone series. Bloody impressive.

[CTD]

I flew the Mi-26 in 1993, and it was one of the thrills of my career. Awesome helicopter, and the crews are a hard-working, salt of the earth breed.

[the wizard of auz]

I saw this beasty on the discovery channel and it has to be the most awsome rotorcraft on earth (or close to it at hover).
I would travel a great distance to see this machine in action and get a close up look at one. I heard there was one or two working in PNG and was wondering if anyone could confirm it as I am heading up there in the not so distant future.

[BlenderPilot]

The Mexican Air Force has two and uses them mostly for firefighting

[hescott]

I met a gold mine exec. type guy last week down from PNG.
He wants to know more about the Mi-26, whether there is one working/ available in PNG
Anybody know or has anyone seen one in PNG lately?
(if so how do i contact them pls)

[Brilliant Stuff]

Try Helog in Switzerland they might be able to help with one. I read they have access to one.

[hotzenplotz]

The Swiss doesn't have a Mi-26 of their own.
The Machine comes from Poland.

[rotorrookie]

Ostemanlink (http://home.smelinkweb.com/ostermanhelicopter-eng/) helicopter AB in Sweden has one or at least have some russian sub-contractor who operates one.

just to visualize the size of this beast, it's rotor diameter is about the same as B-737 wingspan, 8 meters high= higher than two storey house and cargo hold equivalent C-130 and pressurised cockpit.......

but this one is even bigger MI-12 (http://www.vectorsite.net/avhvmil.html#m3) had a 40tonne payload

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Mi-26HALO.jpg

[ambidextrous]

There are at least two Mil-26 working in the Sudan on behalf of UNMIS. I saw two at El-fasher (North Darfur) when working there earlier this year.
with fraternal greetings, ambi

[rotornut]

Believe it or not:


http://www.strangemilitary.com/images/content/108184.jpg

http://www.strangemilitary.com/content/item/108184.html

[mini]

I have a pic of the PNG tailstrike, if someone can explain how to post it I'll stick it up.

[hotzenplotz]

Go to: http://imageshack.us/

search for the picture on your hard disk

select "host it"

then right-click and copy "Hotlink for forums (1)"

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/9858/mi269rc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

paste it into your post

that's it

[mini]

Here goes...

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3467/mi269tk.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Cheers for the howto

:ok:

[crispy69]

Does anyone know where you can find some footage of this beast. I would love to see it flying. I found one site on google but I think it was some dodgy russian format so could not view it.
I did find a audio clip of it. It did have alot of static but wow what a noise. Am trying to find it again if I do I will post it.

Crispy

[rotornut]

crispy

Try this one:
http://warfare.ru/?linkid=1639&catid=260&video=true

Shawn

I remember that article in R & W - I think I still have a copy somewhere.

[crispy69]

Thanks rotornut


What an awesome sight. If anyone knows of any other sites would be keen to check them out too.

Crispy

[Cpt.Archer]

Crispy...check out this (http://www.flightlevel350.com/viewer.php?id=2595) link...

[hotzenplotz]

@Air-Dynamic:

You wrote: „ACMI varies between11500 and 14000 per hr”

What does ACMI stand for?
Do you mean operating costs?
What per hour? Dollar, Pound or Rubel?

[Aesir]

ACMI, Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance.

[Captain Pheremone]

I know the 2 Mi26's in Sudan are being managed by a company from South Africa that specializes in Russian Mi's and Kamov's..check out for interest.

www.titanhelicopters.com

...they had a Mi26 in SA doing ship salvage about a 2 months ago, operated by Russian crew who seemed to do a very good job.

I used to fly for Titan and I know the rates are a lot cheaper for the Mi8's than quoted earlier in this post. The maintenance is also very professional and a South African AMO has the only (as far as I know) fully Russian factory approved Western engine overhaul facility.

[Chimbu chuckles]

I watched the Mil 26 depart Mt Hagen (PNG) around 98ish...it was enroute to Jayapura I think and then on to whereever...it was loaded to the gunnels with 'stuff' from spares to all sorts of 'personal' items :E of the crew.

Given that it can apparently carry 20 tonnes internal, or on the sling, I would hate to think what she was carrying that day...it taxied out and did a running takeoff using the runway (not unusual because a hovering departure even light would blow everything for miles over)...but it's takeoff roll was REALLY long and the coning from the main rotor blades as it finally lifted off was awesome....it must have taken a good 700m to accelerate through translation before lifting off and lumbering over the hills to the north...not even a hint they might do a farewell flyby:uhoh:

[Juan Rimenez]

Aye all

I met a Skytech's guy named Derek in Abbottabad - Pakistan last week and he was running the show with several Skytech's MI 17 and one MI 26T from Rostov Avia .

He told me that he was on site since early November, flying non stop.

The WFP's MI 26 from TITAN is in fact a MI 26T owned and operated by the Russian company VERTIKAL-T of Tver in Russia

I remember in 1992 when looking for a job in Europe I met the Skytech's boss - he was very young about mid-twenties and very cool, running the show with a few MI 17s, one MI 10K, and one MI 26T (registered RA 06041) and flying himself the MI 26 too

The fleet was then based on the TEAMCO's ramp at Brussels Airport (Teamco was in charge of the maintenance of the US ARMY helicopters based in Europe)

I went to the interview with Skytech peoples but didn't got a job

Till mid nineties, Skytech was everywhere in the magazines like Rotor & Wing, Heli World, Heli International etc... but now they seems to be very discreet.

Only a recent article in September or November in Flight Magazine about Russian Heli ops mentionned Skytech operating in Yemen and Central Africa !

Very strange also this article said something about British specops MI 17 maintained by Skytech in Nepal ( CIA or MI6 ? )

I asked Derek about curent activities in the company but he told me that he didn't know with a smile, then I asked him how he got the job - " I applied " he said - leuhhhh

I asked him how to contact and he said www.skytech-helicopters.com - but otherwise friendly and joking

A Belgian spotter confirmed me that two Skytech's MI 26 are currently based in Brussels South Airport and according to the photos in www.Airliners.net another Skytech's MI 26 in Congo Air Force schemes was parked all this summer on the Military apron of Liège Airport

Aye Juan - alive and running -:mad:

[Juan Rimenez]

Aye - does anybody hear about a Kamov 32 going to Chile for firefighting ? and apparently ex-Spain ??
Juan

[flightmedic1]

To see an Mi 26 up close,look at pg 102 on WHO's WHO": What do you fly? Where? (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99308)

Believe me, iot is HUGE when you get up close.

Regards,
Iain

[flightmedic1]

To see an Mi 26 up close,look at pg 102 on WHO's WHO": What do you fly? Where? (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99308)

Believe me, it is HUGE when you get up close.

Regards,
Iain

[wishtobflying]

Sorry flightmedic1, your link is to the wrong thread - it's page 102 of 'ROTORHEADS AROUND THE WORLD' : Photo Gallery (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76347&page=102)

Nice pics, by the way. :ok:

I remember flying into Mt Hagen I think it was, up in PNG one time in a Baron, and a Mi-26 was on the tarmac. It dwarfed the other aircraft on the ground and the sheds they called a "terminal" - it looked almost surreal, such a huge machine, fuselage the size of a 737 (bigger?) with rotors on top just makes you want to walk around it in awe and wonder. The tail rotor of 7.61m diameter is not much smaller than the main rotor of a 206 at 10.16m.

When a Mi-26 came in to Goroka, they hover taxi'd instead of rolling, and blew at least one roof off the old shanty houses opposite the Air Niugini terminal.

Here's another picture of that Chinook sling job:
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/news/Afghanistan/Afghan_MH-47E_airlift_1a.jpg

Couple more Mi-26 on the page this came from: http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/news/Afghanistan/afghanistan_chinooks_3.html

[nomorehelosforme]

It does look big but??????

[Dash8driver1312]

...but what? Annnnd you forget the Mil V-12.

[206Fan]

Mil V-12 is the largest ever built. Mi-26 is the largest flying today!

[Slatye]

Mi-26 is also largest to enter production, since the V-12 never got past the prototype stage.

This (http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/9/0/0/1016009.jpg) puts it into some perspective. Not quite as big as the planes, but certainly comparable in size.

[Savoia]

And here is another perspective:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1zLh84OnjxI/UoCxNhzIGpI/AAAAAAAAPSo/DxzFkyk6dBU/w884-h585-no/Mi26+pre-flight.jpg
Mi26 Pre-flight checks

[Nige321]

I rather like the V7...:E

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Mil_V-7_VVS_museum.jpg/800px-Mil_V-7_VVS_museum.jpg

[John R81]

That looks like you have found the droppings of the Mi-26. Perhaps a Mi-26 roosts there? :8

[9Aplus]

Inside :cool:

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww304/d9aplus/Picture150sm.jpg

[Newforest2]

And that's only the attic, stairs in the center to the main room!

[nomorehelosforme]

Additionally how much bigger than a Chinook are they? Just curious about comparisons, if there are any!

[Evalu8ter]

No more,
I parked a CH47 at Templehof next to a Mi-26 a few years back. After a friendly bit of banter with crew and a look inside I walked in to that lovely curved hangar. I turned around and looked and, to me, my CH47 looked like a Gazelle parked next to a Chinook....it's that big. WRT engines, the Mi-26 donks are about 11000(!) SHP each, the T55-714 on the CH47 are good for about 4100hp max cont and nearly 5000hp in Emerg Pwr.

Remember, a CH47 and Sea King are nearly the same size - a Merlin fuselage is bigger. The cost of those inefficient tail rotors....:}

[206Fan]

What engines do these machine use?2 x Lotarev D-136 Turboshafts (11,399shp Each)!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/D136_engine_maks2009.jpg/800px-D136_engine_maks2009.jpg

Compared to the Puma!

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad162/yoni/Aircraft/MilMi-26T.jpg


In October of '08 three of Sky-tech's Mi-26s which had been grounded were trucked to the Belgian port of Zeebruge. The choppers were then loaded onto a ship for transport to Russia where they will be upgraded to Mi-26T2 standards.
http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad162/yoni/Aircraft/bc98d76a.jpg

[Savoia]

Those are great shots 206Fan. :ok:

Additionally how much bigger than a Chinook are they? Just curious about comparisons, if there are any!

rBP1cIh27Oo

[206Fan]

Came across them way back Savoia. Saved the link.

Nice shot here of the upgraded office at the bottom of the page.

Mil Mi-26T2 Halo vs Boeing CH47F Chinook (http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/34036-mil-mi-26t2-halo-vs-boeing-ch47f-chinook.html)

[nomorehelosforme]

Great pictures, and video, the engine looks bigger than an R22? Are these machines only used in transport applications?

[nomorehelosforme]

I've been involved in many heavy moves with construction machinery on low loaders/low boys(for our American friends) but have never seen a pair as big as this going through a town centre! Any idea where it was?

[206Fan]

The above shot was taken in Belgium on route to the port. ABN specialise in ab-normal load movements. I believe they moved 380 parts for Airbus!

http://www.abntransport.be/_STUDIOEMMA_WWW/uploads/gallerij/0/500_500/15.jpg

http://www.abntransport.be/_STUDIOEMMA_WWW/uploads/gallerij/0/500_500/16.jpg

[TWT]

3 x Mi-26's at the transport company in Brugge.Tight fit !

http://goo.gl/maps/6s0JF

[nomorehelosforme]

Lol change of heart, that ain't a town it's a village! Air Bus 380 going through, really?

[206Fan]

The Airbus comments were removed which I suspected would happen, so we better stick to the thread title!

[heli1]

Interesting to see those road movement pictures. When were the pictures in storage at Bruges dated as there were at least two Mi26 held by a transport company in lieu of debts two-three years ago. They wanted 300,000euros for one but I couldn't see an easy or cost effective way of moving one to the UK at the time. I'm not sure if these are the same three as the ones I saw were less complete.

[TWT]

When were the pictures in storage at Bruges dated7/1/2009 according to Google Earth

From Luchtzak Aviation :

Re: Sky Tech Mi-26 at Bruges (http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=42243#p256380)

http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/styles/prosilver/imageset/icon_post_target.gif (http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/viewtopic.php?p=256380&sid=8c9d500b090acedcad4efc2db16296ad#p256380)by sn26567 (http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=247&sid=8c9d500b090acedcad4efc2db16296ad) » 09 Nov 2011, 15:38
The three helicopters (purchased at 2 million euros a piece) have just been sold for 5,000 euros each by a Bruges bailiff.
André
ex Sabena #26567

[nomorehelosforme]

Scrap metal value alone is worth loads more than that! Happy days for the buyer @€5000.00 each!

[cattletruck]

Watched them working the massive fires in Greece in 2007, surprisingly nible for such a beast. Used to get very nervous when they flew over me with a bucket full of water.

[Ready2Fly]

Are there any operators left in Europe besides Skytech?

I am looking for a Mi-26T for a short term operation during summer in germany. Pls pm me if interested.

[206Fan]

UTair and Heli-Swiss!

UTair | Mi-26? | Buy ticket (http://www.utair.ru/en/aircrafts/24554.html)

http://www.heliswissinternational.com/

[Landroger]

Are there not a few Mi-26's here? And I seem to remember seeing a clip of one hitting a crane while dropping Boron/sand into the reactor pit and following it down. A lot of very brave whirlibird people.

Chernobyl vehicle graveyard - YouTube


Roger

[mickjoebill]

Mi-26 Twin Bambi Bucket system - massive helicopter water drop - YouTube (http://youtu.be/rR-5AjTPq8M)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rR-5AjTPq8M
According to this report it is cheaper to operate for firefighting, based on $ per liter of water delivered, than a fixed wing.

Mickjoebill

[JimmyOs]

Landroger- when I toured Chernobyl zone a few years ago (maybe five now that I think about it) we were told the vehicle graveyard had been buried to prevent radioactive parts from ending up on Ebay. It seems there had been a few incidents that prompted them to take care of the problem.

[Jimmy.]

Does anybody have a RFM's copy? No need to be updated, just curiosity.
Thanks!

[megan]

References on the net say the aircraft has cockpit pressurisation. Anyone able to elaborate, like PSI differential and why?

[212man]

References on the net say the aircraft has cockpit pressurisation. Anyone able to elaborate, like PSI differential and why?
I’m guessing NBC environment

[212man]

References on the net say the aircraft has cockpit pressurisation. Anyone able to elaborate, like PSI differential and why?
I assume NBC environmental

[Less Hair]

This might just be overpressure for ABC defense?

[NutLoose]

References on the net say the aircraft has cockpit pressurisation. Anyone able to elaborate, like PSI differential and why?

All I can think of is it's a positive pressure system as opposed to what we would normally describe as a "pressurised cockpit" for operating in an NBC ( Nuclear Biological Chemical ) environment.

[212man]

Not sure where my replies have gone but I assume the pressurisation is for an NBC environment.

[[email protected]]

References on the net say the aircraft has cockpit pressurisation. Anyone able to elaborate, like PSI differential and why?
Forced air system for NBC ops perhaps?

[NutLoose]

212, they are showing now, the site threw a wobbly and mine didn’t show either, nor yours or Crabs.