Mil Mi-24A "Hind-A"
Mil · Soviet Union · first flew 1969 · helicopter
The Mi-24A was the initial production Hind, distinguished by its wide side-by-side greenhouse cockpit before the definitive tandem double-bubble arrangement was adopted.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 17 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large 'greenhouse' multi-pane cockpit with side-by-side seating for pilot and weapons operator — the cockpit is wide and boxy, not the narrow tandem bubble of later marks
- Four-blade main rotor rather than the five-blade rotor of the Mi-24D/V
- Fixed (non-retractable) tailwheel undercarriage on the very early production aircraft; stub wings carry weapons but have less pronounced anhedral than later marks
The wide, flat, multi-pane greenhouse cockpit is unmistakable and appears on no other Hind variant. All subsequent Mi-24 and Mi-35 marks use the narrow tandem double-bubble canopy; the greenhouse immediately identifies the Hind-A.
Specifications
- The Mi-24A (Hind-A) has a length of 17 m (56 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.3 m (57 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).
- Typical crew: 2-3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype flew in 1969 and early Hind-A production models entered Soviet service from 1972. The wide cockpit proved to have poor aerodynamics and limited the gunner's field of view, prompting the redesign into the tandem Hind-D.
Variants
The Hind-A (Mi-24A) and interim Hind-B/C led directly to the Hind-D (Mi-24D) with the tandem cockpit that became the standard for all subsequent marks.
Where you'll see it
No Mi-24A is believed to remain in active service; surviving examples are held in Russian and Ukrainian aviation museums as historical artefacts of early Soviet attack helicopter development.
Related aircraft
- Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
- Mi-24D (Hind-D)
- Mil Mi-22
- Mi-26 Halo
- Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama
- Bell 212 Twin Huey
- Bell UH-1N Iroquois
- HAL Cheetah
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