Mil Mi-24D "Hind-D"
Mil · Soviet Union · first flew 1973 · helicopter
The Mi-24D established the definitive Hind configuration with tandem cockpits, a chin gun turret, and five-blade rotor, becoming the Soviet Union's primary attack helicopter.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 17.51 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- First Hind variant with the narrow tandem double-bubble canopy: forward gunner bubble is smaller and lower, pilot bubble higher and aft
- Four-barrel Yak-B 12.7 mm Gatling gun in a chin turret — the turret traverses and is clearly visible below the nose
- Five-blade main rotor and retractable wheeled undercarriage distinguishing it from the four-blade fixed-gear Hind-A
Versus the earlier Hind-A, the tandem double-bubble canopy and chin gun turret are definitive. Versus the Mi-35M, the Hind-D has retractable undercarriage, longer stub wings with anhedral, and lacks the modern flat-glass avionics panels of the Mi-35M.
Specifications
- The Mi-24D (Hind-D) has a length of 17.51 m (57 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.3 m (57 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 335 km/h (208 mph).
- Typical crew: 2-3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Entering service around 1976, the Hind-D was produced in large numbers and deployed to Afghanistan from 1979, where its combination of speed, armour, and firepower proved both effective and vulnerable to Stinger missiles. It was exported across the Warsaw Pact and to Third World clients.
Variants
The Mi-24V (Hind-E) followed with ATGM upgrades; the Mi-24P (Hind-F) substituted a fixed 30 mm GSh-30-2 cannon for the chin turret, visible as a rigid barrel on the starboard nose.
Where you'll see it
Widely operated across Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; actively used in the Russia-Ukraine war by both sides, with Ukrainian Mi-24Ds modified to fire Western unguided rockets.
Related aircraft
- Mi-24A (Hind-A)
- Mi-26 Halo
- Mil Mi-24 (Hind)
- Mil Mi-22
- Kamov Ka-27 Helix
- Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
- Westland Sea King HC.4 Commando
- Aérospatiale AS350 Écureuil
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