Mil Mi-28
Mil · Soviet Union · first flew 1982 · helicopter
The Mi-28 Havoc is a dedicated tandem-seat attack helicopter with heavy armour, a chin cannon and stub wings for anti-tank missiles and rockets.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 17.01 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Stepped tandem gunship cockpit
- Stub weapons wings with hardpoints
- Five-blade main rotor, X-tail rotor
Identify it by the stepped narrow tandem cockpit, an under-nose cannon, small weapon-carrying stub wings, and a five-blade rotor above an X-configuration tail rotor.
Specifications
- The Mil Mi-28 has a length of 17.01 m (56 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.2 m (56 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 300 km/h (186 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1982 as a Soviet counterpart to the American AH-64 Apache, it lost the early competition to the Ka-50 but was later revived. The night-capable Mi-28N with a mast-mounted radar entered Russian service in the 2000s.
Variants
The main forms are the day-only Mi-28A and the all-weather Mi-28N/NE with over-rotor radar, plus the upgraded Mi-28NM. Export interest came from Iraq, Algeria and other operators.
Where you'll see it
It is a front-line Russian army aviation type and has seen combat in Syria and Ukraine. It has no UK service, the British Army having selected the AH-64 Apache in the equivalent attack role.
Related aircraft
- Mil Mi-34
- Mi-26 Halo
- Mi-24D (Hind-D)
- Mi-24A (Hind-A)
- Bell 222B
- Ka-50 Chernaya Akula (Black Shark)
- Agusta A129 Mangusta
- Bell 222UT
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.