Mi-26 Halo

Mil · Soviet Union · first flew 1977 · helicopter

The Mil Mi-26 Halo is the largest and most powerful helicopter ever to enter serial production, unmistakable for its eight-blade main rotor and bus-sized fuselage.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Massive bus-like fuselage with rear clamshell doors and a loading ramp
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Eight-blade single main rotor, the first on a production helicopter
Massive bus-like fuselage with rear clamshell doors and a loading ramp
Twin engine nacelles side by side above the cabin ahead of the mast

Sheer size and the eight-blade rotor identify it at once, along with the high side-by-side engine nacelles and the ramped clamshell rear cargo doors.

Specifications

The Mi-26 Halo has a length of 40 m (131 ft).
It has a wingspan of 32 m (105 ft).
Its maximum speed is 295 km/h (183 mph).
Typical crew: 5 crew.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in December 1977 to replace the Mi-6 and Mi-12, the Mi-26 entered service in 1983 powered by two enormous Lotarev D-136 turboshafts. It can lift a payload of around twenty tonnes.

Variants

These include the baseline military Mi-26, the civil Mi-26T, the modernised Mi-26T2 and the latest military Mi-26T2V first flown in 2018.

Where you'll see it

It serves Russia and many export operators including India, Greece and Cyprus, used for heavy cargo, vehicle and artillery lift, disaster relief and firefighting. It has never been operated by any UK military or civil operator.

Related aircraft

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