Combat helicopter Mi-35M: history, description and characteristics

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Mi-35M is an export version of the Russian Mi-24VM combat helicopter, which is a modification of the famous Soviet rotorcraft. Soviet pilots called it a "flying tank" by analogy with the Il-2 attack aircraft known during the Second World War. The unofficial nickname of the combat vehicle was "Crocodile" due to the typical helicopter camouflage scheme.

When did the predecessor of the Mi-35M appear?

In the early 1960s, it became clear to Soviet designer Mikhail Mil that the trend towards ever-increasing combat mobility would lead to the creation of flying infantry support combat vehicles that could be used to perform both combat and transport tasks. The first model of the B-24 helicopter expressing this concept, developed under the direction of Mil, was presented in 1966 in the experimental workshop of the Ministry of Aviation Industry. The concept of this product was based on another project - the B-22 utility helicopter, which never flew independently. The B-24 had a central cargo compartment that could accommodate eight people seated back to back andsmall wings capable of carrying up to six missiles and located in the upper rear of the helicopter, as well as a twin-barreled cannon.

Decision to start development

Mil offered his design to the leaders of the Soviet armed forces. While she received the support of a number of military leaders, others felt that the development of conventional weapons would be the best use of resources. Despite opposition, Mil managed to convince the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Marshal Andrey Grechko, to convene experts to study this issue. Ultimately, Mil's proposal won out, and the Ministry of Defense's request to develop a helicopter for infantry support was issued. This is how the Mi-35M combat helicopter began its long journey of development. The history of its development took place against the backdrop of the development and use of combat and attack helicopters by the US Army during the Vietnam War. The practice of their use convinced the Soviet leadership of the advantages of an armed helicopter and contributed to supporting the development of the Mi-24 project, which in our time has turned into a helicopter (Mil) Mi-35M.

Development progress

At first, Mil Design Bureau engineers prepared two main design options: a 7-ton single-engine and a 10.5-ton twin-engine. On May 6, 1968, a directive was issued to proceed with the development of the second option. The work was directed by Mil until his death in 1970. Design work began in August 1968. A full-scale model of the helicopter was reviewed and approvedin February 1969. Flight tests of the prototype, which later turned into the Mi-35M helicopter, began on September 15, 1969 with the binding of the guidance system, and four days later the first free flight was carried out. Soon the second copy was built, and then a trial batch of ten helicopters was released.

Improvements on the comments of the military

Acceptance testing of the prototypes of the current Mi-35M - Mi-24 helicopters - began in June 1970, lasting for 18 months. Changes made to the design were aimed at increasing structural strength, eliminating fatigue problems and reducing vibration levels. In addition, a negative 12-degree slope was introduced in the wings in order to eliminate the tendency of the helicopter to yaw from side to side at speeds over 200 km / h, and the missile pylons of the Falanga-M complex were moved from the fuselage to the wingtips. The tail rotor was moved from the right to the left side of the tail, and the direction of rotation was reversed. A number of other design changes were made prior to the start of production of the first version of the Mi-24A in 1970. Having received confirmation of its performance in 1971, it was officially adopted a year later.

Design overview

It was mainly borrowed from the Mi-8 helicopter (NATO designation "Hip") with two overhead turbo engines, a five-bladed main rotor and a three-bladed tail rotor. The engine configuration gave the helicopterMi-35M has its characteristic air intakes on both sides of the fuselage. The original versions have a tandem cockpit layout: the gunner is placed in front, and the pilot sits above him and somewhat behind him.

The fuselage of the Mi-24 was heavily armored and could withstand impact from 12.7mm bullets from all directions. The titanium blades are also resistant to 12.7mm ammo. The cabin is protected by armored windshields and a titanium-reinforced pallet. The pressurized flight deck is pressurized to protect the crew from radioactive contamination.

Performance

Considerable attention was paid to giving the Mi-24 the maximum possible speed. The fuselage was streamlined and equipped with a retractable undercarriage to reduce drag. At high speed, the wings provide significant lift (up to a quarter of its total value). The main propeller is tilted 2.5° to the right of the fuselage to compensate for the tendency to skew when stationary. The landing gear is also tilted to the left, which deflects the entire Mi-35 attack helicopter to the same side when it is on the ground. In this case, the main screw is in the horizontal plane. The tail is also asymmetrical, which creates a lateral force on it at speed, thus unloading the tail rotor.

Modifications of the main model

The first mass-produced helicopter since 1971 was the Mi-24A. He did not yet have a tandem cockpit, and his tail rotor was initially located on the right. After moving the screw to the left side, it remains there on all subsequent models.

The next helicopter that went into production since 1973 was the Mi-24D model. It features a tandem cab for the first time.

Since 1976, the Mi-24V model, on which anti-tank missiles of the Shturm-V system appear for the first time, went into serial production. Until 1986, only 4 were installed, and then their number increased to 16.

The pinnacle of the Soviet stage in the development of the Mi-24 brand was the Mi-24 VP model, produced since 1989. In addition to anti-tank missiles, the Mi-24 VP was equipped with air-to-air missiles and Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles. Thus, he could hit both ground armored and air targets (helicopters, attack aircraft, drones). Its American analogue AH-64A Apache was significantly inferior to it in speed and combat capabilities. security.

Russian stage of brand modernization

With the collapse of the USSR, the development of the famous family of "Milevsky" attack helicopters was interrupted for more than 20 years. The Mi-24 VP model was produced in only 30 copies.

Finally, in the second half of the 2000s, a purely Russian model of the Mi-24VM helicopter appeared. It has a fixed landing gear and can carry the following types of missiles: air-to-air anti-tank missiles and Igla-V anti-aircraft missiles. To protect against ground-based MANPADS, induced by the thermal radiation of the helicopter engine, it is equipped with a protective infrared interference system.

The Mi-24VM helicopter is exported under the designation Mi-35M. What does he look like? Photos of real combat vehicles cannot always convey all the design features. The plastic model of the helicopter conveys them very clearly. Mi-35M (1:72) Zvezda, widely used among Russian and foreign aviation enthusiasts and shown in the photo below.

Mi-24V flight speed records

He was the most common model of this combat vehicle. The Mi-24V set several world records for flight speed and climb time to a given altitude. The helicopter has been modified to reduce its weight as much as possible - one of the improvements was the removal of wing plugs.

Several official records in various categories for the Mi-24V were set by the female crew of Galina Rastorguyeva and Lyudmila Polyanskaya in the 70s of the last century. So on July 16, 1975, they reached a speed of 341.32 km / h when flying in a straight line at a distance of 15/25 km, and on July 18, 1975, a speed record of 334.46 km / h was set when moving in a circle of 100 km. On August 1, 1975, when flying in a circle of 500 km, this value was 331.02 km / h, and on August 13, 1975, when moving without payload along a closed trajectory 1000 km long, the helicopter accelerated to 332.65 km / h. These records are held to this day.

Comparison with Western helicopters

What is the difference between the Mi-35M helicopter? Its characteristics combine the qualities of an armored combat vehicle and a transport helicopter. It has no direct analogue in the armies of NATO countries. It is known that UH-1 ("Huey") helicopters were used during the Vietnam War either for the transfer of troops or as combat vehicles, but they were not able to perform both of these tasks.parallel. Converting the UH-1 into a combat helicopter meant clearing the entire passenger compartment for additional fuel and ammunition, and as a result, losing the ability to use it as a vehicle. The Mi-24 and all its subsequent modifications, including the Mi-35M, was designed to perform both tasks, and its capabilities were confirmed during the war in Afghanistan in 1980-1989.

The closest Western equivalent was the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk, which used many of the same design principles and was built as a high-speed, highly manoeuvrable attack helicopter with limited transport capabilities and many components from the earlier Sikorsky S-61. The S-67, however, was not accepted into service. The Mi-24 has been called the world's only "assault helicopter" due to its combination of firepower and troop transport capability.