Mi-12 - a unique Soviet helicopter, more like a plane

Soviet designers periodically surprised the world with unique developments. They were especially astonished by aircraft и helicopters. Take, for example, the Mi-6, a multi-purpose model, mass-produced from 1959 to 1980. It was the largest helicopter in the world of its time. Its fuselage is 33 meters long. And in 1961, it set a speed record, accelerating to 320 km/h, putting the previous leader, the American model Sikorsky S-61 Sea King, to shame. But Soviet designers did not stop there. They decided that the possibilities for increasing the size of helicopters were far from exhausted. This is how the Mi-12 project appeared - a super-heavy rotary-wing machine with a lifting capacity of about 30 tons.

Although the model never went into production, two helicopters were built. They could be on the conveyor, but the tasks have changed. The customer no longer needed such equipment. Mi-12 is still considered the heaviest helicopter built in the history of mankind. The appearance of the giant is impressive. People who are far from such a technique often cannot understand what is in front of them. A rotorcraft is more like an airplane. Her fuselage is at least typical for such equipment. And the two screws on the sides were bewildering. Even now, the Mi-12 seems to be an alien from outer space. Now try to imagine how they reacted to the helicopter in the late 60s. The author of the SkyShips channel will tell about this technique.