Mi-35M is an export version of the Russian Mi-24 VM 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 for the combat vehicle was “Crocodile” because of the typical helicopter camouflage pattern.
When did the predecessor Mi-35M come about?
In the early 1960s, it became clear to the Soviet designer Mikhail Mil that the trend towards ever-increasing mobility of the battle would lead to the creation of flying infantry support 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 guidance 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 - a general-purpose helicopter B-22, which itself never flew. The B-24 had a central cargo and passenger compartment, which could accommodate eight people sitting back to back, and small wings that could carry up to six missiles and located in the upper rear of the helicopter, as well as a double-barreled cannon.
Making a decision to start development
Miles proposed his design to the leaders of the Soviet armed forces. While she received the support of a number of military leaders, others considered that the development of conventional weapons would be a better use of resources. Despite opposition, Mil managed to convince the first deputy minister of defense, Marshal Andrei Grechko, to convene experts to study this issue. Ultimately, Mil’s proposal won, and the Ministry of Defense’s request to develop a helicopter to support the infantry was issued. So began its long development path of the Mi-35M combat helicopter. 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 application 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 Mi-35M helicopter (Miles).
Development progress
Initially, the engineers of Mil Design Bureau prepared two main design options: a 7-ton single-engine and 10.5-ton twin-engine. On May 6, 1968, a directive was issued to begin developing the second option. The work went under the direction of Mil until his death in 1970. Design work began in August 1968. A full-scale model of the helicopter was reviewed and approved in February 1969. Flight tests of the prototype, which later turned into a Mi-35M helicopter, began on September 15, 1969 with the guidance of the guidance system, and four days later the first free flight was carried out. Soon, a second copy was built, and then a trial batch of ten helicopters was released.
Improvements on the comments of the military
Acceptance tests of 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 enhancing structural strength, eliminating the problem of fatigue and reducing vibration. 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 above 200 km / h, and the rocket pylons of the Falanga-M complex were transferred 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 before the start of production of the first version of the Mi-24A in 1970. Having received confirmation of its performance in 1971, a year later it was officially adopted.
General design overview
Basically, it was borrowed from the Mi-8 helicopter (according to the NATO classification "Hip") with two overhead turbo-engines, a five-blade main rotor and a three-blade tail rotor. The engine configuration gave the Mi-35M helicopter its characteristic air intakes on both sides of the fuselage. The original versions have a tandem cockpit layout: a shooter is placed in front, and a pilot sits a little behind it.
The Mi-24 fuselage was heavily armored and could withstand the impact of 12.7 mm bullets from all directions. Titanium blades are also resistant to 12.7 mm ammunition. The cabin is protected by windshields and a pan reinforced with titanium. Overpressure is maintained in the pressurized crew cabin to protect the crew in conditions of radioactive contamination.
Flight characteristics
Considerable attention was paid to giving the Mi-24 the highest possible speed. The fuselage was streamlined and equipped with a retractable landing gear to reduce drag. At high speed, the wings provide significant lifting force (up to a quarter of its total size). The main screw is tilted 2.5 ° to the right of the fuselage to compensate for the tendency to skew while stationary. The chassis is also tilted to the left, which deflects the entire Mi-35 combat helicopter in the same direction when it is on the ground. In this case, the main screw is in a horizontal plane. The tail is also asymmetric, which creates lateral force on it at a speed, thus unloading the tail rotor.
Modifications to the main model
The first mass-produced helicopter since 1971 was the Mi-24A. He did not yet have a tandem cabin, 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. The tandem cabin first appears on it.
Since 1976, the Mi-24V model went on serial production, on which anti-tank missiles of the Sturm-V system first appeared. Until 1986, only 4 of them were installed, and then their number increased to 16.
The pinnacle of the Soviet stage of 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, it could hit both ground armored and air targets (helicopters, attack aircraft, drones). His American counterpart AH-64A Apache was significantly inferior to him in speed, combat capabilities. security.
Russian stage of brand modernization
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the development of the famous family of "Milev" attack helicopters was interrupted for more than 20 years. The Mi-24 VP model was released in just 30 copies.
Finally, in the second half of 2000, a purely Russian model of the Mi-24VM helicopter appeared. It has an indelible chassis, it can carry the following types of missiles: anti-tank air-to-air and anti-aircraft type Igla-V. To protect against ground-based MANPADS induced by the thermal radiation of the helicopter engine, it is equipped with a system of protective infrared interference.
For export, the Mi-24VM helicopter is supplied under the designation Mi-35M. What does he look like? Photos of real combat vehicles can not always convey all the design features. The plastic model of the Mi-35M (1:72) Zvezda helicopter, widely distributed among Russian and foreign aviation equipment enthusiasts and shown in the photo below, very clearly conveys them.
Records of flight speed on the Mi-24V
He was the most common model of this combat vehicle. On the Mi-24V, several world records of flight speed and rise time to a given height were set. The helicopter was modified to reduce its weight as much as possible - one of the improvements was the removal of the wing plugs.
Several official records in various categories on the Mi-24V were set by the female crew consisting of Galina Rastorgueva and Lyudmila Polyanskaya in the 70s of the last century. So on July 16, 1975 they achieved 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 was set at 334.46 km / h when traveling in a circle of 100 km . On August 1, 1975, when flying in a circle of 500 km, this value amounted to 331.02 km / h, and on August 13, 1975, when traveling without a payload along a closed path of 1000 km, the helicopter accelerated to 332.65 km / h. records are held to date.
Comparison with Western Helicopters
What is the difference between the Mi-35M helicopter? Its characteristics combine the qualities of an armored fighting 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 to deploy troops or as combat vehicles, but they were not able to perform both of these tasks simultaneously. Converting the UH-1 into a combat helicopter meant cleaning the entire compartment to accommodate passengers 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 fulfill both tasks, and its capabilities were confirmed during the war in Afghanistan in 1980-1989.
Its closest western equivalent was the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk, which used many of the same design principles and was built as a high-speed and highly manoeuvrable assault helicopter with limited transportation capabilities and the use of multiple nodes from the earlier Sikorsky S-61. S-67, however, was not adopted for service. The Mi-24 was called the world's only "attack helicopter" due to a combination of firepower and the ability to deploy troops.