Russia’s Mi-28 Havoc Attack Helicopter Has Tiny Crew Compartment To Pick Up Downed Pilots
besides being an important component Russia’s attack helicopter force in the war in Ukraine Mi-28 Destruction It has been in the news recently due to its delivery to Iran. Meanwhile, a lesser-known aspect of the Mi-28 is its ability to carry two or three passengers in a cramped fuselage compartment; This is a feature clearly seen in a recently released video of the rotorcraft.
The images in question belong to the state Russian Television and Radio channel and shows the Russian Aerospace Forces Mi-28NM – the latest domestic version of the combat helicopter – is undergoing pre-flight checks at a forward airstrip somewhere in the Ukrainian conflict zone. The video is reportedly from this month.
At the beginning of the video, a technician is seen holding hoses that enter the helicopter’s port side rear fuselage through an open door. Typically such hoses are connected to dehumidification units, which then blow warm, dry air onto the aircraft to keep everything dry. This is especially important for sensitive avionics in cold weather, such as in snowy weatherspace. Once the helicopter is fully powered up, it must keep itself warm enough so that moisture does not cause problems.
Perhaps the best view available of the Mi-28 rear fuselage compartment with the access door open. through
But what’s most interesting is that the open door provides a rare glimpse into this rear fuselage compartment, which is capable of carrying two or three people or an equivalent amount of cargo. Of course, this is in addition to the Mi-28’s two crew members sitting side by side in the cockpit (weapons system operator/navigator in front and pilot in back).
Unique among in-service attack helicopters, the fuselage bulkhead was part of the Mi-28’s design. first time planned In the second half of the 1970s. The Soviet Union had ordered Mil to design a next-generation combat helicopter equivalent to the US AH-64 Apache, but this feature was entirely his own.
The Mi-28’s configuration was generally similar to the AH-64, but marked a significant departure from the philosophy embodied in the previous Mi-24 Hind. like we have has been discussed in the pastThe Mi-24 was built around a passenger/cargo cabin with space for an infantry squad, but as it was developed it also expanded anti-armor capabilities.
Overview video of a privately owned Mi-24 in the United States. The passenger/cargo cabin is seen in detail around 11:30:
In contrast, the Mi-28 was first and foremost a tank killer, with its lack of a cabin and better overall performance. However, there was internal space for a much smaller compartment, which would be very useful for rescuing downed pilots from the battlefield, especially for catching the downed pilot in the same flight. This made perfect sense, given the anticipated aircraft losses on Europe’s Central Front, especially low-flying helicopters.
Other duties could include transporting mechanics and vehicles to perform limited repairs to other helicopters in the event of an emergency. Potentially, it may even have been used to locate and recruit spies or saboteurs.
to have choice The use of the Mi-28 as a form of interim or unconventional combat search and rescue (CSAR) asset would also mean that the aircraft could operate on its own and immediately when other air or ground assets were not available. Traditionally, CSAR helicopters must operate with an armed escort. It is not known whether the passenger cabin was used in the war in Ukraine, but limited space, the presence of avionics equipment and the complete absence of windows mean that the cabin is only really suitable for emergencies. For more typical CSAR missions in the Ukrainian theater, Mi-8 Hips and Mi-24s are used, often accompanied by Mi-28s or Mi-24s. Ka-52 Hokum Attacking helicopters.
A close-up view of the Mi-28’s rear fuselage compartment reveals how cramped it is, including the presence of avionics equipment. through
As for other types of attack helicopters attempting to rescue personnel, the best-known incident is probably the one involving two people. British Army Apache Warships in Afghanistan in January 2007. During this dramatic missionFour Royal Marines attached themselves to the outside of two Apaches for a combat rescue attempt. Ultimately, they were only able to recover the body of their comrade, Lance Corporal Ford, who had been killed earlier.
Italian Army too I researched the concept using it A129 Mangusta To rescue the personnel, attack helicopters attached a pair of soldiers to the main landing gear struts. Meanwhile, the US Army Special Operations Command is operating MH-6M Little Birds with side mounted boards externally to air transport private operators. A more elaborate modular system used to transport small numbers of personnel was planned. Bell 360 Invictus armed reconnaissance helicopter, as you can read about Here.
Diagram showing four people sitting on a modular seating system located in the weapons bay of a 360 Invictus helicopter. USPTO
It is also worth drawing attention to the crew escape system, which is another planned ‘survival’ feature of the Mi-28. Unlike Ka-52The Mi-28 does not have an ejection seat. Instead, the Zvezda/Tomilino Pamir-K crew seats feature belts that automatically tighten when high weight loads are encountered. As originally envisioned, the crew escape system would work as follows. During any catastrophic failure at altitude, the cockpit doors would be blown off, the wings would be ejected with their payloads, and the inflatable door sill sleeve would be filled with air. The purpose of this was to protect the crew from the protruding main landing gear and guns and to help them escape the helicopter, after which they would parachute back to the ground. At least in theory.
Ka-52 crocodile and unique K-37-800M ejection seats. Before the rocket in the launch seat takes off, the rotor blades are blown off by explosive charges in the rotor disk and the canopy is launched. pic.twitter.com/BzPP9SNXMZ
In practice, the crew escape system on the Mi-28 appears to have never reached operational status, probably because its practical use was so limited.
according to Oryx open source monitoring groupRussia has lost 19 Mi-28s since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. This figure may be higher because Oryx only tabulates losses it can visually confirm. Russia began the conflict with a force of approximately 110 Mi-28s of all versions.
The Mi-28 has a long history since it was first flown in prototype form in 1982. The original Havoc was abandoned in the early 1990s and Mil continued with the radar-equipped, night-capable Mi-28N version. Deliveries of production Mi-28N helicopters to Russia began in 2008, and since then export versions have been sold to Algeria, Iraq, Uganda and apparently now Iran.
The basic version for Russia is the Mi-28N, which has also undertaken combat operations in Syria from 2016.
Less common is the Mi-28UB (only 24 were built), which received a mast-mounted radar and dual control, not found on the Mi-28N. As for the latest Mi-28NM version (seen in the video above), it too has a mast-mounted radar and other changes. including new missiles. In addition to placing a bulk order for Russia, it is also planned to bring old Mi-28N aircraft to the Mi-28NM standard.
Video of Mi-28UB equipped with radar during a live-fire exercise in the Krasnodar region in March 2020:
Despite all the changes the Mi-28 has undergone since its first appearance, its extremely compact passenger compartment remains one of its most extraordinary features.
