Happy birthday Mil Mi-8 HIP
Prototype was flown on this day 60 years ago
The first version of the most famous Soviet helicopter, the Mil Mi-8 series took off first time 60 years ago. This helicopter was slightly different from the model we know.
24th July, 1961 was the day, when one of the most known helicopter, the prototype of the helicopter produced in the highest volume took off for a short hovering with the pilot, Boris Zemskov on board. This version was the Mil V-8, the first edition of the Mil Mi-8/17 series.
This helicopter was quite a different from the known versions. This helicopter had a 4-blade main rotor, and it was produced with a single jet engine. The engine was an AI-24, a year later the successor prototype has got the well known TV2-117 double engines, and the 5-blade rotor head. The V-8A was flown on 17th September 1962 first time.
The helicopter went into mass production in 1965, the Soviet Army began to use them in 1967. Many variations of the model are still in use all around the world. More than 12 thousands were produced since then.
