The Mi-32: The Soviet Union’s Unbuilt Giant Helicopter
Those silly Soviets and their silly flying contraptions.
Russia and Its Big Helicopters
Now, Russia and big helicopters go together like life and crippling depression. They have built some real monsters in the past, and at least one has become a bit of an icon of Soviet aviation. But there was a plan to build something bigger… MUCH bigger.
The Ambitious Mi-32
Designated as the Mi-32, this tri-rotor aircraft (yes, tri-rotor) helicopter would have dwarfed even the already impressive Mi-26. Just like its smaller brother, it was meant to operate in the remote regions of Siberia. It was basically a flying crane, and its job would have been to ferry tons of “civilian” and military heavy equipment to areas of the country that were normally unaccessible to anyone.
Impressive Specifications
Weighing in at an impressive 150 tons, it had a very unusual triangular layout for its three massive rotor blades. Power would have come from six Progress D-136 engines and in theory, it would have been able to carry up to 55 tons. It would have been 40 meters long and 30 meters wide, and that is not counting the large rotor blades. The “body” itself would have been bigger than a 737.
Why the Mi-32 Never Flew
But despite its potential, the Mi-32 was never built. Partly because it really wasn’t all that practical to place into production, but mostly because the aircraft was proposed at a time when the USSR’s economy could not support it. So, the Flying Triangle never saw the light of day.
~NC
