The story
The Mi-26 is what you build when the cargo won't fit in any other helicopter: an eight-blade main rotor 105 feet across, two 11,400-shp turboshafts, and a cabin that swallows 20 tonnes. It has hauled a 23-tonne block of Siberian permafrost with a woolly mammoth frozen inside, and once lifted a damaged CH-47 Chinook — a heavy-lift helicopter — as cargo.
An Mi-26 holds the world record for the greatest mass lifted by a helicopter to 2,000 meters: 56,768.8 kg — more than the empty weight of a Boeing 737.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Mi-26?
Count the blades: eight on the main rotor, more than any other production helicopter. The fuselage is airliner-sized with fixed landing gear.
What does a Mi-26 sound like?
Eight blades turning slowly — a colossal, unhurried drumbeat you feel in your chest.
How fast is the Mi-26?
Top speed is 159 kts.
How many passengers does the Mi-26 carry?
Up to 90. A typical layout is 5 crew; 20-tonne cargo cabin.
How far can the Mi-26 fly?
Range is about 270 nmi (with 7.7 t cargo).
How big is the Mi-26?
It is 131 ft 4 in long and 105 ft (rotor diameter) across the rotor.
When did the Mi-26 first fly?
Its first flight was in 1977.
How many Mi-26s have been built?
300+ built.
How rare is a Mi-26 in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first Mi-26 catch is worth 250 points.
