milmi 26 halo heavy lift transport helicopter
since its adoption into service with the soviet air force during the early 1980s
the cold war era me 26 nato code name of halo has been the largest and most powerful helicopter
anywhere in the world this heavy lift series was developed to replace the aging milme 6 series
the me 26 was given an all-new eight-bladed main rotor driven by a pair of loader of
power plants which helped the helicopter become a proven performer in both military and civilian
roles serving well in humanitarian relief efforts through its impactful supply delivery capabilities
the me 26 is powered by twin loader of d136 series turbo shafts
developing approximately 11 400 shaft horsepower each and these are installed
atop the cargo hold section of the fuselage bath of the flight deck
performance wise this massive machine can reach speeds up to 185 miles per hour and cruise at
160 miles per hour range is out to 1 200 miles with a service ceiling of fifteen thousand one
hundred feet being possible the 105 foot diameter eight blade main rotor features advanced design
and construction and is paired to a five-bladed tail rotor fitted along the vertical tail fin
facing starboard the helicopter's cockpit cabin is set well forwards in the design
overlooking a short rounded nose cone assembly and offering excellent vision out of the cockpit the
cargo area is spacious and suitable for hauling up to 90 infantry with gear 60 medical litters
with staff or up 44 100 pounds of cargo her power is such that she can be used to carry
heavy construction equipment to areas traditional rugged short takeoff and landing aircraft cannot
entry or exit is through sliding side doors as well as a powered loading ramp at rear which opens
at the base of the tail section the undercarriage is fixed and wheeled consisting of a traditional
tricycle arrangement the standard operating crew for the me 26 is five made up of two pilots
a flight engineer or load master dedicated navigator and a flight technician the me 26 has
evolved from its original v29 prototype to appear in a variety of dedicated and specialized forms
these include modernized models medevac versions a dedicated anti-submarine
warfare platform passenger or cargo types and an airborne heavy lift crane version
there has also been a dedicated fire fighting platform
beyond the militarized versions of the me 26 there are also civilian market variants in service
since its inception it is reported that about 326 helicopters have been produced
first flight was on december 14 1977 with service introduction coming in 1983.
deliveries followed thereafter in full operational status was reached by 1986.
the me 26 was designed by engineers at the storied mill moscow helicopter plant in moscow russia
and me 26 halo with over 125 russian personnel aboard was downed by a chechen surface-to-air
missile system in august of 2002 killing all passengers and crew more recently
chinese me 26 have taken part in disaster relief operations in quake affected regions of china
the soviet russian milmi 26 halo is the largest helicopter to have ever been produced in number
and remains in active service with customers across the globe
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