Mil Mi-17

what is it?

The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production as of 2024 at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. The helicopter is mostly used as a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter, as well as an armed gunship version.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 21.3 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 280 km/htop speed
• range 800 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 24passengers
• size 13 tmax take-off weight
• built 12,000made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 51 years ago, in 1975.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Rotor of 21.3 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

1975

introduced

1977

status

still flying

number built

12,000

role

utility, transport, armed capable helicopter

origin

🇷🇺 Russia

makers

Kazan Helicopters

engines

2× Klimov VK-2500PS-03 / Klimov TV3-117

crew

3

passengers

24

length

18.5 m

rotor diameter

21.3 m

height

5.7 m

max take-off weight

13 t

top speed

280 km/h

cruise speed

260 km/h

range

800 km

ceiling

6,000 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family