https://cast.pudmed.ir/videos/watch/405e74a2-cc31-4afb-8ecb-565350911fd2 The Soviet Union loved helicopters. Not as fragile scouts – but as flying trucks, armoured gunships, and sky-high cranes. While the West built nimble attack helicopters, the USSR built monsters. The Mi-8 became the most produced helicopter in history. The Mi-24 Hind terrified mujahideen from Afghanistan to Chechnya. And the Mi-26 remains the heaviest lifting helicopter ever built. This episode is about the Flying Crane – and the rotor blades that kept the Soviet war machine moving. In this full-length episode: 🚁 Mi-1 – The First Soviet Helicopter – The clumsy but important start. Based on German wartime designs, the Mi-1 proved that Soviet rotorcraft could work. 🚛 Mi-8 Hip – The Workhorse of the World – Over 17,000 built – more than any other helicopter. We examine its twin turbines, its cavernous cabin (24 troops or 12 stretchers), and its endless variants: attack, cargo, electronic warfare, even airborne command post. Why the Mi-8 still flies in over 50 countries. 🐅 Mi-24 Hind – The Flying Infantry Fighting Vehicle – Not just an attack helicopter – a troop transport with wings. We break down its armoured cockpit, its heavy weapons (GSh-30 cannon, anti-tank missiles, rocket pods), and its terrifying presence over Afghanistan. Why the Mujahideen called it the "Devil's Chariot." Rare footage of a Hind rolling in on a mountain target. 🏗 Mi-26 Halo – The Heavy Lifter – The largest production helicopter ever built. Eight rotor blades, two turboshaft engines (11,000 hp each), and a payload of 20 tons – enough to lift a C-130 fuselage. We examine its 1982 first flight, its role in the Chernobyl disaster (lifting contaminated debris), and its modern use in Arctic resupply. ⚔ The Attack Successor – Mi-28 Havoc & Ka-50 Black Shark – The post-Soviet generation. The Mi-28 (night-capable, heavily armoured) and the coaxial Ka-50 (no tail rotor, ejection seat). Why neither fully replaced the Hind – and how Russia now uses a mix of all three. Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:51:11 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://cast.pudmed.ir https://cast.pudmed.ir/lazy-static/avatars/eed1cb33-d04c-4158-b000-2f2fb9545c13.png https://cast.pudmed.ir/videos/watch/405e74a2-cc31-4afb-8ecb-565350911fd2 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://cast.pudmed.ir/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.