Mil Mi-36
| Company type | Military helicopter concept |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | Early 1980s |
| Products | Light utility helicopter (concept) |
The Mil Mi-36 was a Soviet-era light utility helicopter concept initiated in the early 1980s. Its intended functions encompassed fire support, communications facilitation, cargo transport, SAR and medical evacuation, along with aerial reconnaissance. The design planned for twin TV-O-100 turboshaft engines, accompanied by a two-bladed main rotor and a four-bladed tail rotor.
Design and development
The introduction of the TV-O-100 turbine engine in the early 1980s provided Soviet engineers with their first lightweight powerplant suitable for compact, high-performance helicopters. This advancement enabled the creation of a new category of lightweight combat helicopters designed to complement larger transport, assault, and anti-tank models.
The envisioned mission profiles for this helicopter included attack roles, close infantry support, transport of four troops, medevac capacity for four stretchers, SAR/CSAR operations, liaison duties, light cargo carriage, reconnaissance tasks, artillery spotting, as well as acting as a scout and target designator for forthcoming specialized attack helicopters such as the projected Mil Mi-28 and Kamov Ka-50. The specifications also demanded operational capability during day, night, and all weather conditions.
Operational experience with the Mil Mi-24 in Afghanistan revealed vulnerabilities to ambushes by infantry armed with RPGs and MANPADs. This underscored the necessity for constant alertness and immediate suppressive fire responses—even against threats from behind. Consequently, the new scout helicopter was intended to feature full 360-degree defensive firepower via two gun turrets. These turrets were to be armed with 7.62 mm caliber weapons, likely employing the newly developed GShG-7.62 machine gun, originally created as a defensive armament for helicopters (notably integrated into the Kamov Ka-29TB assault transport).
Moreover, detachable stub wings were planned to enable carriage of bombs, gunpods, rockets, and up to eight anti-tank missiles. These missiles would probably have been 9K114 Shturm variants launched either from a new four-round launcher under development for the Mil Mi-8 or from special stub wings equipped with twin launchers.
A civilian variant was also envisaged, capable of transporting ten passengers or one ton of freight and incorporating secondary patrol and rescue functions.
While the initial design targeted a maximum takeoff weight of 2500 kg, integrating the required armament, transport capacity, and survivability features caused weight estimates to increase to approximately 3400 kg. Meanwhile, Kamov developed a more specialized model around 2200 kg—the Kamov V-60—which gained preference but was never produced. Elements of the Mi-36’s design philosophy were preserved and evolved into the Mil Mi-40, proposed shortly after work on the Mi-36 ceased.
See also
References
- VR Mikheev, "MVZ Mil - 50 years"