Mil Mi-2

For other uses, see Mi2 (disambiguation).
Mi-2
Polish Air Force Mi-2 at Krzesiny Air Base
Role Helicopter
Manufacturer PZL-Świdnik, Poland[1][2]
First flight 22 September 1961
Introduction 1965
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Polish Military
Aeroflot
Produced 1965-1998[3]
Number built 5,497[3]
Developed from Mil Mi-1
Variants PZL Kania

The Mil Mi-2 (NATO reporting name Hoplite) is a small, lightly armored turbine-powered transport helicopter that could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon.

Design and development

The Mi-2 was produced exclusively in Poland, in the WSK "PZL-Świdnik" factory in Świdnik.

The first production helicopter in the Soviet Union was the Mil Mi-1, modelled along the lines of the S-51 and Bristol Sycamore and flown by Mikhail Mil's bureau in September 1948. During the 1950s it became evident, and confirmed by American and French development, that helicopters could be greatly improved with turbine engines. S. P. Isotov developed the GTD-350 engine and Mil used two of these in the far superior Mi-2.

The twin shaft-turbine engines used in the Mi-2 develop 40% more power than the Mi-1's piston engines, for barely half the engine weight, with the result that the payload was more than doubled. The Mi-2 fuselage was extensively altered from its predecessor, with the engines mounted overhead. However, the external dimensions remained similar.

The Mil-built prototype first flew in the Soviet Union on 22 September 1961, after the initial development the project was transferred to Poland in 1964. The first Świdnik-built example flew on 4 November 1965 (making this the only Soviet-designed helicopter to be built solely outside the Soviet Union). PZL-Świdnik produced a total of 5,497 helicopters, about a third for military users. The factory also developed fiberglass rotor blades, and developed the wide-body Mi-2M seating 10 passengers instead of eight. Most typical kits include four stretchers for air ambulance usage, or aerospraying or cropdusting applications.

In Poland, there were also developed several specialized military variants for support or reconnaissance roles, with 23 mm autocannon, machine guns and/or two 57 mm rocket pods, four 9K11 Malyutka anti-tank missiles or Strela-2 AA missiles.

Operational history

The Mi-2 was first introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1965. The Mi-2 is used by mainly former Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries, although it was also purchased by Mexico and Myanmar armed forces.

Most of the armed Mi-2 variants were used by Poland. Some were also used by the former East Germany (with machine gun and unguided rocket armament only).

North Korea still maintains a large active fleet of Mi-2s.

Variants

Mi-2Ch exhibited in Polish Aviation Museum
Mi-2 Plus air ambulance in Poland
Mi-2P exhibited in Polish Army Museum in Warsaw.
V-2
First prototype.
V-2V
Armament prototype.
Mi-2 Platan
Aerial minelayer version.
Mi-2A
Mi-2B
Upgraded export version for the Middle East, fitted with improved systems and navigational aids.
Mi-2Ch Chekla
Chemical reconnaissance / smokescreen layer version.
Mi-2D Przetacznik
Aerial command post equipped with R-111 radio.
Mi-2FM
Survey version.
Mi-2P
Passenger / cargo version, with accommodation for 6 passengers.
Mi-2R
Agricultural version.
Mi-2RL
Land rescue/ambulance version.
Mi-2RM
Sea rescue version equipped with electric winch for two people and dropped rafts.
Mi-2Ro
Reconnaissance version equipped with cameras.
UMi-2Ro
Reconnaissance trainer version.
Mi-2RS Padalec ('Slowworm')
Chemical and biohazard reconnaissance version.
Mi-2S
Air ambulance version, equipped to carry four litters, plus an attendant.
Mi-2Sz
Dual-control training version.
Mi-2T
Cargo/utility version.
Mi-2U
Dual-control training version.
Mi-2US
Armed version fitted with a fixed 23mm NS-23 cannon, 4 x 7,62mm PKT machine gun pods and optional cabin PK machine gun.
Mi-2URN Żmija ('Viper')
Armed reconnaissance variant armed with a fixed 23mm NS-23 gun and two 16x57mm S-5 unguided rocket pods Mars-2. Optional 7,62mm PK machine gun window-mounted.
Mi-2URP Salamandra ('Salamander')
Gunship and anti-tank variant, armed with 23mm NS-23 gun, optional window-mounted 7,62mm PK machine gun, and 4x AT-3 Sagger (9M14M Malutka) wire-guided missiles on external weapons racks and 4x additional missiles in the cargo compartment.
Mi-2URP-G Gniewosz ('Smooth snake')
Mi-2URP with additional 4x AA missiles Strzała-2 (Strela 2) in two Gad rocket launchers.
Mi-2 Plus
Upgraded Mi-2 with uprated GTD-350W2 engines, all-composite rotor blades, new avionics and other modifications.
Mi-3
Planned Mi-2 derivative that lacked suitable engines for the program to continue.
Mi-2MSB2
Modernized by the Ukrainian Air Force, slated to enter the serial modernization/production in late 2011.

Operators

Ex-East German Air Force Mi-2 in Hubschrauber Museum, Bückeburg
Air medical service and rescue in SFR Yugoslavia at Museum of Aviation in Belgrade
 Algeria
 Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Belarus
 Bulgaria
 Cuba
 Czech Republic
 Djibouti
 Estonia
 East Germany
 Germany
 Hungary
Former German Air Force Mi-2 in Peenemünde museum, summer 2001
 Indonesia
 Latvia
 Libya
 Lithuania
 Mexico
 Mongolia
 Myanmar
 Nicaragua
 North Korea
 Poland
Peruvian Army Mi-2 on display at Las Palmas Airbase, 2006
 Peru
 Russia
 Slovakia
 Syria
 Ukraine
 United States
 Soviet Union
 Yugoslavia

Specifications (Mi-2T)

Cockpit of Mi-2 exhibited in Aviation Museum, Košice, Slovakia

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83[33]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ Łukasz Męczykowski, Mi-2. Polski hoplita, "Histmag.org", 25 czerwca 2009.
  2. ↑ Благовестов А. – Каталог современного оружия ведущих стран-производителей
  3. 1 2 Ми-2, "avia.cybernet.name"
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "World Air Forces 2013" (PDF). Flightglobal Insight. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Belarus Air force Equipment". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bulgaria Air Force - Equipment". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Bulgarian (PZL-Swidnik) Mi-2". Demand media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Cuba Air Force Aircraft Types". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Force Aerienne du Djibouti". smallairforces.com. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "Estonia Air Force - Equipment". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "Germany East Air Force". nationalcoldwarexhibition.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  12. ↑ "East-Germany Mil Mi-2". Demand media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  13. ↑ "Mil Mi-2 datbase". helicopter-database.de. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Polizei Mil Mi-2 (PZL-Swidnik)". Demand media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "Hungarian Air Force History". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  16. ↑ "Hungary Police Aviation". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "Hungary Police Mil Mi-2". Demand media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  18. ↑ TEMPO Edisi 19-25 Maret 2007 (pp. 36-37)
  19. ↑ ANGKASA No.07 Edisi April 2007 (p. 16)
  20. ↑ "Latvia Air Force Mil-(PZL-Swidnik)-Mi-2". Demand media. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  21. ↑ "Lithuanian Air Force - Equipment". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  22. ↑ "Lithuania - Air Force Mil Mi-2". jetphotos.net. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  23. ↑ "Mexican Armada". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  24. ↑ World Air Forces - Historical Listings Mongolia (MON). worldairforces.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-27.
  25. ↑ "Poland Border Guard Aircraft Types". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  26. 1 2 3 "Mi-2 Helicopter. History of Development". Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  27. ↑ "Ukraine - Air Force Equipment". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  28. ↑ "United States Army Threat Systems Management Office (TSMO)". angelfire.com. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  29. ↑ "Operator Performance Labs". opl.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  30. ↑ "Mi-2 DataBase". helicopter-database.de. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  31. ↑ "Aeroflot Mil Mi-2". jetphotos.net. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  32. ↑ "Yugoslavian use of Mil Mi-2 in military and air ambulance use". Retrieved March 2015.
  33. ↑ Taylor 1982, pp. 169–170.

External links

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