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Midland Publishing |
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Red Star Volume 14 Mil Mi-8/Mi-17 Rotary Wing Workhorse and Warhorse by Yefim Gordon and Dmitry Komissarov |
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Reviewed By Charles Landrum, #26328 |
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128 pages with over 200 color and B&W Photos MSRP: $29.95 USD The Mi-8/17 (NATO nickname “Hip”) has been and is the backbone of many nations air forces around the globe for the last 40 years. An extremely versatile airframe, it has been pressed into a wide range of roles and so the subtitle of this book is extremely appropriate. As the authors point out in the introduction only the UH-1 has been built in greater numbers. An aircraft of this importance deserves its own monograph and Midland Publishing with the prolific author Yefim Gordon, aided by Dmitry Komissarov, deliver. The Mi-8 appears to have been a winning design from the start. Its initial development, discussed in chapter 1, conveys a rather trouble free development. It is interesting to note that the like in the west, poorly articulated requirements can hamper a program and the Mi-8 was specified to be only a single engine helicopter. Fortunately, for aviation, the Mil bureau was far more visionary in pushing for the Mi-8 as a twin-engine aircraft and worked in spite of the system to make it happen. There is a wealth of information on the variant of Mi-8 helicopters in the first half of the book. Chapters 2 and 3, although rather lengthy, cover all the variants minor as well as major and there are many. Chapter 2 deals with the first generation of MI-8 helicopters while Chapter 3 deals with the second generation. There are lots of photos in these sections, many close ups, to demonstrate the airframe differences. One variant is noticeably absent and that is the ASW variant the Mi-14, which sports a dramatically redesigned lower fuselage (a boat hull) and dipping sonar. The Mi-14 will apparently be the subject of a separate book. Chapter 4 provides a good walk around photos in addition to those provided in chapters 2 and 3. Included are interior photos and weapons detail. The latter chapters delve into the operational history of the airframe, both military and civilian. Chapter 5 describes the Mi-8 as the universal soldier. Of course a major piece of this chapter deals with the Soviet war in Afghanistan, that nation’s first combat experience in airmobile operations. Like the UH-1 in Vietnam the Mi-8 became a real workhorse in the inhospitable terrain, performing duties of transport, SAR, spotting and as a weapons platform. The Mi-8 built a reputation of reliability and ruggedness. Later in the chapter the conflict in Chechnya is discussed. There is also mention of the various insurgencies around the globe in which the Mi-8 played a role from Sri Lanka to Sierra Leone to Nicaragua. Chapter 6 goes into the civil role of the aircraft. In the Soviet Union and it successor states the Mi-8 has had a long history in government and commercial lift. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union these same helicopters, and I am sure many former military airframes, have played a large role worldwide in commercial lift including support of the UN. Chapter 7 gives an exhaustive breakdown of the nations that have operated the Mi-8/17 by type. As a final touch, the authors compare the Mi-8 to its modern competitors. It is a hard comparison, for few airframes have been as ubiquitous, adaptable and indispensable as the Mi-8. No doubt most are these competitors are technologically superior, but the Mi-8 is the Kalashnikov of helicopters. I remember talking to US Marine Corps CH-46 pilots who had an opportunity to fly the Mi-8. Since the CH-46 is equivalent in age and technology it wasn’t that big of a leap to make the transition. But when they were checked out on the type, they found that the mercenary pilots instructing them didn’t know what half the gauges were or if they even worked. No matter, because these pilots had logged many hours without mishap despite the lack of knowledge! I dare say that the Mi-8 will be flying long past its contemporaries and perhaps some of the newer generations of helicopters. This latest book in the Red Star series is highly recommended. You will not be disappointed with the presentation, the text or the photos. My only complaint is that the cover is a bit bland. There are much nicer photos inside that would have made a more dramatic cover, but don’t let this stop you from adding this book to your reference library. Review copy provided by Specialty Press. This book and others in the series can be ordered directly with a $4.95 additional shipping charge. www.specialtypress.com or 1-800-895-4585 |
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