Why does the Mi-6 helicopter need wings? It doesn't look like an airplane

The Soviet Mi-6 helicopter has one extremely curious design feature - the presence of small wings. Most often, helicopters do not have them at all. Less common are small "wings" that are used to carry equipment and weapons. However, the Mi-6 has too large wings. Obviously, they were not made by Soviet designers for beauty. So why?

The first Soviet helicopter carrying cargo on a suspension. / Photo: arsenal-info.ru.

The Mi-6 helicopter made its first flight in 1957. The machine was designed by OKB M. L. Mile. The helicopters were produced by factories No. 23 and No. 168. These were produced until 1980. In Russia, the Mi-6 was decommissioned only in 2002. In total, over the years of the existence of the Soviet Union, 926 such aircraft were produced. At its core, the helicopter belongs to the heavy transport class. It was created primarily for the needs of the army and became the first Soviet helicopter with the ability to transport goods on an external sling.

The most interesting part of the design of the heavy Mi-6 cargo vehicle is its small wings. They are not made for beauty and not for the suspension of weapons, as one might think. The irony is that these are the real wings... But why does the helicopter need them? The fact is that the aforementioned structural element can reduce the load on the rotor by 20-30% and thus reduce fuel consumption during cruising. At the same time, the wings lower the upper threshold of the Mi-6 payload, and therefore, when transporting heavy loads, these wings were usually removed (fortunately, they were easily dismantled).

In addition, the small wings of the Mi-6 make it possible to carry out an “airplane takeoff” from acceleration along a conventional runway. This is especially useful when the helicopter is carrying large and heavy cargo. Takeoff "like an airplane" for a loaded helicopter is not as difficult and dangerous as the classic vertical ascent. Finally, the wings improved the aerodynamics of the car, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 320 km / h.

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Continuing the topic, read about what is "Night Hunter" Mi-28N: a domestic response to the American "Apache".
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/110221/57806/

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