Mil Mi-4

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Mi-4
Mi-4-JH01 (remix).jpg
Mil Mi-4 at Prague Aviation Museum
General information
Type Transport helicopter
Manufacturer Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
StatusLimited Service; North Korean Air Force
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Number builtover 4,000 including Z-5s
History
Manufactured1951–1979
Introduction date 1953
First flight3 June 1952
Variants Harbin Z-5

The Mil Mi-4 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 36", [1] NATO reporting name "Hound") [2] [3] [4] is a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.

Contents

Design and development

The Mi-4 was designed in response to the American H-19 Chickasaw and the deployment of U.S. helicopters during the Korean War. While the Mi-4 strongly resembles the H-19 Chickasaw in general layout, including the innovative engine position in front of the cockpit, it is a larger helicopter, able to lift more weight and built in larger numbers. The first model entered service in 1953. The helicopter was first displayed to the outside world in 1952 at the Soviet Aviation Day in Tushino Airfield.

Operational history

The Mi-4 transport helicopter laid the groundwork of Soviet Army Aviation. It was widely used both in the armed forces and in Soviet civil aviation, and for several decades remained the main type of helicopter in the inventory of the Soviet Armed Forces and of the Civil Air Fleet. The Mi-4 went out of service with the development of the Mi-8. It is no longer used by the Russian Air Force, though it remained in service in some countries as a utility helicopter or as a military transport a while longer. Albania was thought to be the final country using the helicopter, and by 2005 all were out of service. The Mi-4 played a very important role in the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971. The Mi-4 was the workhorse of the Indian Air Force [5] covering the medium lift role at the time. A highly successful heli-borne operation, the Meghna Heli Bridge, using Mi-4s helped the Indian Army's 57 Mountain Division clear the Meghna River. The helilift of a battalion of Indian troops to the outskirts of Sylhet was the first heli-borne operation of the Indian army.

Much like the UH-1 Huey, after it was gradually phased out of military service, it was used in various domestic roles: search and rescue, firefighting, polar expeditioning, construction site cargo helicopter, commercial flights and many others. [6]

An official video of a North Korean Air Force combat flying skills competition released in 2014 shows that the Mi-4 is still in limited service in North Korea. [3] [7]

Variants

V-12
Prototype. Designation reused for the Mi-12.
Mi-4 (NATO – Hound-A)
Basic production version.
Mi-4A
Assault transport helicopter.
Mi-4AV
Armed versions based on the Mi-4A. V for Vooruzhenniy (Armed). Mi-4A with additional armament. Modification of 1967 had weapons complex K-4V, included four 9М17М ATGM "Phalanga" and 96 57-mm NAR S-5M in six blocks UB-16-57U (or six 100-kg bombs or four 250-kg bombs or tanks with an incendiary substance); 185 helicopters were converted to Mi-4AV. [8]
Mi-4GF
Factory designation for demilitarised Mi-4 for use in the Civil Air Fleet.
Mi-4L Lyukes
Six-seat VIP transport version, sometimes converted into an air ambulance helicopter.
Mi-4VL
Fire-fighting version of Mi-4L.
Mi-4M (NATO – Hound-C)
Anti-submarine warfare helicopter with searching radar station SPRS-1 ("Kurs-M"), hydroacoustic station "Baku", additional fuel tank and rescue boat with operator in under-fuselage gun turret. [9] [10]
Mi-4ME
Export modification of Mi-4M. [10]
Mi-4VM
Slightly modified version of Mi-4M, differed by some avionics system. [11]
Mi-4MR
Upgraded version of Mi-4VM with the searching radar station "Rubin-V" instead of "Kurs-M". [11]
Mi-4P / Mi-4VP
Civil transport helicopter, with accommodation for between 8 and 11 passengers, plus eight stretchers and a medical attendant for air ambulance duties. It has square. windows compared to the circular windows of the military versions. [2]
Mi-4PL (NATO – Hound-B)
Anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
Mi-4PS
SAR version.
Mi-4S Salon
VIP transport helicopter.
Mi-4Skh
Multi-role agricultural helicopter, with a large chemical container in the main cabin. Also used as a fire-fighting helicopter.
Mi-4T
Major military production version, equipped with a large diameter main rotor and bulged windows.
Mi-4VM (VM-12)
Anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
Mi-4BT
Minesweeper with floats.
Mi-4RI
Mi-4M equipped with the Rion experimental sonar.
Mi-4MT
Torpedo-carrying ASW attack (killer) aircraft derived from Mi-4M.
Mi-4MU
Attack helicopter.
Mi-4MO
Search helicopter with Oka sonar.
Mi-4MS
Search helicopter with Soora infra-red sensor.
Mi-4FV (Mi-4KV)
Photographic and guidance helicopter.
Mi-4Schch
"Polar version" of Mi-4FV for working at the Soviet Arctic and Antarctic research stations.
Mi-4SP
Special rescue modification.
Mi-4PG
Experimental version equipped with an external load sling system.
Mi-4SV
Mi-4 with improved heat insulation for working in the Far North.
Mi-4N "Filin" (Horned owl)
Experimental reconnaissance version intended for night-time use.
Mi-4KK (Mi-4VKP)
Mobile command post.
Mi-4KU (Mi-4VPU)
Mobile command post for controlling Air Force units.
Mi-4U
Target-designator version carrying the Oospekh (Success) system.
Mi-4GR
Mi-4 fitted with Grebeshok-3 (Haircomb-3) wide-range panoramic detection and relay radar.
Mi-4TARK
TV-equipped artillery reconnaissance and spotting helicopter.
Mi-4MK (Mi-4PP)
ECM version.
Mi-4UM
Radio-controlled target drone version.
Harbin Z-5
Chinese military transport helicopter. Chinese production version.
Harbin Z-6
Prototype turbine powered version of the Z-5, no production undertaken.
Xuanfeng
Chinese civil transport helicopter. Chinese production version.
Unnamed Variants

Operators

Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan
MI-4 in Riga aviation museum Mi-4 Riga.jpg
MI-4 in Riga aviation museum
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh
Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg People's Republic of Bulgaria
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba

In 1961 and 1974, 85 Mi-4 Hound A were imported.

Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
A Mil Mi-4 at Belgrade Aviation Museum Helikopter SFRJ MI-4.jpg
A Mil Mi-4 at Belgrade Aviation Museum
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungarian People's Republic
Flag of India.svg  India
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq
Flag of the Khmer Republic.svg  Khmer Republic
Flag of Laos (1952-1975).svg Laos
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali
Mil Mi-4 of the Finnish Airforce Mil mi-4fi.jpg
Mil Mi-4 of the Finnish Airforce
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea
Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Polish People's Republic
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Socialist Republic of Romania
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria
a Hungarian Mi-4 Mil Mi-4 Szolnok 2010 01.jpg
a Hungarian Mi-4
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam
Flag of North Yemen.svg  North Yemen
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia

Specifications (Mi-4A)

Mil Mi-4 3-view drawing MIL Mi-4 HOUND.png
Mil Mi-4 3-view drawing

Data from www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mi-4-specs.htm

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Notes

  1. ↑ "Designations of Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft and Missiles". Designation-systems.net. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
  2. 1 2 Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1963-1964 , p. 303
  3. 1 2 "Mil Mi-4 – Warbird Wednesday Episode #207 – Palm Springs Air Museum". 28 February 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Culhane, Kevin V. (1977). "The Soviet Attack Helicopter" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). U.S. Army Institute for Advanced Russian and East European Studies.
  5. ↑ "Indian Air Force Gallery :: Mil Mi-4 - Bharat Rakshak". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  6. ↑ John Pike. "Mi-4 HOUND (MIL)". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
  7. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "朝鲜空军飞行技术大赛 North Korea Air Force combat flying skills contest". YouTube . 15 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Миль Ми-4". aviadejavu.ru. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  9. ↑ "AKL-201707 AviaCollection 2017/7 Mil Mi-4 Hound Military and Civil Transport Helicopter". modelgrad.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  10. 1 2 "Миль Ми-4М". www.airwar.ru. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  11. 1 2 "Миль Ми-4М". aviadejavu.ru. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 575" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1981 pg. 321". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  14. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1975 pg. 293". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 576" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  16. 1 2 3 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 577" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  17. 1 2 3 Meyer, Manfred. Mi-1 und Mi-4 - die ersten Hubschrauber, "Fliegerrevue" Nr. 9/1999, p.55-59 (in German)
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 578" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  19. ↑ "Daffa Athaya's picture". Facebook . Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  20. 1 2 Conboy and Morrison, Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos (1995), p. 102 (Notes 2, 9).
  21. ↑ "Royal Lao Air Force Aircraft Types". aeroflight.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  22. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1975 Force Aerienne du Mali". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  23. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 579". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Military Helicopter Market 1975 pg. 304" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 580" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.
  26. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1981 pg. 372". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  27. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1972 pg. 202". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  28. ↑ "Military Helicopter Market 1981 pg. 374". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  29. 1 2 3 "Military Helicopter Market 1971 pg. 581" . Retrieved 2013-04-03.

References

The initial version of this article was based on material from aviation.ru. It has been released under the GFDL by the copyright holder.

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