Mil V-12 - Soviet rotorcraft titan

The Mil V-12 (also known as the Mi-12) is a heavy transport helicopter created in the USSR in the late 1960s. The V-12 is the largest rotorcraft ever built and flown.
The V-12 - the brainchild of the Mil design bureau, was created as a heavy transport for lifting heavy and large equipment in a pair with military transport airplanes. The result of this concept was a truly amazing helicopter in terms of size, weight and carrying capacity.
In terms of dimensions, it is comparable to large airplane, and in terms of mass, it is many times greater than any other helicopter, including modern ones. Its distinctive feature is the transverse arrangement of the twin rotor power plant - two pairs of engines and propellers are installed on the tips of a large reverse narrowing wing. The V-12 has a large fuselage, a double-deck cockpit and a cargo compartment, dimensions of which are close to the cockpit of that time’s giant An-22 Antey.
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00:00 - The Soviet titans
00:50 - Ambitions
03:04 - Heavy transport concept
06:52 - The V-12 description
16:34 - Trials and development
17:53 - Records and airshows
20:01 - Aborted takeoff

[@tinolino58]

I was a member of the design bureau creating the tool machine (SH34) to cut the planetary and ring gear for the giant transmission of the Mi helicopters. This was 1977 in Zürich.

[@johankriel8883]

I attended the 1971 Paris air show and was fascinated by those gigantic helicopters.

[@nikbg7221]

Only respect, you saw a golden era, sir!

[@edwelndiobel1567]

Crazy they did all this without computers or modeling systems. All by hand and math!

[@Vontharau47]

Fascinating and impressive, indeed.

[@nonamesplease6288]

I love that funky, 1960s era Soviet prototype paint job. The aqua greens and red combo and the style could only have come from that era.

[@phunkracy]

Early Cold War soviet submarines were also painted aqua green!

[@johnhickman106]

Their cockpits haven't changed. Just about every instrument and circuit breaker panel is the same green.

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

@@phunkracy Sub camouflage is/was a thing, in shallow water you are easy to spot visually from above so look like your surroundings.

[@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24]

I love the look of this machine. I've always thought the Soviets made some great looking machines.

[@TheHandThatBites]

Train stations, planes, government buildings. Everything is that colour lol.

[@air-headedaviator1805]

Helicopters only get cool the bigger they get, and this is the biggest, so therefore the coolest

[@justforever96]

My favorite thing about this channel isn't just the quality, but that you focus on aircraft that most western creators would ignore or not have access to. Makes it way more interesting than another documentary on the CH-47, basically just repeating what Wikipedia says with some photos and film clips added.

[@peraperic8775]

I have seen Mi26 in Niš,south Serbia. Was firefighting in here. That is a flying building. Can't even imagine Mil V12

[@timrussell1559]

The amount of skill and focus required to operate such a complex aircraft before the advent of modern day electronics must have been enormous. Hats off to the amazing pilots who accomplished this undoubtedly difficult task

[@williamzk9083]

This configuration was used by the Germans with the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache with 20 in service starting in 1941. Bombing destroyed the factory. It's quite a good configuration for a heavy lift helicopter. I think its actually quite easy to fly because there is not need to continiously adjust the tail rotor.

[@morho9422]

well, they were adveturers.😀😀

[@skyedog24]

Not to mention all the slide rules and pocket protector pockets on the men who designed and engineered this beast.

[@twistedyogert]

One thing I admire about the USSR is that they always seemed to push the envelope of what was thought possible.

[@mrobocop1666]

They weren't limited much by cost effectiveness, demands of markets, strict control by owners and other capitalist things, so it allowed engineers to experiment and bring into reality their fly of imagination

[@twistedyogert]

@@mrobocop1666 I guess that's one advantage of communism. Although there were some issues with a planned economy. There was no competition between companies so consumer goods didn't really advance as far as technology is considered. Every advancement had to be approved by the government so there was a lot of red tape in the way of improvements.

[@SMGJohn]

​@@twistedyogert Actually you are wrong, there was competition between design bureaus and between factories, however problem in USSR was everything was geared towards military production, all the best engineers, designers and inventors were working for the military industrial complex where they invented stuff way ahead of its time like 2 megapixel CCD sensors in the 70s for spy satellites, or various laser technologies which the USSR would be leader in. This is one of the reasons USSR collapsed, the people who put Yeltsin in power were army generals with powerful ties to the military industrial complex.

[@klaussanta4027]

В точку сэр... -Мы рождены чтоб сказку сделать былью!.. это кстати текст из ,,марш авиаторов,,

[@HumanBeanbag]

This was a complete waste of time and resources. No wonder they collapsed.

[@ouroboris]

Monino is on my Bucket List 😃

[@CaptHollister]

In the 1970s I was an aviation-mad teenager. Living in Canada, I had easy access to aviation magazines from much of the world and the good fortune of being able to read and understand most of them. One of my favourites was a French mag. They did a full article on the Mil-12 accompanied with many pictures taken during one of its visits to Le Bourget. I have been fascinated by this beast ever since and I'm always happy to watch videos or read stories about it.

[@Ivanoskyao]

I grew up in Angola in the 80s under Russian supported government, with Russian military and Cuban soldiers. I remember so well this Helicopters and all the Soviet things. Actually looking back there were not bad days. I once flew on a military Russian Helicoper from Lobito to Luanda.during the War we had to fly close to coast all the time. A 5 hour flight, no seatbelts, fuel next to you and a machine gun at the door. Scary, but we made it.

[@tgsgardenmaintenance4627]

This amazing aircraft, set a world record for a vertical lift of 123,000lbs! Have to say that Monino is well worth a visit. Also went to MAKS while in Moscow and saw the SU-57 flying! Possibly the best holiday ever!!!

[@MyLinguine]

Soviet designers : How big of a helicopter would you like? Khrushchev: YES

[@John.0z]

I recall this aircraft from my youth, and I had wondered then about why a tandem rotor design was not chosen. Thank you for answering that very old question.

[@Tom-Lahaye]

The best in depth video about the V-12 yet. The cockpits almost look like a winter garden with the space, all the glass and the curtains to round it off, a very nice place for the crew indeed.

[@dasgelbevomei4739]

I remember standing in front of this giant in Monino, but never knew how well preserved it is internally. I wish I had known there was a possibility to get inside.

[@citizenblue]

That thing looks like it could fuel up and go right now! Good to see it's still in as good shape as it is!

[@justforever96]

That cockpit interior is awesome! I love the white, it makes it so bright and open. I already noticed that awesome Soviet green cockpit color makes the interior brighter and less cramped, which is probably why they used it. The huge glass and white padding make it seem like a modern apartment interior.

[@Pangolin_6483]

A separate story is connected with the blue-green color; studies were conducted in the Soviet Union that showed that it was this color that accelerates the reaction of pilots and increases concentration.

[@telsat]

This was an incredible feat of engineering for the time of analog instruments and design on paper. I love this video

[@stuarttupp3541]

Considering how unprecedented the design was, the fact that both airframes are still in existence is a small miracle. Prototypes like these usually crash in a field somewhere.

[@cpt_bill366]

Or burned up in a airport like An-225 Mriya 😡

[@BPJJohn]

@@cpt_bill366 Don't worry, she'll rise again like a Phoenix. 😉

[@physetermacrocephalus2209]

@@cpt_bill366 It sucks but we can always just build an even bigger plane later. We should not hold that against Russia forever.

[@flywalkerent.9835]

@@mikes989 +10 this is exactly true, not to mention the idiots in charge of the company who ignored all warnings of a coming war and decided to leave it in place

[@darcgibson5099]

@@cpt_bill366 i mean, if the Ukranians really want to completely erase history and deny and delete every remnant of their Soviet past (in which they were a willing founding member and biggest contributor & power alongside Russia) in exchange for a nazi-collaborationist’s version of Ukranian history that denies all their contributions to the world as a major soviet power, then they should destroy the AN family along with all the art, books, culture, buildings, statues, war memorials, etc etc. they have already banned and systematically destroyed. The governments post Maidan, post-USSR have mostly been made up of Banderites who would rather believe themselves “white” Western European “civilization” in line with the Nazis than they would appreciate their Slavic, mixed factual history in which they made great strides in all fields. Now their installed governments want to be nothing more than a knock-off Central European nazi heirloom and pathetic lapdog of the EU and USA.

[@ericwhitehead6451]

Soviet aerospace has always fascinated me. They always pushed the envelope a little bit further.

[@tbas8741]

its easier for communist countries as the value of life is much lower hence why so many pilot and workers killed in comparison to other countries. Like the multiple cosmonauts left to drift n die in space or crash back to earth.

[@bastadimasta]

The opposite is happening now. Aviation companies try to maximize gains from the same products over and over again. Boeing 737MAX is a good example of not wanting to improve.

[@jakewatson2660]

@@bastadimasta that is more of a fault of airlines. By using the 737 they don't need to retrain pilots

[@bastadimasta]

@@jakewatson2660 clients can demand anything from the manufacturer. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to build a reliable, economical and safe product. If the client's demand is impossible, then the manufacturer must inform the client so. The worst thing that a manufacturer do is to supply a bad product to its clients without informing the risk of such a product, and people die for it. Boeing did exact that.

[@tbas8741]

@@bastadimasta WHAT!! 737 Max is huge improvements over previous 737. New wing, new engines new computers new control systems. Much more fuel efficient, Much safer, Much cleaner (green wise) Low carbon impact in making them, Much improved passenger comfort. Clearly you only watch what the news says and know nothing about planes

[@zapfanzapfan]

18:50 That weight for Mi-26 is total takeoff weight, not cargo (it has lifted a 25 ton block of frozen tundra with a mammoth in it). The weights for V-12 were the cargo weights. I have stood in the rotor wash of a Mi-26, it was windy! It had been hired to put up a power line in the early 1990s.

[@TheHarryChase]

So many complicated systems! Kudos to the designers who kept upgrading the machine, but what a job!

[@cpt_bill366]

That thing is a spaceship compared to other helicopters, especially the crew areas. I have never seen so much of the interior before. Thanks for sharing!

[@glendenig9962]

This thing is like a subway tunnel with wings and rotors! Astounding aircraft!

[@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

What a wonderful feat of engineering! The Russians can certainly innovate when they need to.

[@mafan.stenole]

Hopefully they won't need any innovations anytime sooner.

[@user-nb1sb2io5k]

@@mafan.stenole hate speech

[@mafan.stenole]

@@user-nb1sb2io5k name me one genuine innovation Russia delivered to the world since the fall of the soviet union. Everywhere I see Russians driving western cars, dressing western clothes and eating western food. It's not hate speech comrade, it's reality.

[@boardnski156]

Great video about Soviet aviation engineering! Where the West would have designed the cargo to break apart and be quickly reassembled, the Soviets just made a helo big enough to handle the cargo.

[@lucasokeefe7935]

I absolutely love the maintenance platform detail on the engine nacelles. EDIT: Can also definitely hear the 'D'OH' from the cockpit after the landing gear collapsed during the first flight

[@davidwebber8636]

Another excellent piece of work. Thanks for posting!

[@chrislong3938]

If there's one thing I'll give the Ruskies, it's their ability to build really cool helicopters!

[@jakejhons5138]

They built great submarines and space crafts too.

[@olegk11]

Building one thing, making it fly for extended period of time is another 😂😂🖕🇷🇺

[@jakejhons5138]

@@olegk11 🇺🇸 👢 👅

[@olegk11]

@@jakejhons5138 🇺🇲🏡🛻🚄✈️ или 🇷🇺🥷🏚️🪵🪓🧎‍♂️🐑🪖💀⚰️

[@mrobocop1666]

@@olegk11 Mi-26 biggest helicopter and An-124 biggest cargo plane are flying for decades. And what planes Ukraine was able to build after independence? All Ukrainian aviation industry gifted by USSR has been rotten and went in hell

[@sski]

I've been amazed all my life at Russian design concepts for vehicles. Always challenging convention! Спасибо тебе, мой друг!

[@skunkjobb]

Yes finally!!! I have known about and been fascinated by this machine ever since I read about it as a kid in the book "History of inventions" in Swedish back in 1984. So little footage has been available but this is by far the best and most comprehensive documentary about this marvelous machine I've ever seen. Many thanks for making it!

[@raylawrence1]

Thank you for a comprehensive and first class commentary on this remarkable machine. A bold project seen to fruition only to be overtaken by history. A proud achievement to be sure. 👍

[@asdrubalanibal6853]

This could be a highly challenging, awesome RC project.

[@terrylawrence1807]

I remember reading about this amazing machine in Soviet magazines in the late 60's and often wondered what became of it. So glad to see both prototypes are still in existence. Thanks for producing this wonderful look into Soviet helicopters.

[@gusmanovr]

Saw this great monster! It's fantastic

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

Monino is a heck of a place.

[@andrewtucker7437]

I would like to thank you for posting this. The Soviet Union made so many unique aircraft. The quality of you video is outstanding. It's one of my dreams to visit the aviation museum in Monino. Please keep up the good work, it's well appreciated.

[@captainexcabier]

It's a shame she never saw service, but it's nice that they kept the prototypes. Just think if some of the old Norton Flying Wings had been kept as museum pieces.

[@eottoe2001]

And they did it with slide-rules and velum paper.

[@richardhaynes6934]

As always, your aviation videos are the best on KZbin! No one does it better and I love your prose…..always get a chuckle while being expertly informed. Thanks for the “flying building”! Keep up the great work Sky!!👍👍👍

[@timbaskett6299]

The V-12 is such a great looking aircraft. It should have made it into series production.

[@majikglustik9704]

Thank you, Sky, for bringing me these majestic titans. Remarkable!

[@TheGryxter]

What an amazing beast! I would love to be able to get the chance to go inside. Must be a thrill to stand inside such a massive machine like that.

[@sethmerrell8888]

I remember being 7 years old and the mil-12 was my favorite thing ever.

[@skenzyme81]

Only helicopter ever made that would have been capable of lifting a fully loaded 40' shipping container (67,200 lbs).

[@fredhermanspann6914]

]p81

[@TheHomeMaker1]

No sorry brother a MI-6 lifted 125,000 + pounds to 2,000 meters so the MI-6 lifted almost not quite but almost X2 40’ foot loaded containers it was done near Moscow by the MI-6 in 1982

[@thelovertunisia]

Helix if you pause an instant and think about this, we realise how difficult it is to transport mass by air, even more by vertical takeoff which requires way more power than wing lift. A 100 hp engine in a old semi can haul a 40ft container around the country and on a freight train on a flat track they can get as low as 1hp/ton of mass! I would say in a helicopter it is as high as 1000hp/T or even more!

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@TheHomeMaker1 That's not the case, sorry to say. That's the all-up weight, not the payload. On 3 February 1982, flown by Ге́рман Вита́льевич Алфёров (Herman Vitalievich Alferov) and L.A. Indeev, the Mi-26 with an *all-up weight* of 56,768.8 kilograms (125,153.8 pounds) flew to a height of 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).¹ Later, they flew to a height of 4,100 meters (13,451 feet) with a payload of 25,000 kilograms (55,115.6 pounds).² The helicopter has an empty weight of 28,200 kilograms (62,170 pounds)

[@GooglePlusPages]

Geez... Makes a Skycrane look like an absolute wimp in comparison. Although I do like the Sikorsky's design.

[@legPhase]

I remember Mi-24 flying very low (probably 300m) above my home village in the late 80ies

[@MililaniJag]

Layout reminds me of the WWII German (1940) Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache. Cheers!

[@Zog26]

This bad boy was in my Top Trumps helicopters pack when I was a schoolboy in the late 70s!!

[@ymg200]

Great story, thank you for telling it.

[@andreasbach1975]

Absolutely fantastic!Thx for this video👍

[@1pasupaty]

Soviet were really at their peak in aviation.verynfew built but they did

[@vgovger4373]

That's one thing about old USSR, they were very creative with planes and ships and even their shuttle craft.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Great video I’ve always been fascinated by this behemoth and it was great to see the interior.

[@BeKindToBirds]

The livery is so beautiful.

[@lancelotkillz]

Love the narration and slight hint of an accent PERFECT

[@obelic71]

Somewhere in the Soviet Union in the mid 1960's. Comrade why fly people and some luggage to destination when entire Oblast can fly in one move?

[@matthewmoore5698]

They always good at “BIG “

[@thunderamu9543]

Sky, Thanks again for another dive into an airframe we are not often exposed to in the West.

[@mikehook4830]

An incredible feat of engineering and creativity that I never knew about previously. The line of of rotary wing aircraft that were produced by the Soviets is indeed impressive. Personally, I appreciate the aesthetic of the V-12 as well...borderline steampunk. Fascinating entry Sky, thanks for bringing it to us.

[@urbanweekendwarrior7238]

feat of engineering? its a twin rotor heli on steroids. it's a feat of impracticality

[@-danR]

Honestly it is the _stupidest_ looking object I have ever seen.

[@kartoffelfresser2347]

​@@urbanweekendwarrior7238Blöder gehts wohl nicht!🤮

[@kartoffelfresser2347]

​@@-danRdann schau mal in den Spiegel, deine Eltern waren nicht besser !😅

[@gryfandjane]

Outstanding video! I first learned of the V-12 through photos taken at Monino, then did some searches and read about the aircraft. Thanks for the interior views especially. It appears to be very well-preserved. Thanks!

[@Sacto1654]

This helicopter was designed with really one purpose in mind: transport full-assembled ICBM's to launch silos far way from the Trans-Siberian Railroad in the eastern part of the USSR. However, they dropped the idea when the Soviets decided to instead develop mobile launchers for their ICBM's, especially with the RT-2PM _Topol_ missile. That freed up the Mil design bureau to develop the much more useful Mi-26 transport helicopter.

[@gusxomer5037]

i saw it when i went to monino...it was huge!! first thing you see when you go to the open field...

[@johnkern7075]

That is some helicopter!

[@denvan3143]

Years ago there was a commercial for an outfitter called itself “Hotelicopter”; supposedly a flying hotel. The CGI was based on the Mil V 12.

[@AviationNut]

I can't even imagine being the test pilot of this beast. I would be $h!t!ng bricks taking it up for the first time.

[@indridcold8433]

Conclusion: bigger is better! Size does matter! If you are putting around in a mosquito ultralite, do not expect to satisfy when you show that tiny collective handle. If you want to deliver a really huge load, you need an enormous, throbbing, massive Soviet helicopter. It will deliver the huge loads that will never fail to satisfy.

[@ddegn]

Wow! I had never heard of this aircraft. Thank you for telling us about it. Thank you for the awesome video.

[@SoloSailing77]

Considering the chances of going to see that in person are gone completely, I sure did appreciate the video!

[@Tallorian]

What do you mean, "gone completely"? Whoever wants can get the visa and travel here through other countries. Unless you're personally blacklisted of course.

[@robert506007]

I have have been to the Central Air Museum and that V-12 is incredible.

[@physetermacrocephalus2209]

I like that such a cool machine is so well preserved that kids can go inside and explore. They looked soo excited!

[@alun7006]

Fascinating stuff, and a wonderful machine from a time when design teams took risks. I have a request - would you be willing to cover the Yak-28 family? They're one of my favourite Soviet aircraft, yet information on them is quite hard to come by. A really interesting multi-purpose design.

[@Mutlap]

flew in the CH53 during the Vietnam conflict on MCAS Futenma Airbase 73-75 I extended for a second year, quite an impressive machine!

[@3laci]

The CH53 is a primitive, miniature, toy, compared to a Mi-6

[@ADPeguero]

Thank you for this Sky. Your content is always so relevant and full of information.

[@josephdestaubin7426]

My first question when looking at that beast is what are the metallurgical problems associated with the router?

[@SiVlog1989]

One of the first successful helicopters built also had its rotors fitted transversely, the German built Focke Achgelis FA-223, Dragon. One of these helicopters made history post WW2 in being the first helicopter to cross the English Channel, while being taken from Germany to the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England to study

[@Gottenhimfella]

Hard to see how the transverse layout makes any of the twin rotor problems go away with the sole exception of the length of the fuselage. However, the transverse disposition requires an entirely extra structure just to carry the rotors, and that structural addition is subject to similar load to the lengthened fuselage, hence the aircraft's structural weight almost doubles.

[@MattTee1975]

I love the ridiculous/creative things the Soviets came up with. They were analogous to like, real-life G.I. Joe toys.

[@UncleManuel]

"Customers who constantly change their mind." That was a very polite description of the Soviet leadership in particular and pretty much every military contract in general... 😁😁😜😜🤘🤘

[@ronaryel6445]

The German Focke-Achgelis Model 61 had a transverse arrangement and served very well in small numbers. Hundreds were planned for production but the Allies repeatedly bombed the factory. It first flew in 1936. The Bell tiltroter first flew in 1955.

[@ElectricUAM]

Wow, Sky, another great video on a VTOL monster many forgot by now. I'm part of the VFS and have seen some of its pictures, but a video does it more justice. I've always wondered about the downwash effect on landing and also on the wings, but I guess the flaps minimize the latter. Excellent find again!

[@johnyoung3870]

I am more fascinated with the people that flew the prototypes without any parachutes.

[@SolarMoth]

That's such a marvel!

[@rossplotkin3506]

Fascinating machine.

[@JohnDoe-cf8jz]

Good story, thank you.

[@kaushertop]

Must admit the designers of ussr were crazy as well as daring

[@RichieRouge206]

Superb video as always and what an amazing machine

[@PatrickRosenbalm]

Excellent video as always! And a shaft out of a gearbox to the rotor holds up everything below it.

[@germansnowman]

May I make a correction: Helicopters don’t have propellers but rotors. Also, the footage of the Chinook disintegrating is not from the rotors hitting each other but from a vibration test, IIRC.

[@XLA-zg1nn]

WOW. I didn't know they kept it!

[@McRocket]

Amazing aircraft. I knew of it. But had never seen inside one - until now. Thank you for this great video. ☮

[@krashd]

That is one big steaming pile of helicopter alright. I want one!

[@philipread8733]

great machine and great video. nice to see you back on youtube

[@terencedunn]

Thanks for another fantastic video Sky. Always look forward to your uploads.

[@michaelogden5958]

Quite a machine. Great video!

[@scottprendergast5262]

16:40 RALPH KRAMDEN WAS THE TEST PILOT! even has his bus driver uniform on!! and awaaay we gooo!

[@burntnougat5341]

Better video than Mustard's. Spaciba

[@bazzmcfury9550]

You make excellent content sir, well done. Information, not overly technical a real joy to watch.

[@tgsgardenmaintenance4627]

I've had the absolute privilege of visiting Monino! As an aviation enthusiast, growing up during the cold War, it was heaven!!! ❤️ To 🇷🇺, and thank you for your lovely hospitality!