MI-2 Hoplite
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MI-2 Hoplite |
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The MI-2 Hoplite provides transport and fire support. The MI-2 can conduct
reconnaissance, resupply guerrillas and provide close air support with 57mm
rockets. It can also have a smoke generator mounted to provide a wide area
smoke screen in front of units, screening their movements. Additional missions
include; direct air support, antitank, armed reconnaissance, transport, medevac,
airborne command post, minelaying, and training. Although the Mi-2 Hoplite was
developed by the Mil bureau in the former Soviet Union, the aircraft was produced
exclusively in Poland by the PZL Swidnik aircraft factory. Several thousand of these
aircraft were built and it remained in production until 1985. The three-blade main rotor is mounted on top of a large hump above the body midsection. Two turboshaft enginess are mounted side-by-side on top of cabin, forming a hump, with round air intakes above the cockpit and oval exhausts on the sides of the engines. The small, bus-like fuselage with fixed landing gear features a stepped-up cockpit and rounded nose, and a tadpole-shaped body when viewed from bottom. The tapered tail boom has small, unequally tapered flats and a thin, swept-back fin with a rotor on the right. The cabin door is hinged rather than sliding, which may limit operations. There is no armor protection for the cockpit or cabin. Ammo storage is in the aircraft cabin, so combat load varies by mission. Some Mi-2USs currently employ fuselage-mounted weapon racks rather than the 23-mm fuselage-mounted cannon which is removed. Some variants however, still employ the cannon. External stores are mounted on weapons racks on each side of the fuselage. Each rack has two hardpoints for a total of four stations. VARIANTS Mi-2R: Ambulance version that carries 4x litter patients Mi-2T: Transport version that carries 8 personnel. Mi-2URN: Armed reconnaissance variant, employs 57-mm unguided rockets, and mounts a gunsight in the cockpit for aiming all weapons. Mi-2URP: The antitank variant. Carries 4x AT-3 Sagger wire-guided missiles on external weapons racks, and 4x additional missiles in the cargo compartment. Mi-2US: The gunship variant, employs an airframe modification that mounted a 23-mm NS-23KM cannon to the portside fuselage. Also employs 2x 7.62-mm gun pods on external racks, and 2x 7.62-mm pintle-mounted machineguns in the cabin. PZL Swidnik: A Polish-produced variant under license from Russia. Same performance, characteristics, and missions. Specifications Country of Origin: Russia Builder: MIL / PZL Swidnik Date of Introduction: 1965 Role: Transport, cargo, reconnaissance, trainer, search and rescue, liaison, armed support Similar Aircraft: Hirundo A109, Mi-8 Hip Blades Main rotor: 3 Tail rotor: 2 Rotor diameter: 47 ft, 6 in (14.6 m) Length rotors turning: 17.4 m / 57 ft fuselage: 11.9 m Height: 3.7 m Weight: Maximum Gross: 3,700 kg Normal: Takeoff: 3,550 kg Empty: 2,372 kg Engines: 2x 400-shp PZL GTD-350 (series III and IV) turboshaft Maximum speed: 220 km/h Cruising speed: 194 km/h Fuel Internal: 600 liters Internal Aux Tank: N/A External Fuel Tank: 238 liters ea. Range Maximum Load: 580 km Normal Load: 340 km With Aux Fuel: 790 km Ceiling Service: 4,000 meters Hover (out of ground effect): 1,000 meters Hover (in ground effect): 2,000 meters Vertical Climb Rate: 4.5 m/s Standard Payload: Transports 6-8 troops or 700 kg internal cargo or 800 kg external load on 4x external hardpoints. Armament: 23-mm Automatic Cannon, NS-23KM Range: (practical) 2,500 m Elevation/Traverse: None (rigidly-mounted) Ammo type: HEFI, HEI, APT, APE, CC Rate of Fire (rpm): (practical) 550 Armament: 7.62-mm or Pintle-mounted Machinegun (may be mounted in left-side cabin door) Range: (practical) 1,000 m Ammo type: HEFI, HEI, APT, APE, CC Rate of Fire (rpm): (practical) 250 OR 12.7-mm or Pintle-mounted Machinegun (may be mounted in left-side cabin door) Range: (practical) 1,500 m Ammo type: API, API-T, IT, HEI Rate of Fire (rpm): (practical) 100 1 - 23-mm automatic cannon 1 - 7.62-mm or 12.7-mm MG 4 - AT-3c/SAGGER ATGM 4 - SA-7b/GRAIL missile 2 - 57-mm Rocket pods (16 each) Twin or single fixed 7.62-mm or 12.7-mm MG AVIONICS The cannon is pilot sighted, and fire is adjusted by controlling the attitude of the aircraft. The Mi-2 is primarily a daylight only aircraft. Survivability: Main and tail rotor blades electrically deiced. Crew: 1 (pilot) User Countries: Azerbaijan, Burma, Bulgaria, CIS, Cuba, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Libya, Nicaragua, Poland, Slovakia, Syria, Ukraine |
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© 2001 The RotorHead |
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Last change: 4/9/2007 |