The Story Of The Soviet Union’s Monster Mi-6 Helicopter Airliner
The Soviet-era Mil Mi-6 Hook was a colossal helicopter. It was the largest production rotary-wing craft until its successor, the Mi-26, came into existence. Clocking in with a greater overall length than the C-130 Hercules transport, the Mi-6 was used for all manner of military and civil aviation applications within the USSR. However, a little-known commercial variant was developed in the mid-1960s to help usher in a new rotary-wing era for Soviet air travel.
That aircraft, the Mil Mi-6P (passazhirskyi, meaning passenger) seen in the feature image above, never made it to full-scale production — the precise reasons for which are unclear. Only one Mi-6P demonstrator, registered as CCCP-58647, c/n 6682905V, was ever built. However, imagery from the time period shows that, if the monster passenger-carrying Mi-6 variant had been mass-produced, it would have offered a flying experience like no other.
Created from a stock Mi-6, CCCP-58647 measured roughly 109 feet long and over 32 feet high. This particular Mi-6 featured relatively large stub wings mounted on the upper-mid fuselage area, which were used to create lift and unload the rotor, improving overall performance and efficiency substantially during the cruise phase of flight. These wings were not specific to this sub-variant, but they made especially good sense for commercial passanger applications.
