The Mi-17 retains the codename 'Hip-H', denoting its derivation from the Mi-8 design. First identified in 1980-81, the Mi-17 is virtually a revision of the Mi-8 design using a combination of the 'Hip' airframe but with the port-side tail rotor, and fitted with the more powerful powerplants of the Mi-14. These result in an overall improvement in performance, particularly the hovering ceiling. The type remains in current production for both civil and military use as a cargo-carrying helicopter, with secondary capability as a passenger transport capable of carrying up to 24 passengers, or 12 stretcher cases when used as an ambulace. The first export examples were delivered to Cuba in 1983, and Mi-17s are now in service in Angola, Hungary, India, North Korea, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Peru and Poland, as well as the CIS.

D.Donald "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft", 1997

Prototype, initially known as Mi-18, completed 1975 with basic Mi-8 airframe and power plant and dynamics of Mi-14. Entered service with former Soviet forces in 1977 as Mi-8MT. First displayed at 1981 Paris Air Show; successor to Mi-8 for civil use and export; exports began (to Cuba) 1983. Mi-17M/V and Mi-172 production continues at Kazan and Mi-171 at Ulan-Ude plants, from where they are marketed.

VERSIONS

Mi-17 ('Hip-H'): Mid-life update of Mi-8 with more powerful turboshafts, giving overall performance improvement, particularly hover ceiling. All versions in RFAS military service retain Mi-8 designation. Detailed description refers to basic Mi-17, except where indicated.

Mi-17KF: Latest derivative of Mi-17 jointly developed by Kazan and Mil, with systems integration provided by Kelowna Flightcraft (Canada). First flown 3 August 1997. Certified to FAR Pt 29 for full IFR operation.

Mi-17LL: (laboratoriya: laboratory) Flying testbed.

Mi-17MD: Prototype converted from Mi-8MTV (RA70937); displayed at 1995 Paris Air Show; with rear loading via a short ramp and two clamshell doors; further modified with large single-piece rear loading ramp and other changes. Given dual designation Mi-17MD/Mi-8MTV-5 when equipped with IR jammer and flight deck armour. Also known as Mi-17N (Noch: Night). First delivered to South Korean Police.

Mi-17P (Mi-8 MTPB) ('Hip-K derivative'): ECM communications jammer; two observed in Hungarian service in 1990; antenna array much more advanced than that of Mi-8 ('Hip-K'); large 32-element array, resembling vertically segmented panel, aft of main landing gear each side; four-element array to rear on tailboom each side; large radome each side of cabin, below jet nozzle; triangular container in place of rear cabin window each side; six heat exchangers under front fuselage.

Mi-17PI: As Mi-17P but single D-band jamming system able to jam up to eight sources simultaneously over 30° sector.

Mi-17PG: As Mi-17P but with H/I-band system for jamming pulse/CW and CW interrupted equipment.

Mi-17-1V: Export version of Mi-8MTV ('Hip-H') (Visotnyi: high altitude); TV3-117VM turboshafts for improved 'hot and high' performance, built by Kazan Helicopter Plant; optional armament, nose radar, flotation gear and firefighting equipment. Civil version designated Mi-8MTV-1, military Mi-8MTV-2; civil export version Mi-8MTV-GA (Grazhdanska Aviatsia).

Mi-17-5V: Current Kazan-built production model with port side door enlarged from 0.83m to 1.25m; new 0.83m wide starboard sliding door; rear flat ramp with single hydraulic cylinder drive installed on helicopter floor and capable of being lowered to horizontal position in flight, permitting disembarkment of up to 36 troops in 15 seconds. Series production started in 1999. Military equivalent designated Mi-8MTV-5.

Mi-171 ('Hip-H'): First displayed 1989 Paris Air Show; more powerful TV3-117VM turboshafts, each 1,545kW; improved rates of climb and hover ceilings; other weights and performance generally unchanged. Export version of Mi-8AMT.

Mi-171AG: Proposed long-range version with TV3-117SB3 turboshaft engines and improved main rotor blades; range up to 1,500km.

Mi-171Sh: Export version of Mi-8AMT built at Ulan-Ude.

Mi-17-1VA: Version produced for Ministry of Health of former Soviet Union as flying hospital equipped to highest practicable standards for relatively small helicopter; interior, with equipment developed in Hungary, had provision for three stretchers, operating table, extensive surgical and medical equipment, accommodation for doctor/surgeon and three nursing attendants.

Mi-172 (Mi-8MTV-3): As Mi-17M/17V, also from Kazan, but with equipment changes and planned for certification to FAR Pt 29 standards; TV3-117VM Srs 2 engines, giving maximum cruising speed of 218km/h and service ceiling of 6,000m; air conditioning and heating systems, main and tail rotor blade de-icing, canopy demisting and heating of engine air intakes standard; options include flotation gear, Doppler, weather radar, DME, GPS, VOR, ILS, transponder and VIP interiors for seven, nine and 11 passengers. Standard seating for up to 26 passengers. First exhibited at 1994 Singapore Air Show. Seven ordered by Mesco, India, Spring 1995.

Mi-17Z-II: Converted from 'Hip-H' in former Czechoslovakia for electronic warfare role; first seen in Czech Air Force service at Dobrany-Line airbase, near Plzen, 1991; each of two examples had a tandem pair of large cylindrical containers mounted each side of cabin; assumed that containers made of dielectric material and contain receivers to locate and analyse hostile electronic emissions; each of two operators' stations in main cabin has large screens, computer-type keyboards and oscilloscope; several blade antennae project from tailboom.

Mi-19: Generally similar to Mi-9; command relay platform variant of Mi-8MT (Mi-17).

Mi-8AMTSh: Counterpart of Mi-8MTV series built at Ulan-Ude; combat and troop-carrying version with thimble radome on nose and chin-mounted electro-optics pod. Armament includes Igla-V AAM or Shturm-V ASM missile systems, B8V20 rocket pods and GSh-23 gun.

Mi-8AMT: Designation for unarmed version of Mi-8MT used by RFAS, but also applied to some civil (perhaps ex-military) examples.

Mi-8MT ('Hip-H'): Designation of standard Mi-17s in RFAS military service. Twin or triple stores racks, but normal armament is 40 x 80mm S-8 rockets in two BV-8-20A packs. Afghan experience led to adoption of nose armour, IR jammer, IR suppressors and provision for door-mounted PKT machine gun (rear starboard) and AGS-17 Plamya grenade launcher or NSV 12.7mm Utyos heavy machine gun (forward port cabin door).

Mi-8MT EW variants: More than 30 EW versions of the Mi-8MT serve with RFAS armed forces, under the designations Mi-8MTSh, Mi-8MTPSh, Mi-8MTU, Mi-8MTA, Mi-8MTP, Mi-8MTPB, Mi-8MTR, Mi-8MTI, Mi-8MTPI and Mi-8MTTs.

Mi-8MTPB (or Mi-17P, Mi-17PP) ('Hip-H EW'): ECM (radar and communications jammer) and comint helicopter, with three jamming systems in D/F band range over 30° sector and other frequencies over 120°. Operating time 4 hours. Antenna array more advanced than that of Mi-8PPA ('Hip-K'); large 32-element array, resembling vertically segmented panel, aft of main landing gear each side; four-element array to rear on tailboom each side; large radome each side of cabin, below jet nozzle; triangular container in place of rear cabin window each side; six heat exchangers under front fuselage. (Mi-17P designation used also for civil export versions.) Similar versions include Mi-8MTI (Mi-17 with small horizontal array on forward part of boom and larger box-like radome on cabin side); Mi-8MTTs2 and Mi-8MTTs3 with non-rectangular ('teardrop') radome on cabin sides and less regularly shaped arrays on sides of rear cabin.

Mi-8MTV ('Hip-H'): (V=visotnyi: high altitude); TV3-117VM turboshaft for improved 'hot and high' operation. Civil version built at Kazan is Mi-8MTV-1; Russian presidential aircraft with new Abvis navigation system is designated Mi-8MTV-1S; missile-armed, radar-equipped military version with six-hardpoint stub-wing is Mi-8MTV-2; export equivalent is Mi-17-1V, with optional armament, nose radar, flotation gear and firefighting equipment. Mi-8MTV-5 is military version with one-piece rear loading ramp: Ulan-Ude equivalent to Kazan Mi-17MD.
Long-range modification: AEFT (Auxiliary External Fuel Tanks) system by Aeroton adds a further 1,900 litres in two internal tanks, plus 2,850 litres in six tanks on the stores pylons of Mi-8MT, -AMT, -MTV-1, civil MTV and Mi-17 variants. Operational range with all eight auxiliary tanks is 1,300km; ferry range 1,850km.

CUSTOMERS: More than 810 exported by Aviaexport.

DESIGN FEATURES: Distinguished from basic Mi-8 by port-side tail rotor; shorter engine nacelles, with air intakes extending forward only to mid-point of door on port side at front of cabin; small orifice each side forward of jetpipe; correct rotor speed maintained automatically by system that also synchronises output of the two engines. For operation in 'hot and high' conditions, Kazan commercial versions can be supplied with TV3-117MT engines and tail rotor with wider-chord blades.

POWER PLANT: (basic Mi-17): Two 1,434kW (1,923 shp) Klimov TV3-117MT turboshafts; should one engine stop, output of the other increases automatically to contingency rating of 1,637kW (2,195 shp), enabling flight to continue; APU for pneumatic engine starting; deflectors on engine air intakes prevent ingestion of sand, dust and foreign objects. Fuel as Mi-8T.

ACCOMMODATION: Configuration and payloads generally as Mi-8 but six additional centreline seats optional. Military Mi-17-1V carries up to 30 troops or 20 wounded troops in ambulance configuration. Civilian Mi-17 promoted as essentially a cargo-carrying helicopter, with secondary passenger transport role.

SYSTEMS: (Mi-17V/171): AI-9V APU for pneumatic engine starting; AC electrical supply from two 40kW three-phase 115/220V 400Hz GT40/P-48V generators.

AVIONICS: (Mi-17V/171): Comms: Baklan-20 and Yadro-1G1 com radio. Radar: Type 8A-813 weather radar.
Flight: Type A-723 long-range nav.
Instrumentation: ARK-15M radio compass, ARK-UD radio compass, DISS-32-90 Doppler; AGK-77 and AGR-74V automatic horizons; BKK-18 attitude monitor; ZPU-24 course selector; A-037 radio altimeter.
Self-defence (optional): ASO-2 chaff/flare dispenser under tailboom and IR jammer (NATO 'Hot Brick') at forward end of tailboom.

EQUIPMENT: Options as for Mi-8, plus, on military versions, external cockpit armour; engine nozzle IR suppressors and a VMR-2 fit for air-dropping.

ARMAMENT: Options as for Mi-8, plus 23mm GSh-23 gun packs. AAMs and newer ASMs on Mi-8AMTSh.

Jane's Helicopter Markets and Systems

- Revealed to the world at the 1981 Paris air show, the Mi-17 is known by the Russian military as the Mi-8M.

- A new rotor hub of titanium alloy was developed for the Mi-17.

- Export customers and Russian civilian operators use the Mi-17 designation.

- Individual factories continue to develop new Mi-17 variants, like the Mi-171 produced by the Ulan Ude factory.

- The Mi-17-1BA variant serves as a flying operating theatre.

- Some Mi-17s may carry a nose-mounted 20mm cannon.