Reference
Mil Mi-8
The general-purpose cargo helicopter. Payload, cargo hold, door size and typical role below.
- Maximum payload
- 4,000 kg
- Cargo volume
- 23 m³
- Cargo hold (L × W × H)
- 5.34 × 2.30 × 1.80 m
- Cargo door
- 2.34 × 1.82 m
About the Mil Mi-8
One of the most widely built helicopters ever made, and a standard workhorse for moving crews and supplies where there is no airstrip.
Four tonnes goes either in the cabin through the rear clamshell doors or underneath on a sling. It supports survey, construction, pipeline and utility work far more often than it flies pure freight.
What it carries
How it is built
- A cargo cabin with rear clamshell doors or a ramp, plus an external sling hook under the fuselage for loads that will not fit inside.
- A floor with tie-down rings rated for the cabin payload, and on the heavy types an internal winch.
- No requirement for a runway: the load is delivered to a prepared spot, a pad or a bare clearing.
Why it is used
- Delivers to sites with no airstrip at all, which is the entire reason for using one.
- Sling loading carries pieces that are too large for any cabin, placed precisely onto a foundation or structure.
- Routinely used for power-line construction, drilling support, mountain and offshore work, and disaster relief.
What to check before booking
- Payload and range are small against any fixed-wing freighter, and both fall sharply with altitude and temperature.
- Operating cost per tonne-kilometre is the highest in air cargo.
- Weather limits are tighter, and sling operations need clear ground and trained crews at both ends.
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