Why is there hate for the Mi-8 / Mi-17 Helicopter?

he Mil Mi-8 (Russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. It is now produced by Russia.In addition to its most common role as a transport helicopter, the Mi-8 is also used as an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform.

Along with the related, more powerful Mil Mi-17, the Mi-8 is among the world's most-produced helicopters, used by over 50 countries. As of 2015, when combined the two helicopters are the third most common operational military aircraft in the world.

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[Crimsonking]

Personally, I’ve always thought this helicopter is awesome. It’s the workhouse transport helicopter for countless miltitaries, and it is mighty fine at its job. Nothing but respect for this machine. This vehicle wasn’t designed to be able to just shrug off MANPADs like its nothing, that’s not what it’s designed for. To claim this as an disadvantage would be completely ignoring its purpose: to act as a vehicle to carry whatever the hell you need it to. And for that job, it’s damn good at what it does.

[dannyzero]

The Mi-8/Mi-17 is exactly the kind of helicopter that comes to my mind when you tell me the 2 words "utility helicopter" due to its shape and role

[SteelbeastsCavalry]

That helo can operate in serious arctic conditions. Way advanced for it's time. Thanks for covering it!

[kwharrison]

Surprised you didn’t mention that during the war in Afghanistan, Canada and other western countries leased Mi-17s. While most were leased civilian aircraft, at least four were given RCAF markings and designated CH-178 in Canadian service. They handled the altitudes in Afghanistan far better than the Griffon, and served as a stopgap as Canada didn’t initially have enough Chinook’s to fulfill Canada’s helicopter transport needs.

[chrisbostwick]

Living and working in Russia in the mid-2000's, I've flown in the MI-8 many times. Never had an issue. My Russian co-workers used to say the MI-8 was "A million parts flying in unison".

[AviTheWolf]

I never expected this beautiful bird to be anything but loved. Surprised there's hate for it.

[TheCloudhopper]

She might not be the most modern and flashy helicopter and probably won't win a beauty award. But she is called "The mighty 8" for a whole range of reasons. It is one of the most versatile helicopters ever produced, a piece of engineering artwork.

[stephenwhittle]

No matter how many times the Russians try to replace it the Mil Mi-8/17 just keeps getting better and better. Either through upgrades or new builds this helicopters ruggedness and simplicity ( in a very good way ) just shines through. If it ain't broke why fix it.

[nonamesplease]

I live in the States. Someone near by owns one of these. It's in civilian colors and it flies over from time to time. Seeing it fly over is an experience because it looks and sounds so much different from the civil and military choppers that usually fly over. It's really pretty cool.

[anthonyinzerillo]

Because it's Russian. That's enough for many people (especially Western).

[kevinstrade]

They hate it because it's not ours. I've been defending Soviet/ Russian equipment for decades. I get sick of the "junk" comments! People who have not studied Soviet wweapon and manufacturing doctrine will never understand. The Soviet military learned hard lessons of modern mechanized warfare during WW2. They learned the hard lessons to not have your defense industry within range or vulnerable to an enemy attack or capture. Being landlocked with Europe, there are no oceans or fast distances from threats to the motherland. An attack along the front would give little time to react let alone move industry. The Soviet Union had to literal pack up factories and industry and head Eastward, this obviously lead to shortages, poor contruction and standards or equipment and military gear. How do you avoid such a disaster in future conflicts??? Simple, you manufacture and stockpile your supplies, hardware and equipment doctrine required everything to be easy to manufacture and stockpile, this lead to simpler designs that often gets dogged by western analysts. This doctrine held up when the atomic age, especially. Cities and factories wiped out in minutes. Even if so, the Soviets would have had vast amounts of supplies and hardware to continue fighting in a nuclear environment. It's a very very wise doctrine as the world has become much smaller in the last 100 years with long distance travel a reality. The very fact that such designs are still flying and still reliable tells you how robust of a design it is. If it was junk, it would have been replaced long ago. Simple and reliable enough were design doctrines of the Soviet Union. They could make good quality hardware when they needed to and did far more often than we give them credit.

[kenneththynes]

The CIA has used them prolifically, from the very first insert into Afghanistan to the end, and during Iraq. I believe the DEA used them for poppy field eradication missions. They're dirt simple, cheap to maintain, pretty versatile. The crews and passengers tend to love them.

[greycorbie]

I've worked for 25 years on the Mi-8 and I liked it very well. As you said, it is very rugged, very reliable. It is not the fastest one nor the most comfortable helicopter. But it's quite easy to fly and it worked under any conditions, in harsh winter as in desert summertime. The Mi-8 has a huge hold and an underbelly load hook, in short: a real workhorse for many purposes, meanwhile for over half a century! 👍

[randomcoyote]

The Russians really knocked it out of the park with this design; rugged and simple (as much as a helicopter can be "simple"), and there's no real direct analogue for its weight class in the US. Bigger than the Huey or the 'Hawk, yet much smaller than the CH-53, it's big enough to get the job done but small enough to be practical. An admirable bird.

[gophtheengine]

As an aerospace engineering student I have much respect ofr this aircraft, since it is the workhorse of the armed forces of my country, Peru. I have an anecdote of my colleagues telling me that when they were sent to do maintenance while doing practice, there was a russian technician working alongisde them and they always told that the russian will sho you away kinda like this: first he will ask you to pass some wrench in a suitcase and you go for it. Once you are looking for the wrench, the russian inmediately scarmbles for nuts, bolts and a hammer and 1 or two kicks with the hammer and the bolts will be in place by the time you came back.

[eeeeeeeeee-nl]

I have to say it's hard to imagine how massive this helicopter is. My country uses them, and I live in an area that the military uses for practice flights, so I've witnessed the Mi-24 attack variant, NATO reporting name "Hind", flying very low above my house. When fully armed, with a main rotor diameter of 17.3 meters, this thing is an absolute beast, and it's very hard to stay indifferent.

[mattbeebe]

the only problem with these birds is not technical but political. people hate it because its a soviet/russian vehicle, so it carries that stigma

[UkraineWarAwareness]

I think the most important version you left out is the Russian Mi-8AMTSh version.
This version was used during the initial Gostomel Airport capture and we got to see both its interior and exterior.
It has a female voice early MANPAD warning system (forgot its name) including the direction an attack is coming from. Allegedly it also has KRET jamming systems, and it has heat sinks on the sides of its exhausts as standard issue instead of being a separate add-on.

[markpengell]

I worked on these in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. The rear clamshell doors were a pain. In regards to working on it only the sea king was smoother and quieter. That little tweet tweet that comes of the rotors was always nice to hear. The one in Sierra Leone was named Winston Churchill the spirit of London. I miss the old cab, she looked after me and my patients very well.

[hmong_keeb_kwm]

People don't hate the Mi8-Mi17 people just hate that it's from Russia.

But if the Mi8-Mi17 was made by the U.S.A while the Black Hawk was made by Russia these same people would all of a sudden would hate the black hawk.

These people hatred is pretty straight forward and it has noting to do with the Mi8-Mi17 at all.