Ever since Igor Sikorsky invented the first helicopter, helicopter manufacturers have strived to make helicopters larger than their predecessor. This begs the question, which are the largest helicopters in the world?
15. NHIndustries NH90
Not only is the NH90 one of the fastest helicopters on the planet, but it is also one of the largest helicopters on the planet! In fact, it is due to the NH90 being so big that it was forced to become one of the fastest.
As with most other helicopters in this article- the NH90 is a utility helicopter, often serving as a cargo or troop transport helicopter, thus having the need for the NH90 to be quite big.
NHIndustries (a joint venture between Europe’s largest helicopter manufacturers) designed the NH90 to be the premier cargo helicopter for Europe’s militaries, serving in support roles for the Chinook.
The result is a helicopter that is 27 m (88 ft 7 in) long, 4.62 m (15 ft 2 in) wide and 5.2m (17 ft 7 in) high. The NH90 can carry around 20 troops (seated) or roughly 4,200 kg (9,259 lbs) in cargo (slung).
14. Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe
The Tarhe became famous in Vietnam for carrying tanks, other helicopters and military supplies to the front lines. It even became a bomber during the war, dropping parachute bombs on North Vietnamese forces.
Despite not being in military service anymore (last retired in the 1980’s), the Tarhe is nevertheless one of the largest helicopters in the world. The civilian variant of the Tarhe- the S-64 Skycrane, is still in service.
Sikorsky designed the Tarhe with the express purpose of transporting large objects, such as tanks and other helicopters, hundreds of miles. As such, the Tarhe was given a small cockpit and an extended fuselage.
The result was a helicopter that could carrying no troops, but 9,100 kg (20,000 lbs) of cargo. The most commonly transported item was the M551 Sheridan tank (the most widely used tank of Vietnam).
13. Mil Mi-10
The Soviets too tried their hand at a skycrane. However, their design was much different, and could serve as both a cargo helicopter and troop transport at the same time without sacrificing much!
Similarly to the CH-54, the Mi-10 often transported tanks to and from Soviet Air Force bases. However, other helicopters and even command modules (as pictured above) were also transported from time to time.
The Mi-10 was 32.86 m (107 ft 10 in) long, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide and 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) high. The Mi-10 can transport 28 passengers or 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) internally and 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) externally.
Surprisingly, many Mi-10s became helicopter transports for Aeroflot once the Soviet Air Force was done with them. In fact, a few are still in service with Russian airline UTair today!
12. Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon
The SA 321 Super Frelon is the world’s most common naval helicopter, serving in 10 different militaries around the world. This is mostly due tot he Super Frelon being one of the largest helicopters in the world.
As with most other helicopters in this article, the SA 321 has become a troop transport helicopter, often deploying marine-trained soldiers to and from aircraft carriers. Thanks to its size, the SA 321 has been manufactured under license in China too.
Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) designed the SA 321 to be 19.40 m (63 ft 8 in) long, 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) wide and 6.66 m (21 ft 10 in) high. these dimensions allow the SA 321 to carry 23 passengers or 15 stretchers.
Although originally solely meant for military use from aircraft carriers, in recent years, the SA 321 has become a favorite of helicopter taxi services too.
11. Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is perhaps the most famous Russian helicopter of the Soviet era. Mikhail Mil, the founder of Mil Helicopters, himself helped work on the Mi-8. Since its introduction in 1967, it has become one of the most produced helicopters in the world.
To date, the Mi-8 is the third most common military helicopter in service with over 80 different countries. The Mi-8 has similarly become a favorite of helicopter cargo airlines as well as militaries.
This is because of the sheer size of the Mi-8, which Mikhail Mil himself insisted on. When it was introduced with the Soviet Air Force in 1967, it was the largest helicopter not produced in the United States, currently in service.
Mil designed the Mi-8 to be 18.4 m (60 ft 4 in) long, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide and 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) high. This allows the Mi-8 to carry 24 passengers (excluding crew) or 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of cargo internally.
10. AugustaWestland AW101 Merlin
Before Agusta and Westland merged, they did a joint venture to create a medium-lift helicopter that would be one of the largest helicopters in the world. The result was the EH101 (designated AW101 after the merger), marketed under the name Merlin.
Agusta and Westland, eventually AgustaWestland, mainly marketed the Merlin towards militaries as a cargo and transport helicopter. However, in recent years, they have also marketed it as a VIP helicopter.
This is mostly due to the Merlin’s size. The Merlin is 19.53 m (64 ft 1 in) long, 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) wide and 6.62 m (21 ft 9 in), making it one of the largest non-US made helicopters on the market today.
This size allows the Merlin to carry 26 troops (or 38 passengers or 12 VVIP passengers) or 3,050 kg (6,724 lb) of cargo internally and 5,520 kg (12,169 lb) of cargo externally.
9. Changhe Z-18
The Changhe Z-18 is a variant of the Avicopter AC313, itself a variant of the Harbin Z-8, which is a variant of the aforementioned SA 321 Super Frelon. Similarly to the Super Frelon, the Z-18 is one of the largest helicopters in the world.
Changhe made alterations to the AC313 design and first flew the prototype that would become the Z-18 in 2014. The Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) introduced the Z-18 with the People’s Liberation Army in 2018.
Whilst in service with the Chinese Air Force, the Z-18 has been a utility helicopter, serving in many different roles. Often, the People’s Liberation Army uses the Z-18 for cargo and troop transportation.
The Z-18 has a length of 23.05 m (75 ft 7 in), with a width of 6.66 m (21 ft 10 in) with a height of 7 m (23 ft 0 in). Changhe designed the Z-18 to carry 6,800 kg (15,000 lbs) of cargo or 27 passengers.
8. Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal
Derived from the civilian Eurocopter AS532 Cougar, the H225M (originally the Eurocopter EC725) has become a favorite of militaries around the word, looking for a long rang, armed transport helicopter.
Airbus (Eurocopter) made several adjustments to the AS532, mostly extending the range and increasing the speed of the H225M through the introduction of new engines.
The H225M first flew on November 27 2000. Since its introduction in 2005, the H225M has become quite popular- serving in the militaries of 10 different countries in 14 military branches.
Eurocopter designed the H225M to be 19.5 m (64 ft) long, 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) wide and 4.6 m (15 ft 1 in) high. These dimensions allow the H225M to carry 28 troops or 5,670 kg (12,500 lb) of cargo.
7. Mil Mi-38
Unlike most other helicopter in this article, the Mi-38 was originally marketed to the civil aviation market before being offered to the military aviation market. The Mi-38 is designed to replace the aforementioned Mi-8 as well as the Mi-17.
The Mi-38 also happens to be one of the newest helicopters in this article as well. Mil also hopes that the Mi-38 may persuade many operators of the AW101 to buy the Mi-38 although that is unlikely.
Mil designed the Mi-38 to be one of the largest helicopters in the world, operating in both cargo and troop transport roles. As such, Mil designed the Mi-38 to be 19.95 m (65 ft 5 in) long, 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) wide and 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) high.
Thanks to these dimensions, the Mi-38 can carry 30 troops or 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) internally and 6,000 kg (13,250 lb) externally, making it larger than the Mi-17 and the Mi-8.
6. Kamov Ka-22
The post-WWII era, and the beginning of the Cold War saw many engineers create some very crazy aircraft designs. The Ka-22 was no exception. It was the first aircraft to takeoff like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane.
Unlike its British equivalent, the Fairey Rotodyne, the Ka-22 did actually see some usage. Originally, it was meant as military heavy cargo helicopter, competing with the likes of the Mi-6, who eventually won the contract.
Similarly to the Mi-6, the Ka-22 was one of the largest helicopters ever manufactured- even if it didn’t enter widespread use as originally hoped. In fact, part of the reason the Ka-22 was due to it being too big to safely handle!
The Ka-22 was 27 m (88 ft 7 in) long, 23 m (75 ft 6 in) wide and 11 m (35 ft 1 in) high, coupled with one of the best ranges and cruising speed for any aircraft, making it perfect for cargo use. There are no surviving Ka-22s to date.
5. Boeing Bell V-22 Osprey
Despite the V-22 being one of the most dangerous military aircraft, it is still one of the most used military cargo aircraft. Inspired by designs like the Ka-22, Bell made an aircraft that could takeoff like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane.
This naturally has many military applications, similarly to how the Harrier and Ka-22 were used (or were planned to be used) by militaries around the world, namely: cargo and troop transport.
As such, when Bell, and later Boeing alongside them were designing the V-22, they designed it with large dimensions. The V-22 is 57 ft 4 in (17.48 m) long, 84 ft 6.8 in (25.776 m) wide and 17 ft 7.8 in (5 m) high.
Thanks to these dimensions, The V-22 can carry 24-32 troops (depending on the layout of the V-22) or 9,070 kg (20,000 lbs) of cargo, making it one of the most versatile helicopters on the planet.
4. Boeing CH-47 Chinook
When it comes to the largest helicopters, many people tend to think of the Chinook. After all, the Chinook does so happen to be one of the most widely used helicopters, used by dozens of militaries and civilian cargo airlines alike.
The Chinook is perhaps the most famous tandem rotor helicopter, followed closely by the CH-46 derivative and Yak 24. Its fame is well deserved, as the Chinook has been used in multiple conflicts, having been produced for over 50 years!
Most commonly, the Chinook is used as either a cargo or transport helicopter. As such, Boeing (originally Vertol) designed the Chinook to be 52 ft (16 m) long, 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m) wide and 18 ft 11 in (5.77 m), making it the second longest helicopter to be produced
Thanks to its length, the Chinook can carry between 33 and 55 troops (depending on the variant and the amount of armor each troop is carrying) or roughly 11,000 kg (24,000 lbs) of cargo.
3. Sikorksy CH-53 King Stallion
Similarly to the Chinook, when it comes to the largest helicopters in the world, people tend to think of the King Stallion as well. This is for the same reason as the Chinook as well- many militaries around the world use the CH-53.
Just as with the Chinook, the CH-53 has a reputation for being one of the best cargo helicopters. Where the Chinook has become famous for being a transport helicopter, the CH-53 has become a famous cargo helicopter.
However, the CH-53 has mostly stayed in military use, unlike the Chinook that is used in both military and commercial fleets. Only recently has a CH-53 been used in commercial service, with two being delivered in October 2004.
Sikorsky designed the CH-53 to serve this role well. As such, they designed the CH-53 to be 88 ft 6 in (26.97 m) long, 15 ft 6 in (4.7 m) wide and 24 ft 11 in (7.6 m) high with the ability to carry 38-55 troops or 15,900 kg (35,000 lb) of cargo
2. Mil Mi-26
When it comes to the largest helicopters in the world, the Mil Mi-26 is often cited as being the largest. The Mi-26 is used in a similar operations to the aforementioned CH-53s and CH-47s, just for the Russians instead of the West.
The Mi-26 was designed to be Russia and her allies’ premier heavy lift cargo helicopter. However, just like the CH-53 and the Chinook, many retired Mil Mi-26s have become favorites of western cargo helicopter airlines.
Due to the Mi-26’s intended role, Mil designed the Mi-26 to be both tall, long and wide. As such, the Mi-26 is 40.025 m (131 ft 4 in) long, 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in) wide and 8.145 m (26 ft 9 in) high, making it the largest (and most powerful) helicopter to ever enter into widespread service.
Thanks to its dimensions, the Mi-26 is able to carry a lot of cargo. In fact, the Mi-26 is able to carry 90 troops or around 20,000 kg (44,090 lbs) of cargo at a fairly high speed and with one of the best ranges on any helicopter!
1. Mil V-12
The Mil V-12 was a prototype heavy lift helicopter. It would’ve entered service as the Mil Mi-12, however was cancelled before it could enter mass production, despite this, it is the largest helicopter ever built.
In many ways, the Mil V-12 has one of the strangest aircraft designs– it looks both like a helicopter and like an airplane. The V-12 first flew in July 1968, and looked set to replace the Mi-6 however, was cancelled because the Soviet Air Force was no longer interested in it.
Due to its intended role, the Mil V-12 was designed to be both tall, long and wide. The V-12 was 37 m (121 ft 5 in) long, 12.5 m (41 ft 0 in) high and with a wingspan of 67 m (219 ft 10 in), making it the largest helicopter in terms of size.
If the V-12 had entered service, it would’ve been able to transport 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) of cargo or 196 passengers. There were also plans for the Mi-12 to be turned into a passenger helicopter for Aeroflot, but these too did not come to fruition.
Which is your favorite of all the world’s largest helicopters? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of the US Pacific Fleet.