German Army Aviation Sikorsky CH-53G is seen picking up its external load at
former East-German Air Force base Neuhardenberg / Germany.
A large force of helicopters flew sandbags to
endangered dike areas on the Odra river bank and provided liason and support
services during the floods in 1997.
The Mil Mi-26 is the largest operational helicopter in the world. It has a
rotordiameter of 32 metres and can carry 20 tons of cargo externally or internally.
Its size shows as two people are lending scale to the Russian heavyweight.
The biggest advantage of the Helicopter is its minimal requirement for landing
space. The ground floor area merely has to be a little larger than the helicopters size
and even soft ground is not a problem. This makes the helicopter ideal for military
operations to dispatch troops to or extract from isolated locations, as this CH-46
of the United States Marine Corps demonstrates.
The second of the famous Russian helicopter design houses is Kamov. Most designs
were naval helicopters and its coaxial rotors were a typical feature of its developer.
Therefore the anti-torque tail rotor and long moment arm are not necessary and improve
lift efficency. The Ka-32T can uplift 4 tonnes of cargo, but is here seen during a
winch rescue operation.
The Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk was the replacement for the Bell UH-1, the ubiquitos
Vietnam veteran. The SH-60B Naval variant of HSL-46 squadron is used for ship-borne
operation and is here seen aboard the DD-980 US-Navy vessel from Mayport/FLA USA.
For operations over water areas to small islands and coastal regions helicopters
normally carry emergency buoancy equipment. The Mi-14 PS helicopter of
Konvers Avia is a modified disused naval helicopter adapted for the civil passenger
role.