Halinski Mi-24D Hind

[Don Boose]

I'm sure many of you will remember the photos of the Hungarian Air Force Hind painted to look like an eagle.

For a while, there was a rumor that it was being flown by the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, but in fact, it had been painted for participation in an air show.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/eaglecopter.asp

Don B.

[Zathros]

I worked at Sikorsky for 9 years and made many rotor head components for the UH60 Blackhawk and CH53 Super Stallion and SeaKing helicopters. The rotor design of the Hinds are inferior to Sikorsky and other non-American designs. They surely are robust but the reason you do not see the same types of offsets in other large (or small) helicopters is that the rotor head compensates for the gyroscopic precession and advancing and retreating blade differences better. The semi-rigid MBB BO-105 helicopters have none of this and are incredible performing aircraft. The CH53 E with it's elastomeric hub is a far superior design and compensates for anything that is thrown at it. The S-76 Sikorsky is a marvel of high performance and the airframe is symmetrical. I am a great fan or Soviet era aircraft, but some of the designs differences where due to to constraints in their technology. Hinds are beastly (but not ungainly) looking aircraft and have a menacing look to them, as they can be menacing, as history as shown.