# What is the heaviest item ever lifted by a Helicopter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662 "2006-01-05T23:36:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bubastis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bubastis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubastis)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/1 "2006-01-05T23:36:31Z")
Or, to put it another way, what is the strongest helicopter in the world? Obviously, double rotor heli’s are stronger than single… Is there such a thing as a triple (or quadruple, etc.) rotor helicopter? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/2 "2006-01-05T23:44:32Z")
The [Mi-26 HALO?](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mi-26.htm) > [@](#): > > The Mi-26 helicopter, the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world, was designed for carrying large-size cargoes weighing up to 20 tons. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/3 "2006-01-05T23:48:12Z")
I believe it is the [MI-26 Halo](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mi-26.htm) that can carry 20 tons. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/4 "2006-01-05T23:54:18Z")
According to most sources, the mokst powerful helicopter in the world is the Russian-made [Mil Mi-26](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mi-26.htm): > [@](#): > > The Mi-26 helicopter, the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world, was designed for carrying large-size cargoes weighing up to 20 tons. It is the result of an early 1970s specification for a transport helicopter whose empty weight, without fuel, was not to exceed half of its maximum take-off weight. It can be used for construction projects ranging from bridges to power transmission lines. The combination of high load-carrying capacity and high cruise speed makes the use of the helicopter economically efficient. It features an 8-blade single rotor, which makes it unique among heavy lift helis. Its nearest competitor to date is the [Sikorsky CH-53](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/h-53.htm), which can lift 16 tons, with a 7-bladed single rotor. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/5 "2006-01-05T23:55:30Z")
I still say it is the Halo. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/6 "2006-01-05T23:56:15Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I still say it is the Halo. No, it’s the HALO. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/7 "2006-01-05T23:59:11Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > No, it’s the HALO. We have a late entry, the [Mi-12 “HOMER”](http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avhvmil.html): > [@](#): > > - Following the Mi-6 and Mi-10, the Mil bureau then developed the biggest helicopter ever built, the “Mi-12 Homer”, which was given the Soviet designation of “V-12”. It was bigger than a Boeing 727 jetliner, and could carry 120 passengers. In 1969, **an Mi-12 carried a payload of over 40 tonnes (36 tons)** to an altitude of over 2.25 kilometers (1.4 miles). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/8 "2006-01-06T00:08:15Z")
Yup, that must be a winner. And its possibly the most unlikely thing to take flight, see here what I mean… [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft\_genericsearch=Mil%20Mi-12&distinct\_entry=true](http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Mil%20Mi-12&distinct_entry=true) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/9 "2006-01-06T00:12:53Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > And its possibly the most unlikely thing to take flight, see here what I mean… Jebus! That thing is huge; it looks like a jumbo jet with a couple Bell Jet-Rangers bolted to the wingtips. Is that a MiG 29 parked next to it? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/10 "2006-01-06T00:17:37Z")
…and some film of it flying, [Dougl Adams]a bit like a Vogon battlecruiser hangs in the air just like bricks don’t[/Douglas Adams] [http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=9&did=445&lang=eng](http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=9&did=445&lang=eng) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/11 "2006-01-06T00:18:03Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > Obviously, double rotor heli’s are stronger than single… Is there such a thing as a triple (or quadruple, etc.) rotor helicopter? If not, why not? As can be seen by the other posts, this isn’t necessarily true. One thing a double-rotor helicopter _does_ have over a single-rotor helicopter is that it tends to have a greater CG envelope. Why no multi-rotor systems? Aircraft are compromises. A Piper J-3 Cub is a good aircraft for flying low and slow and landing in pastures. But you wouldn’t want to get in a dogfight in one. You’d want an F-14 for that; only you wouldn’t want the F-14 if you were going to land on a riverbank to do some fishing. A 60-year-old J-3 is still fairly reasonable pricewise, but it’s not a great cross-country machine because of its slow speed. A Beechcraft Bonanza is a nice way to cover a long distance in a reasonable amount of time. Only last time I looked (about ten years ago) they were comfortably over half-a-million simoleons new. The Bonanza is a much more complex machine than a Cub, and has much higher performance. What makes an aircraft fly? Money. The higher the performance, the more money it takes. So designers and aircraft builders try to get the most performance with the least amount of expensive complexity. Helicopters are particularly complex. On a fixed-wing aircraft the wings are bolted to the airframe and they’re expected to stay there. Rotor blades flap up and down, twist longitudinally, ‘lead and lag’ (i.e., on a multi-blade system the angles between the blades vary), and go round and round. They’re subjected to a lot of stress, and mus be replaced periodically. For example, the rotor blades on a Robinson R-22 must be thrown away and replaced every 2,000 flying hours. 4,000 for a Schweizer, but there are three of them. So adding rotors increases the initial cost and complexity, and increases maintenance costs, and increases the number of things that can go wrong. And you’ll need more and/or more powerful engines to turn them. What do they buy you? Greater latitude in loading. It’s a better compromise to have one or two main rotors. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/12 "2006-01-06T05:03:58Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > Is there such a thing as a triple (or quadruple, etc.) rotor helicopter? I’ve seen a model helicopter with 4 rotors, but never a full-scale one - probably too complex and expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/13 "2006-01-06T07:28:55Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > What is the heaviest item ever lifted by a Helicopter? Your Mom? and of course the smile isnt working for some reason…sorry it was the first thing that popped into my head. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/14 "2006-01-06T07:33:08Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > …and some film of it flying, [Dougl Adams]a bit like a Vogon battlecruiser hangs in the air just like bricks don’t[/Douglas Adams] > > [http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=9&did=445&lang=eng](http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=9&did=445&lang=eng) All right! Now, what if you put it on a treadmill? ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/15 "2006-01-06T07:56:03Z")
> [@bubastis](#): > > Or, to put it another way, what is the strongest helicopter in the world? Obviously, double rotor heli’s are stronger than single… Is there such a thing as a triple (or quadruple, etc.) rotor helicopter? If not, why not? If you’ll accept hybrid technologies there is the Piasecki Heli-Stat, composed of four helicopters mated to a blimp. The US Forest Service looked into them in the 1980s for moving timber (I remember there was one on the cover of an old Popular Science back in the 80s). Projected lift capacities were pretty huge, the link below mentions 60-200 tons. [http://www.piasecki.com/pa-97.htm](http://www.piasecki.com/pa-97.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/16 "2006-01-06T16:59:34Z")
> [@Hilarity N. Suze](#): > > All right! Now, what if you put it on a treadmill? SNAKES ON A PLANE ON A TREADMILL! Er… nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/17 "2006-01-06T19:02:47Z")
This thread made me think of the [CH-54/S-64](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_CH-54_Tarhe), which looks pretty weird, but I guess it doesn’t carry quite as much at the others. ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_Mauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@Grey\_Mauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_Mauser)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/18 "2006-01-06T20:50:40Z")
It may not be the record holder, but [email=http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/graphics/hist192b.htm]The Hughes XH-17 has to be up there in the strangeness category. As an aside, in the Mi-12 both rotors were powered by all four engines - that way they maintained some power even in the case of catistrophic loss of both engines on one side. ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_Mauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@Grey\_Mauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_Mauser)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/19 "2006-01-06T20:55:07Z")
Arrgh! - newby error. I meant to include a link [Hughes XH-17](http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/graphics/hist192b.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-heaviest-item-ever-lifted-by-a-helicopter/338662/20 "2006-01-06T21:05:33Z")
The Halo lifted a Rio in 1960 once for 20 minutes!