Soviet Mil V-12 3D model

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The Mil V-12 (also known as Mi-12 by the NATO nickname Homer) is the largest helicopter ever built. The name Mi-12 was originally to be used when the helicopter was in production, but because the V-12 project was stalled and only two examples were made, the name was never formalized The world's largest helicopter ever built was the Mil V-12 developed by the Soviet Union during the 1960s. The V-12 was an unusual test aircraft that had two rotors mounted side-by-side on a large wingtip. Each rotor is 115 feet (35m) in diameter. The helicopter is very large with a rotor tip-to-rotor distance of nearly 220 feet (67m), even wider than the wingspan of a Boeing 747! Even more amazing is the carrying capacity of this helicopter. The V-12 has a maximum take-off weight of 231,485 lbs (105 tons) and set a record in 1969 carrying a load of 88,635 lbs (40,205 kg). This helicopter is the largest in the world according to the FAI and the Guinness Book of World Records. To overcome the difficulties of developing a new rotor set, gear/wheel reduction and transmission, the decision was taken to double the power of the Mi-6 and use the Mi-6's two sets of engines, gearbox and lift rotor side by side. The left rotor is a mirror of the right rotor with a slight overlap. The rotor's rpm is reduced to 112; gearbox is connected by transverse shaft. Only two prototypes of the V-12 were built, despite their extraordinary size and payload, this design was declared a failure by the developers and Soviet authorities. The V-12 was too large and difficult to maneuver to be a workable engine. The production model would be codenamed Mi-12, but this plan was scrapped after an evaluation of the two helicopters already made. One V-12 is kept at the Russian Air Force museum in Monino, while the other is at Mil's factory near Moscow.