Country of origin:

Russia

Description:

light utility helicopter

Power Plant:

One 240 kw (320 hp) Vedeneyev M-14V-26V nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

The Mil Mi 34 utility helicopter, with the NATO reporting name ‘Hermit’, is a light utility helicopter produced by the Mil Helicopter facility in Moscow in either two or four seat configurations. The prototype was first flown on 17 November 1986 and was shown to the market at the Paris Air Show in 1987. After some development it entered production in 1993 and was demonstrated to have the ability to perform aerobatics, including rolls and loops. Main operators have been the Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force, and the Nigerian Air Force.

A number of variants have been produced or proposed since it entered production, including the Mi 34S, which has been operated by the Moscow Police; Mi 34S2, which is a turbine variant powered by two Turbomeca Arrius-2F engines; Mi 34L, a proposed variant with a 261 kw (350 hp) Lycoming TIO-540J engine; Mi 34P, a further police variant; Mi 34A with an Allison 250-C20R turboshaft, of which none have been completed; Mi 34M1 and M2, being proposed twin-turbine six-seat variants; Mi 34UT, a trainer with dual controls; Mi 34V, Mi 34VAZ or Mi 234, with rotary piston engines, which also does not seem to have been built; and the Mi 44 with a TV-O-100 engine and  modifications, a mockup of which was constructed in 1987.

In 2011 Russian Helicopters re-launched the program as the Mi 34C1 aiming the aircraft at the military and civil training market, and as a light transport, surveillance and sport machine. This model has a 272 kw (365 hp) M9VF radial engine with a built-in gearbox and electronic ignition, the fuel system having negative G-chambers for aerobatics. A previous Mi 34C was abandoned in 2002 after 22 examples were completed. It was announced production for 2012 and 2013 was sold out, the Russian operator UTair obtaining ten aircraft for training. In 2011 Goodrich was chosen by the manufacturer to provide the main rotor actuator and hydraulic power supply for the upgraded Mi 34C1. A further variant was launched in 2010 as the Mi 34SI, a piston engine model built to FAR 27 standards and aimed at the Robinson R-44 market.

In 2013 the Nigerian Air Force withdrew the type from service and placed them on the market for sale, stating that although the type’s gearbox had a scheduled maintenance time of 1,500 hrs, they found they were regularly failing after 300 hrs of service. Six of these Mi 34Cs were obtained by an operator in New Zealand, one being noted at Heli Maintenance at Christchurch in December 2013 with the Nigerian Air Force serial NAF557 (c/n 9783034102005). This machine had a manufacturing date of 28 November 2001 and at the time of importation having flown a total of 127 hrs. It made its last flight in 2003. This machine eventually became ZK-HUN and was registered to Mr L A Williamson of Christchurch. In 2017 it was placed on the market for sale and was at the time said to be located in Tasmania but as far as is known remained in Christchurch in February 2018.

The other five aircraft imported were: NAF550 (c/n 9783033701003), NAF552 (c/n 9783034701001), NAF553 (c/n 9783034002001), NAF554 (c/n 9783034002002) which had sustained some damage; and NAF556, the airframe number of which is not known at this stage. None have been placed on the NZ Civil Aircraft Register by 2021.