The Top 8 Largest Helicopters in the World

If you know a thing or two about helicopters, you probably know that they are among the most reliable types of aircraft

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They can be used by organizations, hospitals, media stations, police, navy, military and other government organizations for various purposes, mainly for transporting people, troops and cargo Index1

Heavy lift helicopters are designed with impressive abilities to haul over 50 tons and place materials where they need to go faster, especially in remote areas

Some heavy lift helicopters have been the best choice for corporations, civilians and military branches that need heavy loads transferred from one location to another

Since their introduction in the 1940s, helicopters have done a great job transporting large loads of cargo, evacuating troops, and other life-saving activities

If you are curious about some of the best heavy lift helicopters in the world, this post is for you

Here are the heaviest lifters of all time based on how much weight they can lift

Russian Editorial Team Mil Mi-26 carrying a plane

Popularly known as the Halo, the MI-26 is the world’s largest production helicopter

This heavy duty twin-engine transport helicopter is Russian-made and built for both military and civilian operations

It was designed and developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Factory

It is available in 13 variants that can lift up to 56 tonnes and has been used over the years to transport just about anything that can safely be transported in the sky, such as smaller helicopters

Although its development began in the early 1970s, the designers had bigger plans and a goal of producing a helicopter with twice the capacity of any modern machine

The interior has capacity for 80 soldiers equipped for combat or six stretchers, but cases in which it flies carrying 150 soldiers are rare

Its maximum weight, when empty, is 62,170 lb and its maximum speed is 295 km/h, with capacity for 4 crew members

2 Stallion King Sikorsky CH-53K

US Navy CH-53K King Stallion lifts a tandem light tactical vehicle

The King Stallion is an upgrade of the CH-53E Super Stallion, which was previously the largest and heaviest helicopter outside of Russia

Today, the CH-53K King Stallion is the most powerful, largest and heaviest helicopter in the US military

It is also designed to meet the needs of the US Marine Corps and will serve as its critical maritime and land logistical connector

This version allows international military personnel and US Marines to move troops and equipment from the ship to shore and other higher altitude terrain more quickly and efficiently

It is built to thrive on the modern battlefield, including boarding operations

The CH-53K is smarter, more reliable, more survivable and low maintenance as it is designed to withstand the most remote and austere operating bases

When it comes to specs, the larger cabin can comfortably carry 463l or 37 troops

It can deliver supplies, vehicles, soldiers and other materials needed in large quantities, such as heavy weapons, military vehicles and 55 seated soldiers

Its speed is 172 miles per hour and its empty weight is 88,000 pounds

The CH-53e Super Stallion has been one of the largest and heaviest US military helicopters in use until the CH-53 K Super Stallion arrived and took over

It forms a crucial element of composite squadrons that deliver heavy cargo and supplies for amphibious assault missions

It is designed with a lifting capacity of over 33t

Three general electric turboshaft engines, T64-GE-416/416A, power the stallion

Each engine produces 3,270kW of rated power which ensures the helicopter can take off with a maximum weight of 73,500 pounds

This helicopter has a maximum weight of 10,740 pounds when empty and a top speed of 196 mph

It can carry two pilots, 38 soldiers or 24 stretchers

The stallion is nicknamed the “hurricane maker” due to the downwash it generates and is powerful enough to lift an aircraft as heavy as itself

Another major product of the Russian Mil Moscow helicopter factory is the MI-10, which entered service in 1962

It is an MI-6 flying crane configuration that retains much of the equipment and systems such as the rotor, engines and transmission system

This helicopter was operated by the Russian Air Force and other smaller civil agencies

It is also a two wheel undercarriage to increase your heavy lifting capacity

Moving on to the specs, the MI-10 has a maximum takeoff weight of 96,340 lbs and can accommodate 28 passengers in the cabin

Harke has two Soloviev D-25V turboshaft engines, each developing a maximum power of 5,500hp

Its maximum weight when empty is 54,410 lbs and it has a top speed of 146 mph

Lifting capacity: 24,000 pounds / 10,886 kg

Chinook Editorial Team lifting shipping container

The utility helicopter became fully operational in 1962

The updated Chinooks are designed to remain operational with the US Army beyond 2060 and beyond

This heavy cargo helicopter can perform various transport missions such as transporting troops, war supplies, battlefield equipment and other cargo

It is also efficient in other tasks such as transporting medical equipment, disaster relief, aircraft recovery, parachute drop, search and rescue, heavy construction, civil development operations and emergency evacuation

Some of the well known missions that the Chinooks have used in the past include Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and the Gulf War When empty, the CH-47 Chinook weighs 23,400 pounds

and its maximum takeoff weight is 50,000 pounds

That means the Chinook can lift around 26,600 pounds, or around 12,065 kg

Textron Lycoming T55-L712 engines power the Chinook

Single load hook with lifting capacity: 10,000 lbs / 4,536 kg

Double load hook with lifting capacity: 12,500 lbs / 5,760 kg

US Marines Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey transporting a Hummer

Produced as part of a strategic alliance between Boeing and Bell Helicopters, the V-22 Osprey is a unique aircraft with multi-transmission capability

That means it’s more of a tiltrotor than a real helicopter

However, it is used for the same purpose as helicopters, combining its vertical lift capabilities with the flight speed of a fixed-wing turboprop aircraft

Compared to other utility helicopters, this aircraft can fly twice as fast

The V-22 is powered by two powerful Rolls-Royce engines whose nacelle can rotate to transform the aircraft into a turboprop aircraft

The engines develop a powerful 6-150shp each and are capable of air-to-air refuelling

Thanks to its rotating wings and folding rotors, the Osprey can be stowed compactly aboard an assault ship or aircraft carrier

The navy, Marine Corps and the US army use the V-22 Osprey for different missions such as delivery

It is an interesting aircraft with amazing abilities as it can refuel in mid-air and land on ships and other craft

It is currently one of the largest VTOL aircraft and accommodates 24 troops or 19,800 pounds internally and 12,500 pounds externally

The MI-38 was developed as a multirole helicopter by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

This means it can be used for search and rescue missions, transporting passengers and cargo, performing offshore tasks and air ambulance services

The MI-38 is an upgrade of the MI-17 series, but was initially built as an improved version of the MI-8

It’s an all-new design, which means the developers have put a lot of critical and creative thinking into it to come up with more contemporary ideas that weren’t included in previous versions

For example, it has new engines, airframes, avionics and rotor systems

As for specifications, the MI-38 can carry 32 soldiers and 16 stretchers

The deck can only take two pilots, but one pilot can operate the aircraft

It can carry 11,000 pounds internally and 15,000 pounds externally

The MI-38 comes with two powerful Klimov TV7-117V engines

Internal lift capacity: 12,500 lbs / 5,670 kg

External Lifting Capacity: 9,000 lbs / 4,100 Kg

Dylan Agbagni French Air Force EC725 on take off

Also called the “Super Puma” or “Caracal”, the EC 725 was built in France to improve search and find rescue missions

It is a long-range tactical transport helicopter that evolved from the Eurocopter Puma family

In addition to search and rescue operations, this helicopter is a heavy lift that can be used to transport cargo, troops and other necessary materials over often inaccessible terrain