The Mil design bureau is one of the most successful helicopter makers ever. The bureau is centered in Moscow, and has produced a number of the most capable helicopters that can be found. The Mil Mi-2 is an old helicopter that shows just what the helicopters of Mil can go through. Many of the helicopters that were build in 1985 are still working today. The Mi-2 was designed both as a trainer and as a light lift helicopter that could move small amounts, like (8) people, around the battlefield.
The Mi-2 is now the sole training helicopter inside Russia and has been for sometime, as well as being the weapons trainer for pilots of the Mil Mi-24 Hind. The Mi-2 cannot fly in combat itself because of its age-old rotor system which seriously limits maneuverability. A slightly larger version of the Mi-2 is the Mi-2M, which is a ten seat helicopter aimed mostly toward the civil market. The regular Mi-2 can hold eight passengers.
The Mil Mi-2 Hoplite was designed in the early 1960's as a replacement to the Mil Mi-1 Hare. The Mi-2 is essentially just a Mi-1 with a straight shaft turbine engine, which added power and made maintenance easier. The twin turbine engines on top of the Mi-2 put out 50 percent more power than the single Mi-1 piston engine, but weighed only half as much. The fuselage of the Mi-2 differs from the Mi-1 because the Mi-1's engines are in the fuselage while the Mi-2's are mounted above the cabin. The Mi-2 first flew in 1962, but did not enter into production in the Soviet Union. The Hoplite made one of its marks on history by being the only helicopter ever designed in the Soviet Union, but built only outside of it. The company selected to manufacture the Mi-2 was PZL-WSK-Swidnik, in Poland. Production started in Poland in 1965, and did not end until the mid 1980's.
The Mi-2 was used improperly as a VIP transport in the James Bond film- For Your Eyes Only.