Mil Mi-4ME

In 1953, the Experimental Design Bureau-329 (OKB-329) of M. Mil began developing a helicopter for searching and combating submarines. The designation WM-12 was reserved for it. It was accepted into service in 1955 under the name Mi-4M. Its design was based on the Mi-4, with improvements later applied from the Mi-4A. The Mi-4M was intended for the defence of naval bases against seaborne attack and for detecting and destroying enemy submarines and surface vessels. Its crew consisted of 2 pilots and a navigator-operator.

Numerous modifications had to be introduced to the helicopter’s structure due to the new radio-electronic equipment. A bomb bay with a bomb cassette, closed from below, was installed in the fuselage. The lower gun position was replaced by a gondola for the navigator-operator who operated the radar, magnetometer and bomb sight. This station could be jettisoned if necessary. At the front, beneath the engine compartment, a radar antenna was housed in a special fairing. At the rear of the fuselage, under the tail boom, a magnetometer antenna was suspended, lowered by means of a small hoist device, initially hand-operated and later electrically powered.

The Mi-4M was characterised by low effectiveness of its anti-submarine equipment. This was influenced by the helicopter’s characteristics: significant noise levels at crew stations, high vibration of structural elements, and lack of proper shielding of radio-electronic equipment. In 1959, the lowerable hydroacoustic station “Klyazma” was accepted into service. In 1961-62 it was delivered to naval aviation units. Its low effectiveness, heavy weight and troublesome maintenance meant it ended up in warehouses rather than on helicopter decks. Moreover, the Mi-4M was extremely dangerous for the crew during emergency ditching. In such a situation, it would immediately capsize and sink rapidly, giving the crew too little time to escape.

Based on the Mi-4M, an export variant called Mi-4ME was developed in 1964. Poland purchased 4 examples of this version. The helicopters served in the 28th Rescue Squadron of the Navy in Darlowo, forming an ASW flight. The museum’s Mi-4ME is one of the flight’s machines, bearing the side number 617 (originally 6).