Mil has begun full-scale flight tests of a modernised Mi-24 Hind helicopter. A first flight of 25min on 4 March was preceded by two brief hovers in February from the company's base near Moscow.
The most notable features of the Mi-24M are the new main and tail rotors, lighter non-retractable landing gear, shorter-span stub-wings and an NPPU-24 23mm twin nose gun turret replacing the Mi-24D's Yak 12.7mm machine gun. Also installed are a BVK-24 computer system, a laser rangefinder, weapons control systems for new missiles, and a new radio.
Source: Flight International
