Key takeaways
- The Mi-24 is an attack helicopter and troop transport in one – developed by the Mil design bureau, first flight 1969, NATO code name “Hind”.
- Fastest way to identify it: double-canopy cockpit plus a cabin with windows and stub wings – no Western attack helicopter has that.
- You tell the versions apart by the nose: a multi-barrel machine gun in the chin turret means Mi-24D or V, a fixed side-mounted twin cannon means Mi-24P.
- The NVA flew 42 Mi-24Ds and 12 Mi-24Ps, based in Cottbus and Basepohl; the Bundeswehr retired the inherited aircraft for good in 1994.
- In Eastern Europe the Hind is becoming rare: the Czech Republic (2023) and Hungary (2026) have retired it, Poland is replacing it with the AH-64E Apache.
Contents
Profile
| Design bureau | Mil (Moscow) |
|---|---|
| Series production | Arsenyev and Rostov-on-Don |
| NATO reporting name | Hind |
| ICAO type designator | MI24 |
| Role | Attack helicopter with a transport cabin |
| First flight | September 1969 (prototype) |
| Entry into service | 1972 (Mi-24A, Soviet armed forces) |
| Crew | 2 to 3 (pilot, weapon systems officer, optional flight engineer) |
| Cabin | up to 8 fully equipped soldiers |
| Engines | 2 × TV3-117 turboshaft (Isotov/Klimov), around 1,600 kW each |
| Main rotor | five blades, around 17.3 m diameter |
| Length | around 17.5 m fuselage, just under 19.8 m with rotors |
| Max. takeoff weight | around 11.5 to 12 t depending on version and source |
| Top speed | around 320 km/h |
| Built | a good 2,300 to around 2,650 aircraft depending on the source |
Identifying features
Is this really the aircraft type in front of you?
- Two separate glass canopies one behind the other (from the Mi-24D) – weapon systems officer in front and lower, pilot behind and raised, the typical “double bubble”
- Troop cabin behind the cockpit with windows and two-piece side doors – unique among attack helicopters
- Stub wings with a pronounced downward angle and weapon stations, with launch rails for guided missiles at the tips
- Retractable tricycle landing gear – fixed on the modernized Mi-35M, by contrast
- Five-blade main rotor and two engines with large air intakes on top of the fuselage, often with dust filters in front
- Tail rotor on the left side of the tail (on early aircraft on the right), overall a very massive, long fuselage
Updated: October 2026 – A hefty, camouflage-green helicopter with two glass canopies one behind the other, a cabin with windows and short, downward-angled wings loaded with weapons: anyone who sees something like that has a Mil Mi-24 in front of them, known in the West as the “Hind”. No other helicopter stands so much for the Warsaw Pact’s military aviation. On this page you learn how to tell the versions apart, what role the Mi-24 played with the NVA and where in Europe you can still see it fly or at least visit it in a museum.
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What is the Mi-24?
The Mi-24 is a twin-engine attack helicopter with a built-in transport cabin. This concept is its big unique selling point: while Western designs like the AH-64 Apache or the Tiger are pure weapon carriers with two seats, the Mi-24 can carry up to eight fully equipped soldiers behind the cockpit. The Soviet idea behind it was a kind of “flying infantry fighting vehicle” that puts troops down and supports them from the air at the same time.
It was developed by the Moscow design bureau Mil, which also designed the Mi-8 and the giant Mi-26. Powerplant, rotor system and many assemblies derive from the Mi-8, which simplified development and maintenance. Two TV3-117 turboshafts with around 1,600 kW each drive a five-blade main rotor of a good 17 meters in diameter. The landing gear retracts, and the top speed is around 320 km/h depending on version and load.
The prototype flew in September 1969, and from 1972 the first production version, the Mi-24A, reached the Soviet armed forces. It was built at the Arsenyev plant in the Far East and at Rostov-on-Don. How many aircraft were built in total, sources state differently – the range runs from a good 2,300 to around 2,650. What is certain: the Mi-24 is among the most widely used attack helicopters in the world and served in dozens of countries.
A curiosity on the side: a heavily modified Mi-24 designated A-10 set an absolute helicopter speed record at a good 368 km/h in 1978. Only in 1986 did a modified British Westland Lynx break it.
The versions at a glance
The early Mi-24s (NATO: Hind-A and Hind-B) still had a shared, glazed cockpit that recalled a greenhouse. From the Mi-24D, the Hind got the face it is known for today: two separate glass canopies, the weapon systems officer lower in front, the pilot raised behind. Almost everything you see in museums and in the sky today is based on this basic form.
| Version | NATO name | Recognizable by | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi-24A | Hind-A/B | Large, shared glass cockpit | early series, only museum pieces today |
| Mi-24D | Hind-D | Twin canopies, multi-barrel machine gun in chin turret | series start 1973, export as Mi-25 |
| Mi-24V | Hind-E | like the D, plus tube containers for Shturm guided missiles on the wings | series start 1976, export as Mi-35 |
| Mi-24P | Hind-F | 30 mm twin cannon fixed on the right side of the fuselage, no chin turret | series start 1981 |
| Mi-24VP | – | 23 mm cannon in a movable turret under the nose | small series |
| Mi-35M | – | Fixed landing gear, more modern sensors and night vision technology | export modernization, e.g. Serbia |
Practical tip: look at the nose first
If a round turret with a multi-barrel machine gun sits under the front canopy, you have a Mi-24D or V in front of you. If, on the other hand, two thick cannon barrels stick out of the fuselage on the right side, it is a Mi-24P. The wing tips then reveal whether it is a D or a V.
For the Mi-24D and the Mi-24V, the guided missile mounts at the wing tips help: the D carries smaller rails for older guided missiles, the V the typical long launch tubes of the Shturm. Neither is always visible on photos without weapons, though – when in doubt, the registration together with a database like Scramble helps.
How to recognize the Mi-24
The Hind is one of the few helicopters you will hardly ever mix up once you have consciously seen it. Four glances suffice.
Look at the cockpit
Two bulbous glass canopies one behind the other, the rear one clearly higher – the “double bubble” is the trademark from the Mi-24D.
Look for the cabin
Behind the cockpit follows a wide fuselage section with windows and two-piece doors. An attack helicopter with a passenger cabin is practically always a Mi-24.
Check the wings
The stub wings are angled clearly downward and carry weapon stations. At the tips sit launch rails or tubes for guided missiles.
Count the landing gear
Three gear legs with wheels that retract in flight. If the helicopter stands on fixed gear, it could be a modernized Mi-35M.
You will find general tips for identifying rotorcraft in the guide Recognizing helicopter types.
Mi-24, Mi-8, Apache or Tiger?
The most common mix-up within the Mil family is the Mi-8 or Mi-17. It has similar engines and a five-blade rotor but is a pure transport helicopter with a large, rounded fuselage, a rear cargo door and an ordinary cockpit with pilots sitting side by side. Armed Mi-8s sometimes do carry external loads, but only the Mi-24 has twin canopies.
Quick ID: attack helicopter or transport?
Mil Mi-24 Hind
Twin canopies, cabin and stub wings are the typical Hind look. Now look at the nose: a machine gun turret means D or V, a side-mounted twin cannon means P.
Mil Mi-8 / Mi-17
A transport helicopter of the same family with fixed landing gear and a large fuselage. Armed variants carry external loads but no twin canopies.
Apache, Tiger or Cobra
A pure attack helicopter of Western design. An X-shaped tail rotor points to the Apache, skids to the Cobra, an open three-blade tail rotor to the Tiger.
Besides the Apache and the Tiger, you occasionally meet the Bell AH-1 Cobra at air shows. All three are slimmer and clearly smaller than the Mi-24, which looks like a heavyweight next to them.
The Mi-24 with the NVA
For German spotters the Hind has a special history. East Germany was among the early export customers of the Mi-24D. Between 1978 and 1989 the National People’s Army received a total of 42 Mi-24Ds and 12 Mi-24Ps.
The aircraft flew with the army aviation forces in two attack helicopter wings: KHG-3 in Cottbus and KHG-5 in Basepohl in Mecklenburg. Besides training for the real thing, the wings regularly provided helicopters for the alert duty system at airfields near the border. Three Mi-24Ds were lost in accidents.
After October 3, 1990, the Bundeswehr suddenly found itself with a fleet of Soviet attack helicopters. Some aircraft were examined thoroughly by Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61, and one Mi-24D and one Mi-24P each went to the US Army, which used them for exercises as “enemy” helicopters. The rest flew only on an interim basis and was retired for good in September 1994.
After that the former NVA Hinds scattered: 18 Mi-24Ds went to Poland and kept flying there, further airframes came to Hungary as spare parts donors, and a few ended up in museums. How the Bundeswehr marked its aircraft then and now is explained in the article Registrations of Bundeswehr aircraft.
Users in Eastern Europe: who still flies the Hind?
The war in Ukraine and the switch to Western equipment have strongly changed the Mi-24 fleets in Eastern Europe. Many countries have retired their aircraft or given them to Ukraine. As of October 2026 the picture looks roughly like this:
| Country | Status (as of October 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | in service | Mi-24D and V, successor: 96 AH-64E Apaches ordered; part of the fleet given to Ukraine |
| Bulgaria | in service | Mi-24V, end of service life in sight |
| Serbia | in service | Mi-35M and Mi-35P, the Mi-35P reportedly from Cypriot stocks |
| Ukraine | in action | Stocks supplemented by donations from several countries |
| Hungary | retired 2026 | Flight operations ended in early 2026, successors H145M and H225M |
| Czech Republic | retired 2023 | Aircraft given to Ukraine |
| Slovakia, Croatia, North Macedonia | retired | North Macedonia gave its Hinds to Ukraine |
| East Germany / Germany | historic | End of flight operations 1994 |
Hungary was one of the most loyal Hind operators: the first Mi-24Ds came to Hungary in 1978, and the aircraft last flew with the 86th Helicopter Wing in Szolnok. According to reports in Hungarian aviation media, the last flight took place on February 4, 2026, because the airframes’ service life ran out. Since then Hungary has relied on Airbus helicopters such as the H145M and the H225M; the page on Airbus Helicopters introduces the manufacturer.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia shared the Mi-24 inventory of Czechoslovakia after its dissolution. The Czech Republic last flew modernized Mi-35s and retired its fleet in 2023, giving it to Ukraine.
Poland is thus one of the last NATO countries with a notable Hind fleet. With the order of 96 AH-64E Apaches the end is in sight, though – anyone who wants to photograph Polish Mi-24s shouldn’t wait much longer.
Inventories change quickly
With the Mi-24 in particular, donations to Ukraine and retirements keep shifting the numbers. Before a targeted trip, check the armed forces’ current figures and don’t rely on older lists.
Put the Hind on your wish list
Put the Mi-24 on your wish list in Planetrack and get notified by a sighting alert when a matching type arrives or lands at your airport. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist here.
Where you can see the Mi-24
Flying Hinds have become rare in Central Europe. Events and museums offer the best chances.
| Location | Chance of success | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Museum Berlin-Gatow | certain (static) | Former NVA Mi-24D in the exhibition |
| Cottbus Airfield Museum | certain (static) | Mi-24D at the former KHG-3 location |
| Air shows in Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia | medium | Operator countries occasionally show their Hinds |
| NATO exercises and open days | low to medium | Polish Mi-24s sometimes take part in exercises |
| Civil commercial airports | very low | Only on ferry flights or special situations |
In Berlin a former NVA Mi-24D stands in the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow airfield; you will also find visiting tips at the spot Luftwaffe Museum Berlin-Gatow. The Cottbus Airfield Museum shows a Mi-24D where KHG-3 used to be stationed. Anyone interested in East Central European military technology finds large collections of Soviet types in Prague at the Kbely Aviation Museum and in Krakow at the Polish Aviation Museum – which Hinds are currently on display there, you best check beforehand on the museum pages.
Dates for air shows are listed in the overview of Air shows in Europe. How to keep military aircraft in view online and why they often don’t show up on the radar at all is explained in the article Tracking military aircraft online.
Ready for your Hind session?
- I know the photo rules for military facilities in the respective country.
- I stand on public ground and don’t enter restricted areas.
- I checked dates of air shows or open days.
- My shutter speed fits the desired rotor blur.
- I note down registration and operator for later identification.
What you need to observe at military airfields is covered in the article Photographing military airfields: the rules. In Eastern Europe in particular, the regulations are sometimes stricter than in Germany.
Photo tips for the Mi-24
The Hind is a rewarding subject: long, angular and full of details. As with any helicopter, though, the shutter speed decides.
Let the rotor spin
With too short a speed the five-blade rotor stands still and the Mi-24 looks like a model. Start at around 1/125 s and go lower if you pan cleanly.
Three-quarter view from the front
From diagonally in front, twin canopies, armament under the nose and the angled wings show at the same time – that also documents the version in the picture.
Details in the museum
Static aircraft allow close-ups of the chin turret, cannon, launch rails and cabin doors. Those are exactly the features you need later for identification.
Light against camouflage paint
Green-brown camouflage schemes swallow light. With the sun at your back and rather soft light, you pull structure out of the fuselage.
More on the technique for spinning blades is shown in the guide Photographing propellers: the right shutter speed, and general tips are under Spotting helicopters.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
It points to the Mi-24 if …
- two bulbous glass canopies sit one behind the other
- a cabin with windows and doors lies behind the cockpit
- downward-angled stub wings with weapon stations are visible
- the landing gear is retracted in flight
Look more closely if …
- the cockpit has a large, shared glass roof – then it is an early Mi-24A
- the landing gear is fixed – then rather a modernized Mi-35M
- you see only the tail – then only the registration helps
It is not a Mi-24 if …
- the pilots sit side by side and there is a rear cargo door – then you are looking at the Mi-8/Mi-17
- the fuselage is slim and has no cabin – then rather the Apache or Tiger
- the helicopter stands on skids – then rather a Cobra
- two rotors spin one above the other – then it is a Kamov design
Conclusion
The Mi-24 is a piece of the Cold War you can touch: an attack helicopter with a troop cabin, the likes of which the West never built. Twin canopies, cabin and angled wings give you the type, the nose with machine gun turret or side cannon the version, the registration the confirmation. In Germany it has been history since 1994, in Eastern Europe it is becoming rarer year by year – the Czech Republic and Hungary have already retired it, Poland is about to switch to the Apache.
Quick verdict
Two glass canopies one behind the other, a cabin with windows and short, downward-bent wings: that is the Mi-24 Hind. For spotters in Germany, Gatow and Cottbus are the sure addresses; for flying examples, look to Poland, Bulgaria and Serbia – as long as the Hind is still around there.
Summary
- The Mi-24 first flew in September 1969 and reached the Soviet armed forces from 1972; it was built in Arsenyev and Rostov.
- The most important versions are the Mi-24D with twin canopies and a machine gun, the Mi-24V with more powerful anti-tank guided missiles and the Mi-24P with a 30 mm cannon; export models were called Mi-25 and Mi-35.
- East Germany received a total of 54 aircraft between 1978 and 1989; after reunification many of them went to Poland and Hungary or into museums.
- As of October 2026, Mi-24s still fly in Europe in Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine, among others; the Czech Republic and Hungary have given up their fleets.
- For spotters that means: air shows, museums and the last operator countries are the best chances – and the clock is ticking.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Mi-24 called “Hind”?
“Hind” is the NATO code name. NATO assigns names beginning with H to Eastern Bloc helicopters – the Mi-8 is called “Hip”, for example, the Mi-26 “Halo”. Hind is the English word for a female deer. In the Soviet Union itself, crews liked to call the Mi-24 “Krokodil” because of its shape.
What ICAO type designator does the Mi-24 have?
The Mi-24 and its export versions run under the code MI24. Military helicopters don’t always transmit position data openly, though – so they show up on flight trackers only occasionally.
How do I tell the Mi-24D, Mi-24V and Mi-24P apart?
The Mi-24D has a rotating multi-barrel machine gun in the chin turret and smaller guided missile launch rails. The Mi-24V looks similar but carries tube containers for the more powerful Shturm guided missiles at the wing tips. You recognize the Mi-24P by the fixed 30 mm twin cannon on the right side of the fuselage under the cockpit – the chin turret is missing.
How many Mi-24s did the NVA have?
The National People’s Army received a total of 42 Mi-24Ds and 12 Mi-24Ps between 1978 and 1989. They flew in Attack Helicopter Wings 3 (Cottbus) and 5 (Basepohl). Three Mi-24Ds were lost in accidents.
Did the Bundeswehr fly the Mi-24?
Yes, but only briefly. After reunification the Bundeswehr took over around 50 aircraft. Some were tested by Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 61 (the Bundeswehr technical test center); the rest flew on an interim basis in eastern Germany and was retired in September 1994. 18 Mi-24Ds then went to Poland, more as spare parts donors to Hungary, and a few aircraft into museums.
Where does the Mi-24 still fly in Europe today?
As of October 2026, in Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia (as the Mi-35M and Mi-35P), Ukraine as well as Russia and Belarus, among others. The Czech Republic retired it in 2023 and gave the aircraft to Ukraine, Hungary ended flight operations in early 2026.
Where do I see a Mi-24 in Germany?
Flying, only as a guest now, for example at air shows or NATO exercises. Static, you find former NVA aircraft at the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow airfield and the Cottbus Airfield Museum, among others.
Collect the Mil Mi-24 Hind, don’t just see it
Post a photo with registration, type, airport and spot, check off the type in your hangar and get an alert when a registration you are looking for lands. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
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Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield
At the former air base and later RAF airfield Gatow in western Berlin, the Bundeswehr shows its air force collection: jets from NATO and the Warsaw Pact, helicopters, surface-to-air missiles and the history of an airfield that experienced the air warfare school, the Airlift and the Cold War. Admission is free.
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On the southern part of the former Cottbus-Nord airfield, an association shows almost 50 aircraft – mainly from the holdings of East Germany’s NVA, complemented by NATO types, vehicles and air defense equipment. The site is considered the cradle of the GDR air force and was an active military airfield until 2003.
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The Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow sits on the former Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield, one of the oldest airfields in Europe. Here stand World War I aircraft that exist nowhere else, the only surviving PZL P.11c, a Spitfire in the colors of Poland’s No. 308 Squadron and a large outdoor area full of jets and helicopters from East and West.
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