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Mi-8 / Mi-17 vs NH90: how to tell them apart

Two military helicopters that are easy to mix up at a glance. Here is what tells them apart.

Mi-8 / Mi-17, military helicopter from Soviet Union

Mi-8 / Mi-17

Military helicopter, Soviet Union. In service since 1967

What gives it away

Five-blade main rotor, bulbous glazed nose, two engine intakes over the cabin, clamshell rear doors; tail rotor on the right on the Mi-8, on the left on the Mi-17.

Used by

Over 50 countries incl. Russia and Ukraine

Photo: Galeria del Ministerio de Defensa del Perú, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
NH90, military helicopter from Europe

NH90

Military helicopter, Europe. In service since 2007

What gives it away

Rounded, smooth composite fuselage with four-blade rotor, main wheels in short side sponsons and a rear ramp.

Used by

Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Greece and others

Photo: Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Mi-8 / Mi-17 · NH90 · All guides