The Mil Mi-8 (Russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union, and now produced by Russia. In addition to its most common role as a transport helicopter, the Mi-8 is also used as an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform. Along with the related, more powerful Mil Mi-17, the Mi-8 is among the world's most-produced helicopters,used by over 50 countries. As of 2015, when combined the two helicopters are the third most common operational military aircraft in the world.Mikhail Mil originally approached the Soviet government with a proposal to design an all-new two-engined turbine helicopter after the success of the Mil Mi-4 and the emergence and effectiveness of turbines used in the Mil Mi-6; but the military argued against a new helicopter, as they were content with the current Mil Mi-4.To counter this, Mikhail Mil proposed that the new helicopter was more of an update to new turbine engines rather than an entirely new helicopter; this persuaded the council of ministers to proceed with production. Due to the position of the engine, this enabled Mikhail Mil to justify redesigning the entire front half of the aircraft around the single engine (designed by Oleksandr Ivchenko at OKB-478 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, originally for fixed wing aircraft as all other soviet turbines had been up to that point).

Kit Contents:

•  Model of the helicopter
•  Assembly instructions 
•  Russian aviation transport squadron tactical number 07 airbase Moscow Russia 1980.
•  Adhesive for plastic models with a brush
•  Russian aviation transport squadron tactical number 13 airbase Moscow Russia 1980.
•  Aviation Polish Medical and sanitary squadron, air base Warsaw Łeczyca Poland 1990.
•  Czech Aviation Transport Squadron, tactical number: 2032 Prerov air base Czech Republic 1965.
•  Slovak aviation transport squadron tactical number: 3932 airbase Bratislava Slovakia 1980.
•  Aviation Polish transport squadron, air base Warsaw Łeczyca Poland 1999
•  Serbian and Montenegrin aviation medical squadron, air base Serbia 1990 Ukrainian aviation transport squadron, tactical number: 05 Zhytomir air base Ukraine 1990.
•  Israeli air force transport squadron, base Tel Aviv Israel 1980.
•  Finnish Aviation Transport Squadron, tactical number: HS-4 base Helsinki Finland 1988.
•  German Aviation 80th Transport Squadron, tactical number: 9371 airbase Germany 1999.
•  German aviation transport squadron, tactical number: 391 airbase Germany 1970.
•  German Aviation Sanitary Squadron, tactical number: 907 airbase Hannover Germany 1976.
•  Vietnam air force transport squadron, tactical number: 7806 Không quân Nhân dân airbase Vietnam 1990.
•  Bulgarian Aviation Transport Squadron Air Base Plovdiv Bulgaria 1999.
•  Hungarian aviation transport squadron air base Szolnok Hungary 1961.
•  Mexican Aviation. Naval version, 1st 18th Vitebsk Guard Mexican Navy
•  Syrian aviation civil war transport squadron air base Rural Damascus 2015.