The term "Mi-17" has become a catch-all phrase to describe
a series of aircraft, although it actually only refers to the export version of the Mi-8MT. The Mi-17 variant aircraft
is manufactured at two plants, Kazan and Ulan Ude, and both plants use different nomenclature for their production.
Further complication arises from the fact that the two plants use another set of nomenclature to differentiate export models
from those produced for domestic Russian use.
According to Mil, from an air worthiness perspective, there are
no differences between the Mi-8MT, Mi-8MTV, Mi-172 and Mi-17-1V, all produced at Kazan (see attached memo from Mil),
Similarly, there are no significant overhaul and repair differences between Ulan's Mi-8AMT and Mi-171. Finally,
from an overhaul and repair perspective, Mil has repeated stated that the production of both factories is the same (see attached
Mil table comparing the two factories' models). From a users perspective, the result is reassuring.
Factories certified by Mil to work on the Mi-17 can work on any model of the aircraft.
So, what should an operator do if they have an older model Mi-17 variant
aircraft and their maintenance manuals are similarly outdated? According to Mil, if current manuals are not available
for the operator's model aircraft, they should use us the latest manuals issued by Mil for a similar variant of the aircraft.
Naturally, the user would refer to the original manuals for the service of attached systems not incorporated into
the new model.
