Public betaInstant checking is on: correct entries stay black; mistakes appear red while we refine puzzle fill and mobile play.
← The ECAMS
Print
The ECAMS

The Daily Briefing

Crossword · Sudoku · Trivia

August 6, 2026THEECAMS.COM

Crossword

Tap the selected square again or press Space to switch direction · completion is automatic
Tap a square or clue to begin.

0/66 words cleared · 66 remaining · 0 corrections

Across

Down

Sudoku

40 squares waiting

This Day in Aviation

1969

6 August 1969: Mil V-12 Sets Unbroken Helicopter Records

On 6 August 1969, the colossal Mil V-12, the largest helicopter ever built, achieved a historic feat at Podmoskovnoe, USSR. Piloted by Vasily Kolochenko and a five-man crew, the four-engine, transverse-tandem rotor aircraft lifted a staggering 40,204.5 kilograms (88,635.7 pounds) to an altitude of 2,255 meters (7,398 feet). This monumental lift established three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world records for payload to altitude, a benchmark that remains unbroken by any other helicopter to this day.

The V-12, registration CCCP-21142, was the first of two prototypes designed by the Mil Design Bureau. Intended to transport intercontinental ballistic missiles directly into underground silos, it featured a massive internal cargo bay measuring 28.15 meters long. Powered by four Soloviev D-25VF turboshaft engines producing a combined 26,000 horsepower, the aircraft utilized counter-rotating main rotors to cancel torque, eliminating the need for a tail rotor. Though never put into series production, the record-setting prototype resides at the Mil factory near Moscow.

Trivia

1. What specific design feature of the Mil V-12 allowed it to eliminate the need for a tail or anti-torque rotor?

  1. A. The use of a single, oversized main rotor with a variable pitch system
  2. B. The installation of four Soloviev D-25VF turboshaft engines mounted on the wings
  3. C. The counter-rotating main rotors that cancelled out the torque created by each system
  4. D. The transverse-tandem rotor configuration with a central gearbox
Show answer

C. The evidence states: 'With counter-rotating main rotors, the torque created by each rotor system is cancelled out, eliminating the need for a tail, or anti-torque, rotor.'

2. Which crossword answer matches this clue: Passenger booking shorthand for Stockholm Arlanda Airport?

  1. A. ARN
  2. B. DEL
  3. C. ALTITUDE
  4. D. ESCAPE
Show answer

A. ARN is the matching crossword entry.

3. Which crossword answer matches this clue: Fixing a broken plane?

  1. A. YSE
  2. B. AERO
  3. C. DTW
  4. D. REPAIR
Show answer

D. REPAIR is the matching crossword entry.