High Altitude Interceptor 'Anakonda' - referred to both the elongated body shape as well as the relatively critical flight characteristics of the machine. Thus let to the stop of the project and Tupolev's Tu-128 Fiddler became it's successor.
Monino Museum exhibits are not all dead, sometimes they receive a new paintjob. Unfortunally this Mi-26 had lost his beautiful livery lately to a full grey appearance.
Only about 151 aircrafts of this type where built and mainly used as freighters. This one misses quite a lot of air in the wheels on one side. Behind, the 25 world records breaking Myasishchev M-17 CCCP-17401 (cn N001/04) can be seen. Kodachrome64