Can A Helicopter Carry A Bulldozer?

Asking whether a chopper can lift a bulldozer may sound preposterous at first, because the physics just don't seem possible. How can a helicopter lift a massive bulldozer using just the lift generated by its spinning blades? A bulldozer's weight can vary wildly depending on its use. For example, the John Deere 700L weighs just over 32,000 pounds, while the Komatsu D475A comes in at a staggering 254,000 pounds.

In simplest terms, a helicopter can lift off, hover, and descend thanks to its rapidly spinning blades, which push air down towards the ground to create upward lift. Helos are broken into five different types depending on their weight, ranging from ultra-light (weighing up to 254 pounds) to heavies (weighing over 12,500 pounds). Civilian Helicopters like the Bell 222 have a maximum take-off weight of 8,250 pounds, while the Bell 206B Jet Ranger (related to the Bell 206L choppers that registered two of the fastest flights in history) is less than half of that at 3,200 pounds. The Robinson R44 and R66, which are often used for "news" helicopters, have a Maximum Gross Weight (MGW) below 3,500 pounds and are considered light helicopters.

Then you have copters that are built to lift heavy things, like Boeing's CH-47F Chinook, the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, and the world's heaviest helicopter — the Mil Mi-26, a Soviet-era heavy transport helicopter with a weight of 62,000 lbs and a maximum take-off weight of 124,000 lbs. So yes, certain helicopters can most definitely carry a bulldozer... and even military tanks.

The CH-47F Chinook from Boeing is used for both civilian and military purposes. It sports twin engines and tandem rotors to generate enough power to transport 24,000 pounds internally or 28,000 pounds externally. The CH-47 is one of the few helicopters that can carry a tank, so it can haul lighter bulldozers whenever needed, not only for the military but also in scenarios like disaster relief and large-scale civilian building projects.

One-upping the Chinook is the Russian Mil Mi-26, the largest military helicopter in the world. Thanks to its eight-bladed main rotor and twin 11,400 horsepower engines, it is the reigning champ of heavy lifters. With a payload capacity of 44,000 pounds (more than many fixed-wing aircraft), it can be used to hoist construction cranes and carry everything from smaller helicopters to tanks and bulldozers. Another dozer-capable helicopter, the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane, sports a skeletal fuselage. Its central winch system can lift 20,000 pounds (enough for a small bulldozer) or carry a belly tank to fight fires.

On the other end of the spectrum is the incredibly thin civilian Kaman K-Max K-1200, which has a 6,000-pound carrying load. This synchropter uses intermeshing rotors turning in opposite directions (and at opposite angles) to provide greater lift, letting the chopper ditch the standard tail rotor. It's typically used for power line construction, forestry operations, firefighting, and aerial crane work, where the terrain is rough and logistics are an issue. Still, it could lift your dad's Kubota or John Deere tractor without a problem.