This also had to be safely possible at higher altitudes and most importantly in severe weather conditions. Of course, in the times of the cold war, nothing happened without a view on possible military missions. Therefore the cargo compartment is also designed to hold light amoured vehicles and troop carriers together with their crews. The cargo compartment for example has a length of 12 meters, a width of 3.25 meters and a height of 3 meters which places it in the same class as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules or the Transall C160. The helicopter is loaded from the rear, the same way as most transport planes.
Vehicles can drive directly into the cargo hold via an hydraulic ramp.
Two hoists with a capacity of 2.5 tons each handle bulky loads just as it is usual practise with Russian designs. According to its manufacturer the Mi-26 is able to carry a payload of 20 tons either in the cargo compartment or as an external load hooked on a suspension just below the gearbox. A lot of power is necessary to move such an extensive mass. In case one engine fails, the other is automatically powered to full throttle. While Mil did not use titanium in the construction of the transmission, the design team incorporated it in the large rotor head which is equipped with the usual flapping and drag hinges as well as hydraulic drag dampers.