AH-56 Cheyenne

• High-speed gunship • Two-seat aircraft • Cancelled after 375 ordered

Helicopters proved their worth

once-and-for-all during the Vietnam War as troop carriers without equal. However, a pressing need for a specialised escort helicopter was soon apparent. Armed UH-1 ‘Hueys’ wore used in the meantime and Bell’s AH-1 provided another interim solution, but the answor lay in the Cheyenne. However, this high-speed, heavily-armed weapons system was plagued by problems.

Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne

A Ahead of its time

The cancellation of the Cheyenne forced the US Army to soldier on with tho ‘interim’ Boll АН-1 HueyCobra for many yoars.

The purpose-built AH-64 Apache was finally ordered in 1982.

A Pusher rotor and wings

For high-speed flight small wings produced most of tho lift, while much of the engine power went to the pusher propeller and provided forward thrust.

Gunship layout ►

Lockheed sot the now-established formula tor gunship helicopters. The gunner sat forward, taking responsibility for the weapons systems.

Since the Cheyenne project, Lockheed has not put a military or civil helicopter into production.

In common with other US Army helicopters, the Cheyenne was after a native American tribe.

► Power of the T64 engine was increased
to 2927 kW (3,922 hp.) during testing.

► The highly manoeuvrable AH-56 was found to bo a stable weapons platform.

>• Cancellation, in May 1969, came just six months before production began.

► The other short-listed AAFSS prototype was tho Sikorsky S-66.

Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne