• The first ‘gunship’ • Close support • Precision anti-armour
oil’s AH-1 HueyCobra was the first true attack helicopter. Twenty-five years after bringing purpose-built gunships to Vietnam, upgraded versions are still deadly weapons, reaching out with guns and missiles to halt the enemy in its tracks. Today the twin-engined HueyCobra is flown by Marine pilots, elite warriors who use the АН-1’s speed and power to fight and win, no matter what the odds.
A Minigun
Early HueyCobras earned the Minigun. a six-barrelled machine – gun which fired at ratos of up to tOO rounds per second. Today the slower but harder-hitting Ml97 20-mm cannon is fitted.
A In the weeds
Uko its serpentine namosako. the HueyCobra is designed to fight down among tho trees and bushes, where it can lurk undetected until It Is time to roar up and strike.
ASuperCobra
Derived from a project to supply the Shah ol Iran with an upgraded version of the AH-1T, tho SuperCobra prototype with its twin T-700 engines served as the basis for the development ol the current Marine Corps AH-1W.
◄ Riding ‘shotgun’
As well as taking out enemy tanks, the HueyCobra is charged with the vital task of escorting assault helicopters. Those US Army hclos are seen on exercise in Egypt dunng 1982.
▼ Rapid turnaround
When it is out of missiles, the HueyCobra can be re-armed m minutes by a wdl-drillcd ground team The TOW missiles are pre-packed in their launch tubes and arc strapped straight on to the helicopte*
FACTS AND FIGURES
► The AH-1 first flew on 7 September 1965; now HueyCobras nrc produced today.
>- Building a HueyCobra requires 38,500 hours of factory-worker timo.
>• In Operation Desert Storm, four Marine squadrons flow 1,000 missions, including one which destroyed 60 tanks.
> The HueyCobra’s stub wing provides some of tho lift which keeps it in the air.
► HueyCobra pilots use night vision goggles and electronic sonsors to fight in darkness and bad weather.
> The AH-1 W’Whiskey Cobra’s’cannon fires a depleted uranium shell.
 |
|
Helicopter killer – the HueyCobra can carry tho Sidewinder missile on its stub pylons to shoot down other helicopters.
|
|
|
AH-1W SuperCobra
Type: two-seat attack helicopter
Powerplant: two General Electee T-700 turboshafts, each rated at 1212-kW (1,625-hp.)
Maximum speed: 352 knvh (219 m. p h,)
Range: 590 >;m (387 ml.)
Hover celling: .1495 m (14,747 ft.)
Weights: «mpty 4627 kg (10.200 lb); loaded 6690 kg (14.749 lb.)
Armament: one Ml97 20-mm cannon in undernose lurrot and four underwing hardpoints tor guded anu-armour or air-to-air rrvsstlcs. Minigun peds. or unguided high explosive rockets
Dimensions:
rotor diameter fuselage length height
rotor efoe area
|
|
|
Fot use agttMKt •son’ target» such as iroops and trucks, the Cobra cartes seven-round rocket poos on the slubpytora
|
|
|
‘eu luril-biiiing Cobras are at work today Tile I IS Army introduced TOW missiles to liglu tanks. Тік* Marines went a step fuithvr with the laser – guided і lelltire missile, fired from many kilomeiie. s away to kill a tank wilh pinpoint accuracy
Today. Marines use the AII-IW W luskey Colira. a warrfcjr for ihe hi-tech battlefield: as loiniidable in many situations
|
|
|
.is tin – Army ч newer Apache, whieli came along years Liter The WllLskey Cobra excels.«t amphibious warfare, flying front ship decks or from land. I’iloLv «Я" tins thin, graceful ship praise its nimble flying <|ti. iliiles and ii-s flexibility and lighiitig prowess
|
|
|
14.63 m (48 ft ) 13.87 m (45 ft. 6 m.) 4.11 m (13 ft. 6 in.) 168.11 m’ (1.809 sq. ft.)
|
|
|
|
|
The Blub p>*0PS provide nol or*, Ihn rnw*w to cany а агда леэооп dod out also act as mwiture wing*, providng valuable extra lift wtton iho Cobra is m lotward tight
|
|
|
Spearheading tho Marine assault is the AH-1W. sweeping ahead ot the ground troops to root out enemy armour and artillery before they can do any damage.
|
|
|
The Cobras UK rotors aro made bom art aturmwjm honeycomb with a storUgss stool окт
|
|
|
Above and tmmw iho ptoftt cockpit, v© spocav bodes which cut cables. Such obstructons are a very rest danger at tho oitiudes at wtich
|
|
|
The two-mwl ensw worfa as a team Ihepfof a in the rftv cockpit, sitting hgn up so ho can get n good. vrwrd view слог tt« head of the gunner n lira licnt seat. Iho Qurvtor has a cotntrw ving ‘new of Iho battiotakl. arcJIиз right vlton tights to nefp hm Лт Iho waipcxu
|
|
|
Undo. ihoAM-iWy clwi to a GerKtral BecWe turret whfclt houses tiv deadly20-tttni Mt97 саллуї This weapon has three bomv, -■ ’•! can tv, і «і a tale of,975 «хто» per minute.
•°<7 – ach ллі e imtoa to f*-‘ 16 схлх;- in© turret can **v>3 through t io – either sde of the not»
|
|
|
|
|
Магте Cobras tty n u bowidonng variety of cofcx* adernoa. usisSy apptea according to the type of terra* to be encountered lbs strange sand. and-gmy schorne was apptaj for Ute Gulf V,’ar.
|
|
|
Because o* 1’yrr шкіце aoA!«*. role opt <v« Oa not ro*j virintrotiM fixed tun** Opotafirg Irom hdee very close to thy ooton ana, tlwy can get into action r*ry qucd/. ana m*r tack <4 range wren cany ng a k*l kwa of luel troops and weapons a no rundcxi
|
|
 |
|
Firing the TOW
TOW stands for Tube-launched. Optically- sighted, Wlro-guidod, and <5 an admirably succinct explanation of how tho mlsoilo is
|
|
|
WIRE GUIDANCE: When It it. fired, the
TOW trnilii wires behind it which remain attached to tho beflcoptor. These transmil
guidance commands from the gunner, who lltoraily ‘flies’ the missile to Its target.
TRACKING: On tho back of tho missile aro small (tares which allow tl« gunner to follow its progress. Ho keeps the ьдМ centred on target, and tho missile is automatically guided to tho point of mm.
|
|
|
АИ-tW SUPERCMM
2S0Vm<1$Sml.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bell
