Time Period: Post-WW2
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Helicopters & Vertical Flight
Manufacturer: Boeing
Boeing AH-64 Apache Helicopter Overview
The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine attack helicopter renowned for its lethality, versatility, and survivability in combat. Designed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, the Apache is operated by numerous armed forces worldwide, including the United States Army and a plethora of international militaries.
Distinguished by its sleek and menacing appearance, the AH-64 Apache features a tandem cockpit configuration, with the pilot sitting at the rear and the co-pilot/gunner seated at the front. This arrangement optimizes visibility and situational awareness, crucial for conducting missions ranging from close air support to anti-tank warfare.
The Apache is armed with a formidable array of weapons, including the AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, Hydra 70 rocket pods, and a 30mm M230 chain gun mounted beneath the helicopter’s nose. These armaments allow the Apache to engage a wide range of targets, from armored vehicles and enemy installations to infantry positions, with precision and devastating firepower.
Powered by two turboshaft engines, the Apache is capable of swift and agile maneuvers, even in challenging environments. Its advanced avionics suite includes a Longbow fire control radar, electro-optical sensors, and a sophisticated targeting system, enabling the crew to detect, identify, and engage targets day or night, and in adverse weather conditions.
Boeing AH-64A/D Specifications
- Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
- Length: 58 ft 2 in (17.73 m)
- Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
- Height: 12 ft 8 in (3.87 m)
- Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
- Gross weight: 17,650 lb (8,006 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T700-GE-701 turboshaft engines, 1,690 shp (1,260 kW) each (upgraded to 1,890 shp (1,409 kW) T700-GE-701C for AH-64A/D from 1990)
- Main rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
- Main rotor area: 1,908.5 sq ft (177.31 m2) 4-bladed main-rotor and 4-bladed tail-rotor in non-orthogonal alignment
- Blade section: root: HH-02; tip: NACA 64A006
Boeing AH-64A/D Performance
- Maximum speed: 158 kn (182 mph, 293 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 143 kn (165 mph, 265 km/h)
- Never exceed speed: 197 kn (227 mph, 365 km/h)
- Range: 257 nmi (296 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
- Combat range: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
- Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,178 mi, 1,896 km)
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
- Disk loading: 9.8 lb/sq ft (48 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.30 kW/kg)
Boeing AH-64A/D Armament
- Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds as part of the Area Weapon Subsystem
- Hardpoints: Four pylon stations on the stub wings. Longbows also have a station on each wingtip for an AIM-92 Stinger twin missile pack.
- Rockets: Hydra 70 70 mm, CRV7 70 mm, and APKWS 70 mm air-to-ground rockets
- Missiles: Typically AGM-114 Hellfire variants; Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS); AGM-65 Maverick and Spike missiles may also be carried.
Boeing AH-64 Apache Image Gallery
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