Bell AH-1 Cobra

 

Bell AH-1 Cobra

The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also called the Huey Cobra or Snake.

The AH-1 was rapidly developed as an interim gunship in response to the United States Army's needs in the Vietnam War. It used the same engine, transmission, and rotor system as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, which had already proven to be a capable platform during the conflict, but paired it with a redesigned narrow fuselage among other features. The original AH-1, being a dedicated attack helicopter, came equipped with stub wings for various weapons, a chin-mounted gun turret, and an armored tandem cockpit, from which it was operated by a pilot and gunner. Its design was shaped to fulfill a need for a dedicated armed escort for transport helicopters, giving the latter greater survivability in contested environments. On 7 September 1965, the Model 209 prototype performed its maiden flight; after rapidly gaining the support of various senior officials, quantity production of the type proceeded rapidly with little revision.

 Specifications

• Crew: 2
• Length: 12.28 m (40 ft 3 in)
• Height: 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)
• Empty weight: 2,530 kg (5,578 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 4,600 kg (10,141 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Gem 2-1004D (license built by Piaggio) turboshaft engines, 664 kW (890 hp) each
• Main rotor diameter: 11.9 m (39 ft 1 in)
• Main rotor area: 111.2 m2 (1,197 sq ft) 5-bladed main rotor

performance overview

• Maximum speed: 278 km/h (173 mph, 150 kn)
• Cruise speed: 229 km/h (142 mph, 124 kn)
• Range: 510 km (320 mi, 280 nmi)
• Ferry range: 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 4,725 m (15,502 ft)
• Rate of climb: 10.2 m/s (2,010 ft/min)

Bell AH-1 Cobra AI pic

weapon system

• Guns:
  
  • 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M197 three-barrel Gatling-type cannon (500 rounds) in a TM197B Light Turreted Gun System (only CBT version)
  • 12.7 mm (.50 in) machine gun pod
• Rockets: 4 pods with
  • 38× 81 mm (3.19 in) unguided rockets 
  • 76× 70 mm (2.75 in) unguided rockets 
• Missiles:
  
• 8× AGM-114 Hellfire or BGM-71 TOW or Spike-ER anti-tank missiles
• 4-8× AIM-92 Stinger or Mistral anti-aircraft missiles