BELL AH-1 COBRA

Bell AH-1 Cobra

Bell AH-1 Cobra

Introduction

The AH-1 Cobra was developed by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited in 1965 as a successor to the UH-1B and UH-1C Huey utility helicopters that served in Vietnam. It was the world's first dedicated armed attack helicopter and had a crew of two, the pilot in the rear seat and the gunner in the front. The AH-1 is a fast and heavily armed helicopter and has been built in many versions over the years. The AH-1G helicopter protected unarmed Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters during the Vietnam war and was first used in 1967. The helicopter was powered by a Lycoming T53-L-13 turbine engine. This engine, a new wide-bladed rotor and the slim design of the furselage gave it a maximum speed of 170 knots, which is about two times the speed of the Hueys it had to protect(Gunston, 1986).

Discussion

The Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter has struck fear in the hearts of the enemy for more than 30 years. Armed helicopters first came into widespread use in Vietnam in the early Sixties. Limitations of the modified armed utility helicopters initially used led to the specially configured attack helicopter. The later models of the AH-1 Cobra, with its proven firepower and maneuverability, went on to fight in every major US military operation since Vietnam. The Cobra continued its service with the US Marines as of 2008, as well as eight other foreign nations.

The Cobra traces its lineage from the UH-1 Huey and was originally developed for the US Army in the mid-sixties. The Cobra's designation shows this heritage, being treated as a subvariant of the H-1 pattern, and with the exception of certain US Army models, does not overlap with other UH-1 subvariants. The original Cobra retained the Huey's engine, transmission, and other major parts, but replaced the Huey's bulky fuselage with a thin profile fuselage with tandem seating. The Marine Corps later adopted a twin engine variant of the airframe to perform troop helicopter escort and provide autonomous tank killing capability. Through the years, the Cobra went through extensive modernization. The Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra boasts an advanced Night Targeting System (NTS) and a full suite of survivability equipment and the planned AH-1Z Viper boasts even further improved capabilities(Nolan, 1971).

The primary missions of the Cobra have been helicopter Close Air Support (CAS), escort of transport helicopters and ground convoys, armed reconnaissance, helicopter air-to-air attack, anti-shipping operations, and coordination and terminal control of fixed wing CAS, artillery, mortars, and naval gunfire. It was the only western attack helicopter with a proven air-to-air and anti-radar missile capability for many years. The rear seat pilot is primarily responsible for maneuvering the aircraft. The front pilot controls the aircraft's weapons systems, but he also has a full set aircraft controls.

The development of the Bell AH-1 "Huey" Cobra dates back to the 1960's when the need was recognized for a light fast armed escort helicopter designed specifically to carry weapons and be able to target them very ...