Forum: Rotary Wing Aircraft

The AH-1Z is superior to the Apache only in a straight line run while clean. It wont be any more "agile" so far as drastic menuvers since they both are limited by the rotor assembly. If we really wanted the end all be all aerobatic helicopter we would have put a fully rigid rotor on the Apache rather than a full articulating rotor, but that causes its own problems. (Crew and Airframe fatigue being a big one). And its very much superior to the old AH-1 in an aerobatic regime (You do not! fly low G menuvers on a semi-rigid rotor).

The Block III Longbow is lightyears ahead of every other attack helicopter on the planet to include the Zulu Cobra. The integration of the TADS, IHADS, And new systems just allow the thing to be a better weapons platform than anything out there.

On the downside the Apache is a slow helicopter, as with all other gunships out there. Fact of the matter is nobody can keep up with a clean Hawk or Lynx. An Apache toting around 16 hellfires will only break 100 knots in certain conditions.

Air Cav!

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An Apache toting around 16 hellfires will only break 100 knots in certain conditions.

If it can lift them up ... j/k..

KarimAbdoun wrote:

But how good is the Apache really? What makes it the best aside from having the Longbow system and hellfire missiles?

When you say how good, you are asking a very general and vague question... How good in what aspect? Comms, countermeasures, offensive weapons, pilot load? Maintenance hours? What? We are ditching the Longbow system, battlefield is so much wired nowadays we certainly don't have the tactics that require us to carry that overhead load. AH-64s in Iraq earned their money by honing on to the enemy with the 30mm gun as compared to AGM-114s.

Lawman wrote:

The integration of the TADS, IHADS,

Those systems are already integrated and work in conjunction.

What are you by the way, you say "Air Cav!" here and another post you say you are in NFO program in the Navy?

Warrant down at Rucker who spends to much time on here and not enough beating himself to death with his -10.

So Navy didn't work out eh?

When are you graduating?

I was never actually in the Navy. Did some stuff with the Marines, got medically F'd up. Took time to get a waiver. Now Im loving the Army ... just not B Co. As for graduation... At the currant rate of constantly moving bubble sizes... God only knows. Im pretty much planning to be here till March 2011.

You Guard, Active, or Reserve?

Ok I see, I was just curious, I just have a very investigative personality I guess. I saw you'd posted about being in the pipeline for the Naval Flight Officer program and then saw you post here, wanted to make sure who I was talking to, sorry there are tons of impostors on this forum.

I am active. I will be at Rucker in January 2010. I was there two weeks ago, trying to see the housing options. Assuming, you did not spend enlisted time in the Army?

Everybody loves to knock Daleville, but man my rent is cheap.

No E time in the Army. I was in the PLC program with the Marines a few years ago, hence my time and resultant injurys. Im just crazy about the whole Intel/Capability knowledge since Im trying to be the one guy in TacOps that isnt a dirt bag.

Everyone talks about getting a place in Enterprise but I have seen it, everyone is there. I don't want to be cooped up in a small townhouse and worry about neighbors again. Planning to rent a home in Daleville also.

I'll say this, the Apache does what the Army wants to do very well. Likewise, the AH-1Z will serve the Corps very well.

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The Apache has a modern electronic systems, like the TADS and the PNVS, with a FLIR and a laser pod to guide the Hellfire misiles

Correction: TADS/PNVS are not modern systems. They are first generation systems that were developed in the 70s. MTADS/MPNVS (M is for modernized -- AKA Arrowhead) are the latest, but I'd say the majority of the world wide Apache fleet doesn't have them. Another thing, the Apache does not use a laser pod. The TADS contains a Laser Spot Tracker (Laser Tracker Receiver-LTR) and a Laser Range Finder Designator (sitting right behind the LTR in the form of the Laser Transceiver Unit - LTU) that are part of the Day Side Sub-Assembly which contains most hardware for firing and acquiring lasers.

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An Apache toting around 16 hellfires will only break 100 knots in certain conditions.

In hot-high conditions the Apache will do way better than that. They're not like the old UH-1M gunships of Vietnam. An Apache toting around 16 Hellfires will break 100 kts in every situation unless you have a 40kt head wind. During OIF 1 my units birds cruised about 140kts and were fully laden with weapons and fuel, to include the combo pack in the ammo bay. Apaches are pretty fast, but they can't keep up with Hawks and Hooks. That may change in the future with newer drive train, updated engines and new composite rotor blades.

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I will be at Rucker in January 2010

You going to flight school? If so, congrats. Armt Dawgs make good pilots.

discofishing wrote:

You going to flight school? If so, congrats. Armt Dawgs make good pilots.

That is when I start WOCS, yes. If only I could be high enough on the OML, AH-64 will be my choice.

With the way selections are typically running for B Co right now you could graduate at the bottom of your class and probably get Guns.

Forum: Rotary Wing Aircraft

How good is the Apache really?