AH-1S COBRA
The AH-1S Cobra is an American two-seat, single-engine attack helicopter designed to provide direct support to ground troops and to destroy enemy forces and equipment.
It is more than 50 years since the prototype of the first Cobra took off (3.9.1965), the concept of the "Iroquois Warrior" combat helicopter existed at Bell 3 years earlier. The Vietnam War reinforced the need for an attack helicopter and accelerated its development. In April 1966, Bell won the Army's competition for the attack helicopter over Lockheed, Boeing, Sikorsky and Piasecki.
Bell's Model 209 was developed using the engine, gearbox and rotor of the Bell UH-1C "Iroquois" system known as the "Huey". Therefore, the Cobra's first nickname was the "Huey Cobra" (AH-1G).
The first helicopters Cobra (AH-1G) were delivered to the US Army in June 1967. They participated in the Vietnam War as fire support assets for ground troops, transport helicopter escorts, as aerial artillery (Hydra 70 mm rockets) or in conjunction with the OH-6 reconnaissance destroying enemy positions. In Vietnam, AH-1 Cobra numbers exceeded 1,000 (in 1967-73) and over 300 were lost in combat or crashes.
Pilot: Jiří Podolský
Specification
| Characteristic: | Characteristic: | ||
| Manufacturer: | BELL Heliptopter | Powerplant: | 1x AVCO Lycoming T53-L-703 |
| Crew: | 2 | Engine power: | 1 800 hp |
| Main rotor diameter: | 13,4 m | Type of engine: | turboshaft |
| Length: | 16,2 m | Range: | 680 km |
| Height: | 4,12 m | Service ceiling: | 3 719 m |
| Empty weight: | 2 993 kg | Fuel: | JET A-1 |
| Maximum Take-off weight: | 4 535 kg | Fuel capacity: | 992 l |
| Cruising speed: | 240-280 km/h | Fuel consumption: | 380 l/h |
