Bell AH-1 Cobra

[Stingray]

You can find info about it here, with a picture of the aircraft in flight:
http://stingraysrotorforum.activeboard.com/t40703016/bell-hueycobra-mods/

 

[Creative]

Thanks!

 

[luedo34]

Another question to all those AH-1 esperts here:
Is there any difference between an AH-1Q and the AH-1 S(MOD)...apart from the new engine and transmission?
I mean how can I decide which is which when I look at the two?
Thanks, Luedo

 

[luedo34]

Hi everybody,
I have some more questions on the AH-1, now the AH-1W and Z.
Any answers/help would be greatly appreciated!
Does anyone know more about the following:
- the use of AH-1W in Afghanistan? Problems? Noticeable events?
- how many AH-1W were/are used in Afghanistan?
- Wikipedia says 3 were lost, 2 in accidents and 1 in combat. Is that correct?
- has the AH-1Z already been deployed to Afghanistan?
- I understgand that a number of AH-1W were deployed of the coast of Libya in 2011. Did they take part in the fighting?
- how many AH-1Z have the Marines received yet (May 2012)
Thank you!

 

[tahsin]

What on earth is a "Helo Trap Weapon"?

Some info here:
http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=4111

The link says the Helo Trap was used on people in Arizona, isn't that odd unless Arizona is a code name for a place in Vietnam?

 

[TomS]

The Arizona Territory was the name the Marines used for a section of relatively flat open land southwest of Da Nang.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


here is a wind tunnel Model for Bell AH-1G with V-tail.


http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.58834

 

[CostasTT]

With M230 Chain Gun (via Sobchak Security blog):

 

[KonTim]

Was there any version of AH-1 called Cobra 2000 using the EO/IR sensors of the AH-64 Apache intended to scout role?

 

[yasotay]

I do believe there was an effort to interest the Army in an advanced Cobra with a four bladed rotor system (480?) , new transmission and upgraded TOW system. Army was all in on the Apache program at that point and they told Bell not to bother. I think that Bell then tried to sell the program to West Germany, but the Germans were not interested either.

 

[fightingirish]

I will post some information about the Bell Model 249 PAH-2 / Bell Model 2000 tomorrow.

Bell Model 249 PAH-2:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,207.msg251083.html#msg251083

The Bell Model 2000 was a step-by step upgrade packege for older US Army AH-1s Cobras. It would have based on the Bell Model 249. A goal of this program was to keep the main fuselage intact without building new ones. If Bell had won the German PAH-2 program, it was planned, that nearly all AH-1s Cobras stationed in Europe would have been upgraded and refurbished under licence by Dornier at their final production site near Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
First step would have been adding the FLIR Augmented COBRA TOW Sight (FACTS) and then the Martin Marietta Target Acquisition and Designation Sights, Pilot Night Vision System (TADS/PNVS).
Later on a new 4-blade main rotor and the General Electric T700 engine would have been added to this upgrade package. Other parts, like a fire suppression system, modern communication systems etc. would have would have been added.

In the end, the US Government invested in new AH-64 Apaches for the US Army instead . Bell got orders for the AH-T/W Super Cobra for the USMC. And like other US helicopters manufactures in the mid 80's, Bell was already looking at the LHX-program.


Source:
Interavia Germany, May 1982, pages 508 + 509

 

[F-14D]

If it hasn't already been posed elsewhere, here's an excellent book that goes into serious detail about the various versions and includes a number of heretofore unpublished photos as well as new info:

Cobra! The Attack Helicopter by Mike Verier ISBN: 1781593388
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Attack-Helicopter-Fifty-Sharks/dp/1781593388/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1433210225

Also available on Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Attack-Helicopter-Fifty-Sharks-ebook/dp/B00ONZQ7GE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1433210225

 

[fightingirish]

I do believe there was an effort to interest the Army in an advanced Cobra with a four bladed rotor system (480?) , new transmission and upgraded TOW system. Army was all in on the Apache program at that point and they told Bell not to bother. I think that Bell then tried to sell the program to West Germany, but the Germans were not interested either.

Here is another Bell effort to interest the Army in an advanced Cobra with a four bladed rotor system.
Source:
http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19820426/77/1

Stingray and hesham, please feel free to post these scans and information over on your helicopter forum.

 

[marauder2048]

PMA-259 briefing at NDIA Gulf Coast Air Armament Symposium 2016.

 

[turboshaft]

One from the archives: a rather basic artist's rendering of a wheel gear configured AH-1Z, from a ~1999 timescale brochure titled "What You Should Know About The KingCobra and it's [sic] Competition."

I believe this was related to the Turkish ATAK competition (unless Bell was also secretly promoting the Zulu to Peru at the same time ;D), the AH-1Z having initially 'won' ATAK in July 2000. A Defense News article from mid-2003 subsequently revealed that "the Turks gave up their insistence on a wheeled version, agreeing to a platform with skids, like the U.S. Marine version [which] greatly reduces the cost,” though Turkey ultimately ditched the Zulu and went with the T129 instead.

Plus the logo for the now discontinued KingCobra designation, from the same document.

 

[RAP]

Some info and drawings of the PAH-2 for NATO.

 

[RavenOne]

Year back, DoD approved possible sale of Bell Ah-1Z/ UH-1Y as well as Sikorsky UH-60M to Czech Republic. All part of modernizing their rotary wing fleet from the Cold War era Of Mi-24 Hinds and Mi-8/17 Hips.

Czech Republic – AH-1Z Attack Helicopters | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

Now Bell has received funds and production Can go ahead .

Bell Textron receives $272 million for Czech’s UH-1Y and AH-1Z production

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Bell Textron Inc. nearly $272 million in contract related to the UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters for the government of the Czech Republic. The contract award from Naval Air Systems Command enables the company to produce and deliver eight UH-1Y and four...

defence-blog.com

cheers

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Greetings All -

A drawing from the Late Dick Atkins of the Bell 209 dating from March 1965.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[Orionblamblam]

Greetings All -

A drawing from the Late Dick Atkins of the Bell 209 dating from March 1965.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

You win the Internet for today. Bravo!

 

[helmutkohl]

Bell to offer Ah-1Z to South Korea..
i thought South Korea had their own attack helicopter project?

Bell Textron eyes deal for S. Korea's attack helicopter | Yonhap News Agency

By Choi Soo-hyang SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Yonhap) -- Bell Textron Inc., a U.S. aerospace manufact...

en.yna.co.kr

 

[aonestudio]

USMC Completes First AH-1Z Flight with Link-16

Link-16 enables the AH-1Z—unlike any other helicopter in the world with its fully integrated anti-air capability and AIM-9 Sidewinder -- to quickly obtain and share information from its sensors with other weapons systems using its onboard digital architecture. This is accomplished through Northrop Grumman’s Link-16 package, which includes a new digital moving map, a new security architecture, and the Link-16 and Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform (ANW2) datalinks.

USMC Completes First AH-1Z Flight with Link-16

Bell and Northrop Grumman integrate new data link into Viper

news.bellflight.com

 

[RavenOne]

First Bahraini Viper assembled

Bell Completes First Bahrain AH-1Z Viper

Deliveries expected to Bahrain in 2022

news.bellflight.com

cheers

 

[yasotay]

Will always be my favorite ride. Except in my day we could not afford the two extra blades or the extra engine.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Bell rolls out first AH-1Z helicopter for Bahrain

Textron subsidiary Bell has completed the first of 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for Bahrain, delivering it to U.S. Naval Air Systems Command as part of a 2019 Foreign Military Sales contract.

www.defensenews.com

 

[RavenOne]

Assembly of both their UH-1Y (started last year ) and now their AH-Z begins

BELL BEGINS PRODUCTION ON CZECH REPUBLIC AH-1Z

Enters full-scale production for global H-1

news.bellflight.com

Cheers

 

[Forest Green]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1503735975482118144

View: https://twitter.com/navalnewscom/status/1503735975482118144

 

[isayyo2]

From a few weeks ago

BELL BEGINS PRODUCTION ON CZECH REPUBLIC AH-1Z

Enters full-scale production for global H-1

news.bellflight.com

Maybe a future order on the way?

Czech Republic weighs upping its order of Bell-made Venom, Viper helicopters

Local industry observers expect Prague to purchase a further 12 aircraft on top of its first 2019 order.

www.defensenews.com

 

[RavenOne]

Hmmm Vipers for Nigeria so two decades ago they were looking for an AH fleet and I was dealing with their mil attaché in London w.r.t maintenance contracts for their Puma fleet. Their air attaché wantEd me to do an analysis of the AH marketplace at the time. Don’t get me wrong they were pretty ambitious with their dream sheet (AH-64D, AH-1W, Tigre, AW129).

Nigeria – AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Related FMS Acquisitions | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

US Greenlights $997M AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Sale Deal for Nigeria - GovCon Wire

US Greenlights $997M AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Sale Deal for Nigeria

www.govconwire.com

 

[Combat-Master]

Turkey's AH-1W recently transferred to the Navy, previously being used by the Army. What would be the device that's attached above the wing ?

 

[yasotay]

I believe those are likely to be flare/chaff bucket mounting brackets.

 

[Archibald]

Hmmm Vipers for Nigeria so two decades ago they were looking for an AH fleet and I was dealing with their mil attaché in London w.r.t maintenance contracts for their Puma fleet. Their air attaché wantEd me to do an analysis of the AH marketplace at the time. Don’t get me wrong they were pretty ambitious with their dream sheet (AH-64D, AH-1W, Tigre, AW129).

Nigeria – AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Related FMS Acquisitions | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

US Greenlights $997M AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Sale Deal for Nigeria - GovCon Wire

US Greenlights $997M AH-1Z Attack Helicopter Sale Deal for Nigeria

www.govconwire.com

Surely enough, they need something simple and rugged to kick islamists (ugly) arses.

 

[isayyo2]

6 AH-1Z and 2 UH-1Ys donated to Czechia

U.S. to give Czechs eight attack, utility helicopters

The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country's aid to Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

 

[yasotay]

6 AH-1Z and 2 UH-1Ys donated to Czechia

U.S. to give Czechs eight attack, utility helicopters

The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country's aid to Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

Platforms made redundant by the Commandant's modernization plan.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Bell delivers final Cobra attack helicopter to US Marine Corps (flightglobal.com, registration or subscription may be required)

Helicopter-maker Bell has delivered its final AH-1 airframe to the US Marine Corps (USMC).

The Textron subsidiary said on 2 November that the handover of the 189th AH-1Z Viper, originally known as the Cobra, to the USMC marks the completion of the service’s programme of record for the H-1 type, which also included the UH-1 Huey utility lift helicopter.

“The first production lot of USMC H-1s was ordered in 1962, and they changed the way Marines fight today,” says Mike Deslatte, Bell vice-president and H-1 programme director. “Completing the AH-1Z and UH-1Y deliveries to the US Marine Corps adds one more chapter to the legacy of the H-1 platform.”

Bell says the AH-1Z and UH-1Y share 85% commonality, despite differing missions and airframes that are visually distinct.

The H-1 production line began producing Hueys for the US Army in 1959 – a staggering 63-year run. While the army in the 1980s replaced Hueys and Cobras with the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache, the USMC has continued to operate modernised versions of the airframes.

Bell says it delivered the final UH-1Y, designated the Venom, to the USMC in 2018. The company produced 160 of the “Yankee”-model UH-1s for the service.

Both H-1 types saw combat service with the USMC during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“H-1s are key to the 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan,” says Colonel Vasillios Pappas, programme manager for light and attack helicopters. “With the US programme of record now complete, the Marines have the flexibility to manage and deploy the helicopters based on current and future mission requirements as established at the start of the programme.”

[snip]

 

[RavenOne]

Pleasure to see the Flying Bulls Bell AH-1F again in my other neck of the woods, albeit the new one (thanks to Northwest Helicopters Inc) as Blackie Schwaz had accident in their old TAh-1F back in 2017. Over the last 15 years Ive seen their Cobra (be it the old one) or newer one recently at Airpower 2022 at Zeltweg air base. So here are my photos from September.




cheers

 

[Combat-Master]

Bahrani AH-1F, modernisation package by Turkish Aerospace Industries. Modernisation included new mission computers, updated E/O turret and integration of UMTAS and CIRIT (seen mounted) missiles

 

[RavenOne]

Slovaks to get AH-1Z as thankyou from USA for supplying Ukraines with Mig 29

Slovakia gets U.S. helicopter offer after sending jets to Ukraine

The United States has offered to sell Slovakia 12 new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a two-thirds discount after Bratislava sent its retired MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

cheers

 

[isayyo2]

Interesting move by Bahrain

The Government of Bahrain has requested to buy equipment and services to refurbish twenty-four (24) Excess Defense Article (EDA) AH-1W multi-role helicopters. Included are services to refurbish a full-motion Aircraft Procedures Trainer (APT), M272A1 missile launchers and spare T-700-GE-401 aircraft engines, spare parts, support, training, publications, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $350 million.

Bahrain – AH-1W Helicopter Refurbishment | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

 

[yasotay]

Always happy to see my beloved Cobra getting a fresh coat of paint and a new lease on life. I do wonder if the Slovakian AH-1Z will be "new" or refurbished excess stock from the USMC that went into storage.

 

[TomS]

Always happy to see my beloved Cobra getting a fresh coat of paint and a new lease on life. I do wonder if the Slovakian AH-1Z will be "new" or refurbished excess stock from the USMC that went into storage.

Good question. Then press releases around that Slovak deal all say "new" so I think they are likely to be straight off the line rather than refurbished. (And probably also not any of the Zs that the Marines are storing.)

About the Bahrain purchase of Whiskey Cobras, they just finished buying a small batch of Zulus and have 20+ AH-1Fs and TAH-1Ps still kicking around as well. I assume the idea is to replace the Fs and Ps with the Ws, presumably updated for some commonality with the Zs but probably not a full rebuild. Because frankly it would be cheaper and likely faster at this point to buy new AH-1Zs than to completely rebuild Whiskeys to the Zulu standard.