TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FROM THE AH-64D APACHE LONGBOW
The AH-64D Apache Longbow is an advanced Attack Helicopter(AH) with an Multi purpose role. The Helicopter is Fabricated in the United States of America by Boeing, at the Helicopter Department in Mesa. (If you want the adress just mail it to me and I'll give you the adress.)
It is a two seat's Helicopter. The co-pilot/gunner sits in front and the pilot sits richt behind him but a little bit higher. It has a great arsenal of weapons. If you don't want to read the whole page,....just look at the BLUE marked words. Those are the most important.
APACHE LAY-OUT
2: The AGM-114L LONGBOW HELLFIRE
4: The TADS system. TADS stands for Target Aquisition and Designation System. at the same spot as teh TADS is positioned is also the second importand sustem placed. The PNVS. PNVS stands for Pilot Night Vision Sensors. This system gives the Pilot the opportunity to navigate in the dark and bad weather conditions.
5: The COCKPIT
6:The ENGINE'S. The AH-64D Apache is powerd by two T700-GE-701C engines from General Electrics. Transferring power from engines to the rotors is the transmission system. To increase survivability in its hostile environment, the Apache's transmission was designed to operate for one hour without oil.
7:The BODY. According to Boeing the Apache is designed "for combat survivability and crashworthiness". The company says the AH-64 is invulnerable to 7.62 mm projectiles, tolerant against 12,7 mm/.50 caliber projectiles, and survivable against 23mm explosive projectiles. THe helicopters most sensitive components are isolated or duplicated.
Boeing says that the crew should be able to walk away from a crash "after the nose slams head-on into an obstruction at 20 feet per second."
8:The MAIN ROTOR. The key to any helicopter is the rotor. Unlike other aircraft, there are no conventional wings to allow the structure to remain airborne. Rather, the helicopter depends on the correct operation of the spinning blades and the powerplant that allows the rotor to do this.
The rotor mast is attached to the airframe at eight seperate points, with the drive-shaft running through it. The leading edge of the rotor is made up of titanium while the trailing edge is covered in a graphite composite material. Internally each blade consists of a glass-fiber honeycomb supported by five tubular spars of stainless steel which devide the blade into sections. Damage to the rotor blade should be confined to the particular section that was hit. The rotor is designed to keep functioning even after taking a direct hit from 23mm "high explosive incendiary projectiles".
8:The TAIL ROTOR. Most helicopter require asecondary rotor to counteract the torque of the main rotor. Without the tail rotor, the Helicopter will simply rotate around his axis. The majority of helicopters employ a smaller rotor mounted vertically at the end of the tailboom .
By the Apache the dual rotors cross each other at an angle of 55 degrees which results in a reduction in noise from the tail totor. And they are capable of one hour of operation following ballistic damage. The rotor is designed to keep functioning even after taking a direct hit from 23mm "high explosive incendiary projectiles". Mounted at the end of the tailboom is a large horizontal stabiliser. The wing-like surface is capable of 30 degrees of travel and provides stability during hovering maneuvers.
ENGINE, SPEED AND FUEL
The Helicopter is Powered by 2 Engines. This are General Electrics T700-GE-701C Turboshafts. This gives a power from about 2 X 1409 kW maximum continuous and 1447 kW emergency power with one engine inoperative.
These two Engines are giving the Helicopter the following Performances:
- a Max. cruise speed of 265 km/h at sea level, or a max speed of 250 km/h on hot day at 1220 m
- a Max. rate of climb from 12,8 m/s at sea level
- a Max. vertikal rate of climb from 8,4 m/s at sea level, or 5,9 m/s at 1220 m on a hot day.
- a Hovering Ceiling from 3075 meters at 7480 kg at an standard day (1935 m on a hot day) with ground effect, and a ceiling from 4360 meters at 7480 Kg without ground effect.
- a Maximum flight distance from 407 km with standard tanks (1421 Liters ), 30 minutes reserve fuel is also onboard. This means that the Apache uses 3 liters of fuel for one Kilometrer flying!
- a Maximum flight distance from 1900 km with external fuel tanks. Every external fuel tank can be loaded with 870 liters of fuel. 4 external fuel tanks can be attached to the apache. So the apache can be loaded with 4900 liters of fuel.
- a Endurance of 3 Hours and 9 minutes on internal fuel.
- G-limits from +3.5 till -0.5 at low altitude and speed up to 300 km/h.
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SIZE AND WEIGHT
If you want to put 2 crew members, weapons, fuel, electronics, engines, armour, etc., etc...... into one helicopter........you'll need a big body to place everything into it. Well The Apache has a big body !
How big?........well,...This Big!:
- It has a Fuselage length from 15,47 meters.
- a overall length from 17,73 meters.
- a Height of 4,95 meters over radar.
- a wing span from 5,79 meters over wingtip missile pods.
- a Main-Rotor disk from 14,63 meters
- a Tail-Rotor disk from 2,79 meters
Offcourse it's all made from the lightest and strongest materials. Butt when a Helicopter has this size, it also has a great weight. It's empty weight is 5352 Kilograms. It's primary mission gross weight is 7480 Kg and it's Design mission gross weight is 8006 kg. It's maximum take-off weight is 10.107 Kilograms with full fuel.
PRICE
And Ofcourse all this has a price tag! A new AH-64D costed in June 1998 approximately 20 milion US-Dollars !! And a upgrade from A to D -standard will cost 5,2 Million US-Dollars per Unit. (Of which nearly half is for the radar).
