boeing-sikorsky rah-66 comanche

Boeing-sikorsky Rah-66 Comanche - Advanced for its time, but the lessons learned during its development and testing have found new life in other advanced programs. Security officers are also important

To increase the survivability of fighter jets, it seems certain that we will see other stealth helicopters enter service at some point; And when we do, we will surely benefit from Comanche's failures and successes.

Boeing-sikorsky Rah-66 Comanche

The United States has long led the world in stealth technology, and for a while, it looked like America's love of all things stealth would extend to rotorcraft like the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter.

Rah 66 Comanche Image

By the early 1980s, the Soviet Union was still a threat to the security and interests of the United States, only ten years away from its collapse. However, elements of America's security apparatus are beginning to emerge long after decades of maneuvering and obstruction. and the occasional proxy war.

With the Soviet Union still believed to be raising large sums of money for their advanced military projects, the U.S. The military is working to find a suitable replacement for its fleet of Vietnam-era light attack and reconnaissance helicopters. Light Helicopter Experimental Program (LHX). Despite the complexity of the effort, the program's intended goal was simple: install a single rotorcraft capable of replacing the UH-1, AH-1, OH-6, and OH-58 helicopters currently sitting in Army hangars.

By the end of the decade, the Army announced that two teams, Boeing-Sikorsky and Bell-McDonnell Douglas, had met the requirements for their proposals, and were awarded contracts to develop their designs. In 1991, Boeing-Sikorsky won its competition and was awarded $2.8 billion to begin production on six prototype helicopters.

The Boeing-Sikorsky helicopter, designated the RAH-66 Comanche, was designed as a reconnaissance and light attack platform. Its mission involves flying behind enemy lines in aerial combat to identify targets for heavy attack helicopters or ground units, but the RAH-66 does not necessarily retreat into combat.

Boeing Rah 66 Comanche

To meet the demands of the military, the Comanche needed to be able to engage lightly armored targets as well as identify more difficult targets for engagement than the more powerful Apache AH-64.

Most importantly, the RAH-66 had to be more survivable in combat space than the Army's existing scout helicopters, which meant borrowing design elements from existing stealth wing platforms such as the F-117 Nighthawk to win the new Comanche helicopter. was needed. Air defense systems and other helicopter-launched missiles.

The Boeing-Sikorsky team began building the program's first two prototypes, using the type of angled radar beam that gave the Nighthawk its profile. These areas are designed with radar integrated equipment to minimize the RAH-66 radar signature. Stealth helicopters also manage engine exhaust by channeling it through a shrouded tail area, reducing its infrared (or heat) signature to further limit its visibility.

Specially designed rotor blades are lowered to reduce helicopter noise in flight. Finally, a full radar warning system, electronic weapons system, and chaff and flare dispensers will help keep the RAH-66 crew safe while they ride behind Kevlar and graphite armor that can withstand direct fire from high-powered guns.

Comanche: America's Stealth Helicopter That Could Have Been

The result of all these technologies is a stealth helicopter that is said to have a radar cross section that is 250 times greater than the OH-58 Kiowa helicopter, with a 75% reduced infrared signature. Not that hard to spot on radar or hit by a heat-seeking missile. It is also said that the Comanche helicopter emits only half the noise of a conventional helicopter. Although the rotorcraft could be heard approaching, this meant that the enemy fighters had little time to prepare before the Comanche joined them.

Along with the discussion of the Comanche's secret technology, came armor. Stealth helicopters are expected to be ground and air targets in a combat zone, and their weapons reflect that purpose. Like future stealth fighters, the Comanche limited its radar range by carrying a retractable 20-millimeter XM301 Gatling cannon and space inside the weapons bay for six Hellfire missiles. If air superiority is established and stealth is no longer an immediate problem, additional external pylons can carry eight more Hellfires.

However, if the Comanche is sent behind enemy lines to hunt down other attack and reconnaissance helicopters, 12 AIM-92 Stinger missiles will be devastating. Again, with air superiority, extra

Pilots and weapons officers on board can use the cockpit displays and helmet-mounted systems found in today's advanced stealth aircraft such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Rah 66 Comanche With Pods For Gta San Andreas

It is equipped with a long-range infrared sensor that helps pinpoint targets, as well as a longbow radar that can be mounted on top of the rotor so the pilot can easily raise the radar to a hill or building - giving the crew a great opportunity. The deal promotes battlefield awareness and limits the proliferation of rotorcraft. Once the Comanche has located a target, the laser can be used to lock on to its internal weapon system.

The air-to-air reliability of the RAH-66 Comanche is enhanced by its speed and maneuverability. With a top speed of just over 200 mph and an acrobatic ability to nearly clear loop-de-loops, the Comanche

… But it was very visible when the first two Comanche prototypes flew

The first Comanche prototype took to the skies in January 1996, five years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Stealth helicopters were considered an essential weapon in the Cold War's continuing defense, but without the threat of a tech-savvy geopolitical boogeyman, they began to seem like a piece of junk. Comanche.

Boeing Sikorsky Rah 66 Comanche 3d Model

The Comanche was very advanced in its capabilities, but as is often the case with first-of-its-kind platforms, it came with a long list of cost overruns and technical setbacks. . The helicopter proved much heavier than expected; So heavy, in fact, that some wondered if the secret helicopter with its intended weapons would ever land. And weight is the beginning of Comanche disease.

Almost every system intended for use on the RAH-66 suffered setback after setback. Bugs in the software used to manage the helicopter's operations proved difficult—and expensive—to root out, the 3-barrel cannon didn't work as intended, the target tracking system didn't live up to expectations, and weight was a drag to try and drag. The power of the Comanche's planned T800 turboshaft engine is both slower.

Each of these problems could have been solved with enough time and money, but the American army grew tired of waiting for the Comanche to adapt to their ideas. Then, September 11, 2001 changed America's security priorities for decades to come. A year after the terrorist attack that led to a shift in the counterterrorism campaign, the Army cut its orders for the Comanches in half, canceling the program just two years later.

After decades of development and nearly $7 billion spent on the Comanche program, it ended up with two working prototypes in the sky.

Rah 66 Commanche

Originally planned for production of 1,213 RAH-66 Comanche helicopters, the US military only took the first two prototypes... but that doesn't mean the program was completely lost. In fact, among Defense Department analysts, the RAH-66 Comanche program is viewed favorably. Differences in perceptions of Comanche's success or lack thereof may come from elements of other classified programs that are unfamiliar to the American public.

In 2011, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Thomas Hawley asked a reporter a question about the "failed Comanche program."

"I wouldn't say buying Comanche was a failure... Comanche is a good program." - Deputy Chief of Staff Thomas Hawley

"A lot of what we got from the Comanche we can carry forward into the technology base for some sort of capability with future rotor-craft." -Chief of Army Staff General Peter Schumacher The RAH-66 Comanche may be a stealth helicopter. So why didn't the US military pull the trigger? Pop Quiz: Which famous US military aircraft has a stealth radar section and advanced network sensors but is running billions over budget and years behind schedule?

Us Army Sikorsky Boeing Rah 66 Comanche Desk Display Model 1/48 Es Helicopter

While the F-35 stealth fighter may come to mind today, the most timely answer in 2004 was the RAH-66 Comanche. Apparently the stealthy helicopter spent twenty-two years in development, costing over $7 billion before it was abruptly canceled with only two flying prototypes to show for it.

The Comanche evolved from the Army's experimental light helicopter program created during defense spending in the 1980s. Among other goals, the program called for replacement of the OH-58 Kiowa and OH Scout helicopters. -6 Army's Caius, J

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