During the early 1980s, the U.S. Army began to calculate the helicopters need to replace the old ones, which then creates the light helicopters experimental program. In 1991, Boeing-Sikorsky team selected to make a prototype design that had not been tried before.
RAH-66 Comanche is the world's first 'stealth' helicopter. The helicopter operates with an internal bay and is equipped with air to air and air to ground missile strikes. In an armed reconnaissance mission, the Comanche could recognise and identify targets and digitally transmit the information to the battlefield commander in near real-time, select the optimum force deployment and coordinate the attack.
RAH-66 Comanche is the world's first 'stealth' helicopter. The helicopter operates with an internal bay and is equipped with air to air and air to ground missile strikes. In an armed reconnaissance mission, the Comanche could recognise and identify targets and digitally transmit the information to the battlefield commander in near real-time, select the optimum force deployment and coordinate the attack.
Flight testing is done with two prototypes. The first Comanche prototype, serial 94-0327, which is completed 318 flight more than 387 hours before ending its career in January 2002. Having met the key criteria, the RAH-66 prototype enter the design development and manufacturing phase on June 1, 2000, which cost U.S. $3.1 billion.
RAH-66 Comanche, the American stealth helicopter. (Picture from: http://kaneblogpicz.blogspot.com/) |
The Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter was the centerpiece of the U.S. Army's aviation modernization plan. (Picture from: http://www.militaryaviation.eu/) |
The Comanche has internal weapons storage facilities and wings that allow the addition of optional weaponry stability, with the risk if the optional wing mounted it will be detected by radar. The Comanche carried its weapons internally and had a weapons bay on each side of the fuselage. The missiles are mounted on the weapon bay doors which open sideways. The internal weapon bay could be fitted with Stinger, Starstreak or Mistral air-to-air missiles; TOW II, Hot II or Longbow Hellfire air-to-ground missiles; Sura D 81 mm, Snora 81 mm, Hydra 70 rockets; or the army counter air weapon system.
Cockpit interior of the RAH-66 Comanche. (Picture from: http://www.airforce-technology.com/) |
The Comanche had two identical cockpits for the pilot and the co-pilot, which were sealed and had a positive pressure air system for protection against chemical and biological warfare. The fly-by-wire flight control system was triple redundant. The cockpit was fitted with a pilot's night-vision system from Lockheed Martin and the pilots had a wide field of view (35° × 52°) Kaiser Electronics helmet-integrated display sighting system (HIDSS). HIDSS employed active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) technology. The targets were designated and the weapons fired from collective and sidestick control push buttons. Each integrated cockpit had Harris Corp flat screen liquid crystal displays, a colour display for a digital moving map system, tactical situation and night operation display.
RAH-66 Comanche cutaway. (Picture from: http://www.militaryphotos.net/) |
The UAVs have provided surveillance during military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Approximately U.S. $6.9 billion invested in the Comanche program at the time of cancellation. Additional U.S. $450-680 million paid for the contract cancellation fee for the main program partners, Sikorsky and Boeing. What a pity, now the two units RAH-66 Comanche helicopter just be the displayed items in the museum.. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SIKORSKY | BOEING | ARMY-TECHNOLOGY.COM]
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Specifications RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter