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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0430.PDF
480 RIGHT International, 21 February 1981 Lightweight gunships and the Hind threat PARALLEL studies in Britain and America could lead to a new famil- of light combat helicopters to repla Lynx and Gazelle and to compleme the AH-1, AH-64 and UH-60. Ligh.. weight combat helicapters and the possibility of transatlantic co-opera tion were discussed at the helicopter gunships symposium organised by the Royal Aeronautical Society rotorcraft section and held in early February. Also discussed was the threat that Soviet Hind helicopters pose to Nato anti-tank forces and the design prob lems of producing a survivable attack helicopter. British Army Air Corps anti-tank and scout helicopters will need re placement in the 1990s. The multirole Lynx could be replaced by a special ised attack helicopter, smaller, less vulnerable and equipped for all- weather operations but, a speaker argued, such an aircraft would be expensive to buy and to operate, and would be unfit for some roles and too valuable to risk in others. Combining the anti-tank and scout roles in a single airframe, compact, agile and with enough space for three passengers or two stretchers is another option. Equipped with mast- mounted sight and limited-traverse cannon, such a helicopter could weigh up to 4,500kg and be suitable for anti tank, reconnaissance, target acquisi tion, fire control, command, trans port and anti-helicopter missions but would be very expensive. The option now receiving most attention is the development of a light combat helicopter (LCH) family using a basically similar dynamic sys tem— engines / gearbox / rotor—for anti-tank, scout and possible com mercial variants. The anti-tank LCH, with a 4,500kg gross weight, could be powered by two 1,900 s.h.p. engines and, in addition to anti-tank missiles, could carry a secondary weapon for use against light armour. The scout variant, weighing in at 4,000kg, could be powered by derated 1,700 s.h.p. engines. Emphasis would be on very high acceleration from the hover and equipment could include mast- mounted sight and self-defence weapons. US Army plans to build a special ised scout helicopter have been shelved in favour of modifying exist ing light helicopters for the target acquisition/designation mission. Pur chase of an advanced scout helicopter could now be linked to the develop ment of a family of light combat heli- Lix . Army's c«. of AH-ls, AH-titj . velopment could begin in ij~<. to squadron service in 1992. Wnne most of the Service's helicopter pro curement funds will go towards AH 64 over the next five years, money is being spent on advanced technology research applicable to LHX. Areas under study include digital avionics offering reduced cost, weight and crew workload and digital/optical controls for handling, flexibility and survivability. Composite airframes offer some 22 per cent less structural weight, 17 per cent less production cost, ballistic-projectile damage toler ance and laser burn resistance. An advanced 800 s.h.p. engine will be demonstrated offering a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and 25- 35 per cent increase in specific power relative to the PT6 turbine. Advanced rotor technology, to be windtunnel- tested in 1982, includes aerolastic tailoring and aerofoil design for a 15 per cent increase in lift/drag ratio and construction techniques for a 40 to GO per cent reduction in parts and a 100 per cent increase in time be tween repairs. The efficiency of the helicopter has increased its vulnerability as a tar get, a speaker from Bell Helicopter told his audience. Nato helicopters can expect to achieve a 12:1 to 19:1 kill ratio when attacking tanks. A primary role of the Soviet Hind heli copter gunship is to overcome this force multiplier. Some 1,000 Mi-24 Hinds have been delivered since 1972, with production continuing at 30 a month. The helicopter assumes much of the responsibility for air support of rapidly moving tank forces and is often the only anti-armour system quick enough to reach the point of engagement. Fixed-wing air support is often delayed until air defences organic with the armoured column can be suppressed. For sustained sur- Heading This US Army Bell AH-IS Cobra, with forward-looking infrared-augmented Tow missile sight in the nose, is on night trials with the 101st Airborne Division. Right Rock well mast-mounted sight on a Bell OH-58 Kiowa light observation helicopter aircraii, m„ , _ been reduced to 1ft2—tne «uc« >. crew's faces. Incorporating tolerance to multiple hits or to larger calibres would result in unacceptable in creases in weight and size and the A.129 will rely on tactics to avoid the worst-case hits. A. 129 survivability philosophy is: "avoid detection; if detected avoid being hit; if hit continue the mission; if you have to crash do it nicely." The Bell speaker expressed doubts about crashworthiness protection— representing 11 per cent of AH-1 all- up weight, more than the warload— saying that a crashed helicopter is lost to combat and that emphasis should be placed on sustained surviv ability through high performance and low detectability. On a different tack, an MBB speaker outlined the requirements for an anti-Hind helicopter. The key re quirement is agility for nap-of-the- earth air superiority. A 5,000kg com pound helicopter with a 160-190kt maximum speed was sketched out, with very rapid acceleration and de celeration, high control power and 7g load factor capability with pusher pro peller, free taileron and 140ffJ wing with high-lift devices. The final result looked much like the Lockheed Cheyenne attack helicopter developed for the US Army but then dropped in favour of the AH-64.
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