RAH-66 Comanche Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| RAH-66 Comanche | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | ||
| Role | Reconnaissance/Attack | |
| Crew | 2 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 13.22 m | |
| Wingspan | 11.90 m | |
| Height | 3.39 m | |
| Wing area | ||
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 3402 kg | |
| Loaded | ||
| Maximum take-off | 7790 kg | |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | 2 × Turboshaft engine - LHTEC T800 | |
| Power | 2688 hp | 2,004 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 328 km/h | |
| Combat range | ||
| Ferry range | ||
| Service ceiling | ||
| Rate of climb | 360 m/min (6 m/s) | |
| Armament | ||
| Guns | XM301 three-barrel 20 mm cannon, 500 rounds | |
| Missiles | Internal bay: 4 Hellfire + 2 Stinger (ATAS); Total: 14 Hellfire / 28 Stinger | |
| Rockets | Total: 56 Hydra 70 70 mm air-to-ground rds | |
The RAH-66 Comanche is the first U.S helicopter designed specifically for the role of all-weather armed reconnaissance. The Army currently has an armed scout helicopter in its fleet -- the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior – but that aircraft is an upgraded version of a Vietnam-era observation helicopter. In contrast, the Comanche has been tailored to the role of armed scout. It is smaller and lighter than the Apache gunship -- 43 feet (13.1 m) long and 7,700 pounds (3,500 kg) vs. 51 feet (15.5 m) and 11,400 pounds (5,200 kg) – and its composite material airframe incorporates stealth technology to evade detection.
The Comanche's very sophisticated detection and navigation systems would allow it to operate at night and in bad weather, which the Kiowa Warrior cannot do effectively. Finally, the Army has designed the Comanche so that it can fit more easily than the Apache into transport aircraft or onto transport ships to be deployed to hot spots quickly. If transport assets were not available, the Comanche's range of 1,260 nautical miles (2,330 km) would even allow it to fly to battlefields overseas on its own.
The Army planned to purchase almost 1,300 Comanches to fill the scout and light attack roles, with the first craft to be brought into the Army in 2004. The Army conducted flight qualification tests and evaluated the eight prototypes that it planned to build. The first of those prototypes was rolled out of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's helicopter production facility in May 1995 and was scheduled for its first flight in December 1995.
However, on February 23 2004, the U.S. Army announced their decision to cancel the Comanche helicopter program in lieu of the growing popularity in the military of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance purposes – in addition to tests, UAVs had proved their worth in the American War on Terrorism against Afghanistan and Iraq. About US$8 billion had already been invested in the Comanche program at the time of its termination and an additional US$450-680 million was required in contract termination fees to main program partners Sikorsky and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.
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