Helicopters got their development only in the second half of the 20th century. They were practically not used in the Second World War. However, in the Korean conflict, military vehicles showed their best side. The Americans were the first to develop such military equipment, and at first they did not even have competitors. Currently, flying equipment is used for reconnaissance purposes, to adjust fire, to evacuate the wounded, to land soldiers, etc. And in this review, some US military helicopters should be highlighted.
Armored Fighting Vehicle
The design of the helicopter model AN-1 was designed according to a single-rotor scheme. Almost all combat vehicles of this type have a two-blade main and tail rotor. An exception is the model AN-1W. It should also be noted that they have a ski-type fixed gear in their design. This series is characterized by a narrow fuselage. The cockpit can accommodate two crew members. They will sit one after another. American military helicopters of this series are characterized by enhanced armor protection, as well as a duplicated control system. There is no cargo hold. Designers for a significant increase in speed with maneuverability installed a mid-wing wing of a relatively small size.
Armament and the main differences between these models
American military helicopters of this series are equipped with a turret cannon mount, which is located in the nose of the fuselage. There are also four pylons under the wing, on which removable weapons can be installed. In order to reduce the likelihood of missiles with an infrared homing head, the designers equipped the machine with a cooling system for the exhaust gases of the engines. Reinforced blades can withstand the impact of 23 mm shells.
What are the differences between the AN-1 series from other models? They are in various power plants, in armament and in avionics. Fighting vehicles of this series are able to freeze at an altitude of 915 meters with a full supply of fuel, as well as tons of weapons at a temperature of 35 degrees.
Military transport helicopter
The American Chinook military helicopter (CH-47) first flew in 1961. A year later, it was renamed to CH-47A. At the very beginning, it was equipped with two engines, the power of which reached 1641 kW. Subsequently, it was decided to replace them with more powerful units. The all-metal fuselage is characterized by a rectangular section and rounded corners. On each side of the bottom of the fuselage, fairings can be found. They hide fuel tanks, three each. The landing American military helicopter, whose name is "Chinook", can accommodate 44 paratroopers. There are nodes with the possibility of fixing a stretcher for the wounded in the amount of 24 pieces. Due to the folded shutter, characteristic of the cargo hatch, it is possible to form a loading ramp.
The fastening of the blades is made through the use of hinges. In order to reduce abrasive wear, the tip of the blade was decided to cover with titanium and nickel alloys.
The famous Apache helicopter
The American Apache military helicopter (AN-64) was designed to provide fire support to soldiers. It is also necessary for the destruction of armored objects. A combat vehicle can take off regardless of the time of day, visibility conditions and weather conditions. In order to reduce the likelihood of missiles with IR homing heads entering the machine, the exhaust of the power unit is made through a device that scatters the jet, while reducing its temperature. The American military helicopter, whose name is "Apache", is equipped with ATGM "Hellfire", which is characterized by the presence of laser guidance. On the turret, located under the fuselage, is a 30 mm gun.
The blades of the carrier wine are characterized by a rectangular shape and an arrow-shaped tip. Due to this, it was possible to reduce the impact of the compressibility when achieving high flight speeds. The blades are attached due to the systems of elastic torsion plates. They are able to maintain their performance in the event of bullets, the caliber of which reaches 15.7 mm. What other US military helicopters should be highlighted?
Reconnaissance combat helicopter
Helicopter Comanche (RAH-66) is a modern twin-engine reconnaissance combat vehicle. He is also capable of supporting ground forces with fire. The fuselage, which has an American military helicopter with two propellers, is characterized by a low effective reflection area. The combat vehicle has removable weapon pylons, an electronic flight control system and an ergonomic cockpit. The helicopter is equipped with a five-blade rotor. The steering screw is located in the ring. The combat models of this series have infrared sensors and telescopic television cameras. They provide the ability to make night flights, as well as with high accuracy to identify targets. The armament of the helicopter - ATGM "Hellfire" with laser guidance. There is also a UD “Stinger” of the Air-to-Air class, signal missiles and a 20 mm gun.
Twin screw military helicopter
The American military helicopter with two screws, the name of which is Kiowa Warrior, began to be designed back in 1984. Some models were subsequently modified into light special-purpose vehicles. With their help, the transportation of the wounded, soldiers and goods, which were secured through the use of external suspension, was carried out. The design has a four-blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor. Through the use of the new carrier system, it was possible to increase the time spent in flight up to 2.5 hours. In this case, the helicopter is able to move not only in a straight line, but also sideways and backward. It can also freeze in the air at a wind speed of 65 km / h.
The helicopter is equipped with bullet protection, the caliber of which is 7.62 mm. Due to attenuation of the thermal radiation of the motor and the use of an active IR-interference station, it was possible to reduce the likelihood of missiles with an infrared head. The crew with fuel tanks are protected by armored plates. They can withstand the impact of 30 mm shells. So that the rotor blades were not damaged, they were equipped with a cutting knife. A helicopter of this series can transmit target data to a ground station through the use of special systems. This procedure lasts about 6 seconds.
Hugh Transport Helicopters
What is the name of the American military helicopter, most of the modifications of which can be transported by type S-124 aircraft? We are talking about UH-1 Huey combat vehicles. During the period of their improvement, designers improved some of its parameters. The number of seats for passengers was increased; the flight range was almost 3 times. But the weight of the combat vehicle at the same time became significantly more. At first, single-engine models of this series rose into the air, but then it was decided to produce twin-engine models. Many modifications of this particular series can be transported using transport aircraft of the S-124 type. The armament is removable. There are special mounting points for it: five built-in and two mounted. On all these nodes, without exception, you can install machine guns with grenade launchers.
Conclusion
This review examined some of the American helicopters used in reconnaissance and combat operations. In fact, there are a lot of them, and there is not enough time to describe all the models. We examined only the most famous and popular series. We hope that this article will help to understand what are combat helicopters designed in the United States.