Bell AH-1J SeaCobra

History of Bell AH-1J SeaCobra

By the second half of the 1960s, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) had developed enough interest in the U.S. Armys new attack helicopterthe single-engine, two-seat Bell AH-1 Huey Cobrato commission its A more powerful twin-engine version was commissioned for use at sea. The Army AH-1G model was chosen as a starting point, and the most notable change was the connection of 2 PT6T-3 turboshafts to a combined drivetrain for a total of 1,800 shaft horsepower. The engine pairing was collectively referred to as the "Turbo Twin-Pac" and was officially named the Pratt & Whitney Canada T400-CP-400).

Other changes include the chin weapon, the addition of a triple-barreled 20mm Gatling cannon to the GE M97 turret, while the helicopter remains largely faithful to the US Army original.

The U.S. Army's AH-1 itself originated from the famous Bell UH-1 "Huey" series of transport helicopters, the AH-1 inherits much of the earlier Bell products, although designed for specialized attack roles has been widely used Use modified. Gunships were used to replace several makeshift gunships that served with the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The USMC's AH-1G variant has been specially modified to accommodate a twin-engine layout to improve survivability, especially in the maritime (aquatic) environment in which the service's helicopter is intended to operate.

The branch ordered the AH-1J in 1968 with a batch of 49 helicopters.

The engine drives a two-blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor, the latter being located on the starboard side of the tail and driven by a shaft mounted in the tail boom. The fuselage retains the same slender frontal profile as the AH-1G and accommodates a crew of 2 in a standard tandem arrangement - the pilot in the rear and the weapons officer/co-pilot in the front.

Performance includes a top speed of 220 mph, a top speed of 175 mph, a range of up to 560 miles, a service ceiling of up to 10,500 feet and a rate of climb of 1,090 feet per minute.

The U.S. Marine Corps launched "SeaCobra" in September 1970, and early operations focused on U.S. involvement in the coastal "hunter-killer" role in Vietnam. These helicopters are primarily armed with multiple rocket pods mounted under the wings, each containing two cradles.

The AH-1J SeaCobra was subsequently offered in an export version, named AH-1J "International", operated by Iran.

A new version, called the AH-1T "Improved SeaCobra", was ordered in 1974. This model features a new main rotor (from the Bell 214), an improved gearbox, and a lengthened fuselage and tail boom.

The brand also included support for the Hughes BGM-71A TOW anti-tank missile, but the added weight of these changes resulted in a drop in performance. This forced Bell to provide 2 GE T700-GE-401 turboshafts in 1980, along with other improvements including enhanced weapons support (Hellfire ATGM, AIM-9 Sidewinder AAM) and day/night capability, resulting in Modernized AH-1W "SuperCobra" ("Whiskey Cobra") marking.

The AH-1W itself is a modified AH-1T intended for sale in Iran.

The AH-1J was eventually replaced by the AH-1W in USMC service. The twin-engine Cobra was used in combat missions to kill tanks during the 1991 Gulf War and during the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s.

While the AH-1W remains the standard attack helicopter for the US Marine Corps, at the time of writing (2014) it will be replaced by the new AH-1Z "Viper" brand ("Zulu Cobra") which will be equipped with Upgraded avionics, upgraded engines, and changes such as the four-blade main rotor.

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