Today in military history: Apache helo makes first flight
On Sep. 30, 1975, the Boeing AH-64 Apache made its first flight. The Apache was designed to replace the AH-1 Cobra for the United States Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter program….
The Chinook could have been a search and rescue legend
Search-and-rescue choppers have become legendary. Remember the Jolly Green Giants and Pave Hawks? Well, it turns out that there was another helicopter …
Why this rotor wing component is unofficially named after Jesus
Helicopters, also known as helos, are one of the most important aircraft for infantry operations. Whenever Marines need to do a hard knock, which is essentially a raid in civilian…
This Army helicopter pilot and doctor is going to the International Space Station
Army Lt. Col. Francisco “Frank” Rubio was selected for NASA astronaut training in 2017. On September 21, 2022, Rubio is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard…
The reason Army helicopters are named after native tribes will make you smile
The Army’s helicopters have a number of names you recognize immediately: Apache, Black Hawk, Kiowa, Lakota, Comanche. They are also known as the names of Native American tribes. This is not a coincidence.
How the Huey drastically increased chances of surviving the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was long and arduous. It cost the United States a total of 58,220 troops, with 40,934 of them killed in action. The overall number of wounded sits at 304,000. These staggering numbers gave the military time to reflect on how effectiv…
The impressive Cheyenne attack helicopter was way ahead of its time
The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne is one of the greatest what-ifs in helicopter history. This unique chopper was arguably decades ahead of its time, reaching an incredible top speed of 245 miles per hour. Although it never made it past the prototype stage…
This is what would happen if a Hind took on a Cobra
In the early 1980s, the Mil Mi-24 Hind and the Bell AH-1 Cobra were the major attack helicopters on either side of the Cold War. Had the Russians tried to storm the Fulda Gap, these two choppers would’ve butt heads — often — in betwe…
This is why most military aircraft have ashtrays
Just as with civilian flights, ashtrays on an aircraft make little sense. According to both civilian…
Before the attack helicopter, this WWII plane was named the Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter is one of the deadliest aircraft on the modern battlefield. Like the fierce warriors of the Native American Apache Tribe for which it’s named,…