HELICOPTER RAH 66 COMANCHE (COMANCHE) FROM BOEING SIKORSKY, SPECIFICATIONS AND WEAPONS

The contract for the development of RAH-66 Сomanche was obtained by a joint team of firms "Sikorskay" and "Voing" in 1991. The developers were tasked to create a helicopter capable of using advanced digital communications to conduct priority reconnaissance of such targets as: command posts, ballistic missile positions, communication centers located in the depths of the enemy’s territory. The first flight of the prototype was made in January 1996. In February 2004, the US Ministry of Defense stopped work on the project Voieing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche because of serious problems with the electronics of the helicopter and the high cost of its production.

Specific features of the Komanch design

A characteristic feature of the RAH-66 Comanche is its reduced radar visibility. For this, the helicopter designers have significantly reduced the ESR (effective dispersion surface). This was achieved due to: a special convex part of the fuselage with flat surfaces, a special radio-absorbing coating of the fuselage and propeller blades, retractable landing gear and a rotatable gun, the installation of a specific rotor hub curtain. Another step forward was a significant reduction in the amount of thermal radiation from the power plant, due to the original exhaust cooling system. To suppress the infrared radiation of the engines, special gaps were used, extending along the entire length of the tail section. Through them, the hot exhaust gases mixed with air were thrown down. Another moment allows the helicopter to go unnoticed longer - the noise level of the main rotor has been significantly reduced. All these activities contributed to the fact that the Comanche helicopter for a long time could go unnoticed by enemy air defense radar stations, was a difficult target for enemy missiles with infrared or radar targeting heads.

The hub element in the design of the RAH-66 is a box-shaped long beam made of composite materials, on which all panels and assemblies of the fuselage skin are mounted on the outside. The layout of the casing is made outside the box, namely, 50% of the panels are removable and can be easily removed for maintenance and replacement; damage to the casing (while maintaining the safety of the power unit) does not affect the strength characteristics of the whole structure.

Comanche helicopter guns

The RAH-66 Comanche is armed with a built-in automatic gun XM301 (“Volcano-2”) with a block of rotating barrels and variable rate of fire. The instrument is made three-barreled and has a caliber of 20 mm. The HM301 full ammunition is normal - 320, the maximum - 500 rounds. The rate of fire on air targets - 1500 rds / min, ground - 750 rds / min.

The gun is mounted on a special rotary turret at the bottom of the nose of the fuselage and can fire at targets in the forward hemisphere. If necessary, it can retract into the fairing and fold into a special casing. The gun has an unusual ammunition supply system, it is carried out using a special conveyor. This method of ammunition is used in view of the small volumes of the nose of the helicopter. The drum shop of the cannon with 500 shells is located under the cockpit of the operator, at a considerable distance from the cannon.

The helicopter can be equipped with missiles located in 2 airborne cargo compartments for weapons, they are placed on both sides of the fuselage in its middle part. Holders located on the inside of the opening side flaps of cargo compartments are used as suspension units. Each flap has three suspension assemblies and rises to a horizontal position before using the weapon. The compartments can accommodate air-to-air guided missiles - Stinger AIM-92, laser-guided air-to-missile missiles - Hellfire AGM-114. Signal flares and 70 mm unguided Hydra 70 missiles can be used.

The rocket armament of a Comanche helicopter can be expanded through the use of additional EFAMS system suspension units. They are mounted on the sides of the helicopter and consist of two small wings. It is possible to install such a suspension system in field conditions.