Top 10 Most Insane Attack Helicopters That Actually Exist
The helicopter has been a very versatile machine since its beginning when on September 14 1939 the VS-300 helicopter prototype developed by Igor Sikorsky and built by the vaad Sikorsky Aircraft division of the United Aircraft Corporation completed its first test flight since then the helicopter has seen amazing improvements and has many applications for its use but when it comes to the battlefield the attack helicopter is one of the most feared weapons in modern warfare join us as we take a look at the ten most insane and powerful attack helicopters.
10-MI-24 P
The MI-24 p attack transport helicopter is manufactured by the mill Moscow -helicopter plant-based in Moscow Russia and earlier variants were called a flying tank by Russian pilots and for good reason the helicopter has six suspension weapon units on the wingtips and is equipped with a yak B four-barrel 12.7 millimeter built-in flexibly mounted machine gun which has a firing rate of 4,000 to 4,500 rounds a minute and a muzzle velocity of 860 m/s the mi-24 p gunship has four underwing pylons for up to 12 anti-tank missiles the helicopter is powered by two AI Citta TV 3-117 VMA turboshaft engines developing 2,200 shaft horsepower each the air intakes are fitted with deflectors and separators to prevent dust particle injection when taking off from unprepared sights, an auxiliary power unit is fitted later versions of the MI-24 P are armed with anti-tank missiles with all that power and armaments this attack helicopter is a tank battalions worst nightmare.
9-T129 ATTACK
The T129 ATTACK is a twin-engine tandem seed multi-role all-weather attack helicopter based on the Augusta a12 nine of Mangusta platform the T129 was developed by Turkish aerospace industries with partner AgustaWestland technical specifications of the T129 include a takeoff weight of eleven thousand twenty-three pounds with a fuselage running length of 41 feet and overall height of eleven point two feet and a rotor diameter of thirty-nine feet performance comes from a pair of turboshaft engines generating 1360 shaft horsepower each the T129 crew will have access to an all-digital fully modernized cockpit as each position will showcase 2x multifunction displays primary armament will be centered on the 20 millimeters 3 barreled Gatling type cannon fitted to the fuselage chin and it will hold 500 rounds of ammo it supports various anti-tank guided missiles air-to-air missiles and much much more the helicopter is designed for advanced attack and reconnaissance in hot and high environments and rough geography in both day and night conditions.
8-BELL AH-1Z VIPER
The BELL AH-1Z VIPER is an American twin-engine attack helicopter based on the ah-1w super cobra that was developed for the United States Marine Corps the Viper is a modern version of the first-ever attack helicopter the ah-1 Cobra the ah-1z viper variant is powered by two general electric turboshaft engines and has a composite four-bladed named rotor instead of the previous two-bladed rotor which reduces vibrations by 70% it is worth noting that a two-bladed rotor was a distinctive feature of all previous Bell Helicopter models the armament of the Viper is very flexible it is enhanced by a helmet-mounted sight and display system meaning that where the pilot looks the armament will follow the ah-1z carries about two tons of various weapons on stub wings typically it carries up to 16 Hellfire anti-tank missiles and pods with 70 millimeter unguided rockets, the Viper can also be fitted with AGM-114 hellfire anti-ship missiles and freefall bombs it can also carry two fire-and-forget aim-9 sidewinder supersonic air-to-air missiles with infrared target detection along with its twenty-millimeter cannon to cut things into shreds it has a maximum flight speed of 255 miles per hour.
7-EUROCOPTER Tiger
The tiger is a four-bladed twin-engine attack helicopter which first entered service in 2003 it is a relatively new attack helicopter initially designed and developed through a joint venture between the governments of France and Germany the Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter can be thought of as in the same class as the American Hughes AH- 64 Apache Russian KA-50 black shark the Italian Augusta A 129 Mangusta and the South African Danelle a h2 Rooivalk the fuselage is armored as such that it can reportedly withstand a direct hit from 23-millimeter projectiles this is possible by the carbon-fiber reinforced polymer with Kevlar titanium and aluminum construction carbon-fiber represents at least 80% of its makeup while titanium is used in 6% of the machine, while aluminum makes up 11% armament for the tiger series, is contained on external wing stubs capable of mounting conventional attack helicopter weaponry including air-to-air missiles air-to-surface anti-tank missiles and air-to-surface rockets the front cannon can be either the French GIA 30 series 30-millimeter cannon or the German Rheinmetall 30 millimeter cannon the tiger is a very deadly attack helicopter that is built like a flying tank.
6-MI-28 H Havoc
Is a Russian all-weather day/night military tandem two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter it is an attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability better optimized than the MIL mi-24 gunship for the role it carries a single gun in an under nose bar bed plus external loads carried on pylons beneath snub winks the mi-28 has a conventional helicopter gunship layout with the pilot in the rear and gunner in the front it is armed with a 30 millimeter trainable cannon housed in a turret under the nose twin 150 round ammunition boxes are Co mounted to traverse elevate and depress with the gun itself this gunship can also carry two pods with 80 millimeter unguided rockets and 16 anti-tank missiles it is claimed that this helicopter cannot be defeated by a single short-range anti-aircraft missile the crew compartment is well armoured it can withstand hits from 12.7 millimeter armor-piercing rounds and 20 millimeter he frag rounds now you understand why it's called the Havoc.
5-KAMOV kA-52
KA 52 alligator is an all-weather attack helicopter operated by the Russian air force developed by comma design bureau the KA 52 is a twin sea variant of the KA 50 attack helicopter the KA 52 helicopter can destroy enemy armored and unarmored ground targets low-speed aerial targets and personnel at the frontline and in tactical depth it is also deployed as a surveillance platform and aerial command post for a group of attack helicopters the starboard side of the fuselage is fitted with an NPP UAV movable gun mount installed with two a 40 to 30 millimeter automatic gun the six wing-mounted external hardpoints can be attached with different combinations of weapons such as the vicar anti-tank guided missiles otaku missiles with laser guidance system and b8b 20 rocket launchers for 80 millimeter unguided S8 rockets the Vicker anti-tank missile has a range of 8 to 10 kilometers the KA 52 s can also be armored with a claw 5 anti-aircraft guided missiles.
4-Agusta A129 Mangusta
The Agusta A129 Mangusta or Mongoose is a modern Italian designed and developed to see twin-engine battlefield helicopter developed specifically for the anti-armor and attack role in the A 129 seating for the two crew follows well-accepted attack helicopter doctrine which sees the weapons officers seated in the forward cockpit and the pilot in the raised second offering at the rear wing screens are glazed to minimize claim with the side panels ejecting during crash or emergency landings the entire airframe is made crashworthy to an extend in an effort to preserve the crew as ejection seats are impossible in a helicopter design power comes from 2x Piaggio turboshaft engines licensed by Rolls-Royce delivering 890 horsepower each while driving a 4 bladed main rotor and to blade a tail room armaments include a power chin turret with the 3 barrel 20 millimeter M 197 Gatling style cannon a standard equipment other armament includes 2 wing stubs with a pair of hardpoints afforded to each assembly these hardpoints can accept Hellfire anti-tank missiles or a Mistral m92 and Stinger air-to-air missiles and also 12.7 millimeter cannon pots.
3-South African Denel AH-2
The Denel AH-2 Roy Hawk was an ambitious and indigenous undertaking by the nation of South Africa at the time of its development the Roy Hawk was heralded as one of the top-performing and capable attack helicopters in existence and was destined to become one the best attack helicopters ever made, unfortunately, cost overruns limited production and no export orders but the helicopters production on whole design of the production Roy Hawk produced that something in the vein of the Italian Mangusta with the pilot and gunner seated in a tandem seat Kaka short wing stubs offered up to four hardpoints to which the Roy Hawk could mount rocket pods or anti-tank missiles of the zt6 a mock-up of variety additionally the wing stub wingtips could support the French maid at Mistral air-to-air missile system for self-defense standard armament included the chin-mounted arms for F to 20-millimeter cannon up to 16 ZT6 anti-tank missiles could be carried similar to the AH-64 Apaches use of the Hellfire twin powerful Turbomeca maquila one k2 turboshaft engines powered a large four-blade main rotor and a five-blade tail rotor system.
2-AH 64D Apache Longbow
The AH 64 D Apache is the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopter and is used by the US Boeing delivered the first U.S. army Apache AH-60D for a in January 1984 since then the US Army and other nations have received more than 2,200 AH-60 for Apache attack helicopters the AH 64D Apache has a four-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor the crew sits in tandem with a pilot sitting behind and above the copilot/gunner both crew members are capable of flying the aircraft than performing methods of weapon engagements independently the compartment and the rotor blades are designed to sustain a hit from 23-millimeter rounds the airframe includes some 2,500 pounds or 1,100 kilograms of protection and has a self-sealing fuel system to protect against ballistic projectiles one of the most distinguishing features at the introduction of the Apache was its helmet-mounted display the integrated helmet and display sighting system among other abilities the pilot or gunner can slave the helicopters 30 millimeter automatic m230 chain gun - as making the gun track head movements to point out where he looks armaments include a 30 millimeter m230 chain gun Hydra 70 millimeter and CRV 770-millimeter air-to-ground rockets AGM-114 Hellfire aim 92 Stinger missiles and the gunship is powered by 2x t 707 o1c turboshafts with a max speed 227 miles per hour with a range of 300 miles.
1-SIKORSKY S S-97 RAIDER
Said to be the next big thing in army aviation the S-97 RAIDER is a next-generation light tactical prototype helicopter it is being developed to demonstrate the companies X2 technology it can reach speeds up to 275 miles per hour which is nearly double the speed of a conventional helicopter and can also operate at 10,000 feet in high 95 degrees Fahrenheit heat allowing it to fly in extreme locations this high-speed Scout and attack compound helicopter is based on the advancing blade concept which consists of two rigid counter-rotating rotors, 30, inches apart making use of aerodynamic lift of the advancing blades the Raider has a seven foot diameter pusher type clutched propeller at the rear which looks surprisingly a lot like the tail of a modern submarine however one striking feature of this is that the rear propeller is not required for stabilization and can be disengaged to minimize acoustic noise the helicopter will also include many onboard defensive features with 360-degree sensor coverage for better situational awareness and is small enough to land in urban settings that would be too small for other aircraft but it also packs a big punch and can carry Hellfire missiles 2.75-inch rockets and it will be armed with a 50 caliber and 7.62 millimeters.
We hope you enjoyed this list which one of these do you think is the best, let us know in the comments.
