![]() The problem with making helicopters stealthy is that their rotor blades are very reflective of radar energy, on a radar screen they appear as a distinctive disk.įor its tank, though it is limited to about 1,140 liters, optional tanks could be installed-one in both internal weapons bays and another on external pylons, depending on the mission requirement. Again, this wouldn’t make the aircraft invisible to radar but reduce the range at which it could be detected. The shape of the fuselage was also optimized to reduce the helicopter’s radar signature by deflecting signal energy away from the Comanche rather than reflecting it back to the tracking radar’s receiver. This would not make it invulnerable to heat-seeking missiles but would greatly reduce the range at which the missile seeker could detect and track it. The hot engine exhaust which gives infrared missiles something to track in flight was ducted into the tail rotor to be dispersed and cooled. Instead of the standard exposed tail rotor, the Comanche used a fully enclosed deducted fan, reducing drag in level flight and making it quieter and more maneuverable. The Comanche helicopters will provide the United States Army with that kind of advantage,” stated in its promotional film, circa late 1990 to early 2000s.Ĭheck out the Comanche Promotional video below.Īmong its many features, the Comanche promised a unique tail rotor design. “To ensure decisive victory and a minimum loss of American lives, our fighting men and women must be equipped with state-of-the-art weapons that will give them an overwhelming advantage. But at that time, stealth tech used in the RAH-66, piqued the interest of the Army. This groundbreaking technology would eventually flourish on contemporary fixed-wing aircraft today like the Air Force’s F-35 Lightning. Since most of its missions involve extensive loitering near or past the front lines, exposing it to air and ground attack, the RAH-66 needed to be sneakier and quieter than its predecessor, there were a variety of methods employed to make the Comanche “stealthy” in the sense of the word in the 1980s. The Comanche would be a set of electronic eyes data linked to other air and ground forces in real-time. ![]() Its overall concept included sneaking undetected into enemy airspace and locating ground targets that could either be destroyed using its onboard weapons or neutralized using a more powerful helicopter like the AH-64 Apache, artillery, or close air support like the A-10 Thunderbolt II. In keeping with the Army tradition of naming helicopters for Native American tribes, the “Comanche” conformed to the design requirements of the Army to carry out both light attack and scouting roles, all while ensuring that it could evade and survive counterattacks. They were awarded a whopping initial budget of about $3 billion in 1991 and were expected to deliver six prototypes, of which only two were produced. Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Ala.Many manufacturers submitted their designs, but only the futuristic RAH-66 (Reconnaissance Attack Helicopter) by Boeing-Sikorsky made it through. The two protoypes are now in the collection of the U.S. The Army canceled the program in February 2004 as a part of a reorganization of Army Aviation. Plans were to manufacture 1,213 RAH-66s for U.S. Army operational test, evaluation and training.įirst deliveries were scheduled for 2006, with the Comanche program reaching full production by about 2010. During that time, the program was slated to build and deliver 13 new Comanches for additional flight tests and U.S. The engineering and manufacturing development phase began in mid-2000. The Comanche program validated a number of aircraft systems and components and built and flew two flight-test prototype aircraft in its demonstration, validation and prototype phase from contract award in 1991 through 2000. forces with accurate, timely tactical intelligence. co-developed the engines for the Comanche.ĭesigned to replace the Army’s then current Vietnam War-vintage scout and light attack helicopter fleet, the Comanche featured an all-composite fuselage, fully integrated digital flight controls, and advanced navigation and weapons systems. Other team members included Hamilton Standard, Harris Corp., Hughes Link Training Division, Kaiser Electronics, Lear Astronics, Litton, Lockheed Martin, Moog, Sundstrand Corp., TRW Military Electronics and Avionics Systems Group, and Williams International. teamed to develop and build the RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter in 1991. The Comanche was a twin-turbine, two-seat (tandem) armed reconnaissance helicopter with projected missions of armed reconnaissance, light attack and air combat.īoeing and the Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
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