Apache's and Blackhawks

Mess with one of these,

Mean looking machines.

Jim

Nice shots of some mean looking equipment!

Nice to see someone get the names right too... when you watched the news during the gulf war,.. 9 times out of ten an "Apache" was in fact video footage of a Marine Cobra...

Thanks Guys.
CDS, I know what you mean. The Cobra was an awesome bird in it's day, and is still one of my all time favorites.
I'm betting they mix the two of them up because they both have tandem seating.
-Bruce

Great shots. I think I'd rather be on the business end instead of the recieving end of either one of those babies. That has to be one scary sight to see one those pop up over the horizen aimed right at you.

Ballen Photo wrote:
Thanks Guys.
CDS, I know what you mean. The Cobra was an awesome bird in it's day, and is still one of my all time favorites.
I'm betting they mix the two of them up because they both have tandem seating.
-Bruce

How old are they? Are they going to be replaced? Cool Shots.

Cobras?

The original Cobras were during the Viet Nam war... it was essentially huey chasis and motor,. they just deisned a super narrow two person cabin to lower the birds cross section, making it much harder to hit.

And of course they mounted all that firepower

The Hughes designers hit the proverbial nail on the head with the creation of the Cobra.. using 90% of the same parts as the ubiquitous Huey multirole/transport/gu​nship,. and yet a completely different level of performance and operability,..

The Cobra was in fact the first (and for along time the only) purpose designed attack helicopter from the ground up. All previous and many subsequent platforms used for this purpose were merely general helicopter designs loaded with firepower. The often called "Huey Cobra" set the standard for the dedicated "attack helicopter" which all following designs have emulated.


The Marines still use a VERY modern twin engine version,.. the "Super Cobra" (electronics and weapons systems really as sophoistaicated as those in the Apache) as there primary attack helicopter,. as do many National Guard divisions. .. but they are getting rarer.

Likewise the Apache is supposedly going to get replaced with the almost mythical vaporware "Commanche" of which we saw flying prototypes as far back as 1994.. and yet no progress seems to be made since.

Thanks for the info CDS. Seems as though the Helos are slow to be updated relative to planes and tanks. Not glamourous enough I guess.

Sweet shots! I personally like the Cobra better than the Apache. No doubt the Apache is a much more capable machine, but I dunno... the Cobra just looks better IMHO

Wouldn't Dare to even think of Messing with those guys!
peter.

Thanks for the great shots!!!!! I'm jealous, before 9/11 whenever we went to Vegas (about 2 hours from home) we would get some fast food for lunch and park next to the Helo Port at Nellis and watch, or sometimes park at the north end and see some great "air shows". I wish I could get inside like you.

Thanks again Guys. These Birds were fun to watch.
Here's a couple more of them as they were leaving.
-Bruce

especially love the last shot Bruce

The 4 in flight is an awesome shot Bruce!

Bruce,

Looks like its time to clean that sensor!!!! Nice shots tho