Page 403 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

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Rotor blade made Thermal imaging sight
from composite
materials HELICOPTERS

◀ SA GAZELLE A lightweight utility helicopter
Date 1971 Origin France produced for the French army,
the Gazelle was also produced
1
Rotor span 34 ⁄2ft (10.5m)
in the UK. Variants were armed
Length 39ft (11.97m) with TOW (Tube-launched,
Top speed 193mph (310kph) Optically tracked, Wire-guided)
anti-tank missiles, 20mm cannon,
Engine 590hp (440kW)
Turbomeca Astazou IIIA turboshaft and Mistral air-to-air missiles.
TOW anti-tank
Armed with a 12.7mm
missile tube
Gatling gun, plus window-
mounted machine-guns,
Titanium rotor head
rocket launchers, and up to
3,300lb (1,500kg) of bombs

Stub wing with
Turboshaft engine missile pylons
(cover raised)

▲ MIL MI-24 HIND The Hind is a very large
Date 1973 Origin Soviet Union gunship and troop transporter.
Its armament includes a
Rotor span 56 ⁄2ft (17.3m)
1
rotary-barrel heavy machine-
1
Length 57 ⁄4ft (17.5m) gun under the nose, as well
Top speed 215mph (346kph) as under-wing pylons for a
variety of missile types.
Engine Two 2,200hp (1,641kW) Isotov
Loading ramp (raised) TV3-117 turboshafts
Rotor head

Tail rotor

▶ SIKORSKY UH-60 BLACK HAWK
Date 1979 Origin US
Rotor span 53¾ft (16.36m)
Length 64¾ft (19.76m)
Top speed 222mph (357kph)
Engine Two 1,890hp (1,410kW)
GE T700-GE-701C turboshafts
Troop/cargo
The UH-60 is a twin-engined utility helicopter compartment
able to ferry up to 14 soldiers, carry cargo,
and evacuate up to six stretcher cases at a
time. It can also be configured as a gunship.
Tail rotor
Longbow fire-control radar
◀ APACHE AH MK1
Date 2004 Origin UK
Rotor span 48ft (14.6m)
Length 58¼ft (17.7m)
Top speed 227mph (365kph)
Armed with rockets and Engine Two 2,100hp (1,566kW)
Hellfire and Stinger missiles Rolls-Royce RTM322 turboshafts
The Apache AH Mk1 (or AugustaWestland
Apache) is the UK version of the Boeing
AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. It
has been successfully deployed by the British
Armed Forces in Afghanistan (see pp.436–37).