CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION OF APACHE HELICOPTER

1.1 Introduction:

The Apache Helicopter is a revolutionary development in the history of war. It is essentially

a flying tank a helicopter designed to survive heavy attack and inflict massive damage. As
a whole, it is a terrifying machine to ground forces.

The Apache is the primary attack helicopter in the U.S. Arsenal. Other countries, including
the United Kingdom, Israel and Saudi Arabia, have also added Apaches to their fleet.

In this topic, well look at the Apaches amazing flight systems, weapon systems, engines,
sensor systems and amour systems. Individually, these components are remarkable pieces of
technology. Combined together, they make up an unbelievable fighting machine the most
lethal helicopter ever created. Here we look for AH-64E apache helicopter model.

Fig 1.1: Apache helicopter

The AH-64 Apache is the worlds most advanced multi-role combat helicopter and is used
by the U.S. Army and a growing number of international defense forces. Boeing has delivered
more than 2,200 Apaches to customers around the world since the aircraft entered production.

1|Page
The U.S. Army Apache fleet has accumulated (as of July 2016) more than 4.2 million flight
hours since the first AH-64A was delivered to the U.S. Army in January 1984.

Table 1.1: AH-64E Apache helicopter technical specifications:

Top speed 293kmph

Length 18 m

Wingspan 15 m

Weight 5,165 kg

Engine type Turbo shaft

Role Fighter helicopter

Crew 2

Optimizing readiness of the Apache fleet around the globe is one of Boeings many missions.
From performance-based logistics contracting and integrated fleet support to vertical lift
maintenance, modifications and repairs, Boeing provides a broad spectrum of innovative
products and services which directly support and enhance capabilities while reducing total
cost of ownership. These award-winning services range from transactional spares to complete
lifecycle support solutions that are uniquely tailored to the requirements of each AH-64
customer.

Boeing delivered the first U.S. Army Apache AH-64A in January 1984. Since then, the U.S.
Army and other nations have received more than 2,200 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
Boeings global customers for the Apache include Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel,
Japan, Korea, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab
Emirates and the United Kingdom.

2|Page
Table 1.2: Different Apache Versions:

Apache
Engine version Engine power
version

AH-64A General Electric T700-701 (1,265 kW)

AH-64A+/D General Electric T700-701C (1,410 kW)

AH-64E General Electric T700-701D (1,487 kW)

WAH-64D Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 (1,600 kW)

1.2 History:

The first series of Apaches, developed by Hughes Helicopters in the 1970s, went into active
service in 1985. The U.S military is gradually replacing this original design, known as the
AH-64A Apache, with the more advanced AH-64D Apache Longbow. In 1984, Mc Donnell
Douglas purchased Hughes Helicopters, and in 1997, Boeing manufactures Apache
helicopters, and the UK-based GKN Westland helicopters manufacturers the English
versions of the Apache, the WAH-64.

Fig 1.2: An early Hughes YAH-64 prototype with T-tail

3|Page
The AH-64 Apache was designed to be an extremely tough survivor under combat. The
prototype Apache made its first flight in 1975 as the YAH-64, and in 1976, Hughes received a
full-scale development contract. In 1982, the Army approved the program, now known as AH-
64A Apache, for production. Deliveries began from the McDonnell Douglas plant at Mesa,
Ariz., in 1984 the year Hughes Helicopters became part of McDonnell Douglas.

A target acquisition and designation sight/pilot night-vision sensor and other advanced
technologies added to its effectiveness in the ground support role. To reduce costs and simplify
logistics, the Apache used the same T700 engines as the Armys Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
utility helicopter and its naval cousin, the SH-60 Seahawk.

Highly maneuverable and heavily armed, the combat-proven Apache helicopter is the backbone
of the U.S. Armys all-weather, ground-support capability. The AH-64D Apache Longbow,
which first flew as a prototype on May 14, 1992, provided a quantum leap in capability over
the AH-64A. The Apache Longbows fire-control radar and advanced avionics suite gave
combat pilots the ability to rapidly detect, classify, prioritize, and engage stationary or moving
enemy targets at standoff ranges in nearly all weather conditions. There is also an international
Apache export version.

Over the years, the Apache has been enhanced with advanced technology to make the helicopter
more survivable, deployable and easier to maintain. The AH-64 Apache is the most advanced
multirole combat helicopter for the U.S. Army and a growing number of international defense
forces.

In 2003, the Army accepted the first advanced technology Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow,
referred to as Block II. The Block II version incorporated advanced avionics, digital
enhancements and communications upgrades.

In 2011, Boeing delivered the first AH-64D Apache Block III multirole attack helicopter to the
Army. Block III brought superior flight performance and increased networked communications
capabilities. The AH-64D Apache Block III was renamed the AH-64E Apache Guardian in
2012.

4|Page
In 2012, Boeing also received all-new fuselages for the first AH-64E helicopters, incorporating
a variety of small but important modifications to accommodate AH-64E configuration changes,
such as enhancements to the extended forward avionics bays and slots for new electronics. More
than 100 AH-64Es had been produced as of October 2014.

1.3 Helicopter Basics:

Drop a stone into the ocean and it will sink into the deep. Chuck a stone off the side of a
mountain and it will plummet as well. Sure, steel ships can float and even very heavy airplanes
can fly, but to achieve flight, you have to exploit the four basic aerodynamic forces: lift, weight,
thrust and drag. You can think of them as four arms holding the plane in the air, each pushing
from a different direction.

First, let's examine thrust and drag. Thrust, whether caused by a propeller or a jet engine, is the
aerodynamic force that pushes or pulls the airplane forward through space. The opposing
aerodynamic force is drag, or the friction that resists the motion of an object moving through a
fluid (or immobile in a moving fluid, as occurs when you fly a kite).

If you stick your hand out of a car window while moving, you'll experience a very simple
demonstration of drag at work. The amount of drag that your hand creates depends on a few
factors, such as the size of your hand, the speed of the car and the density of the air. If you were
to slow down, you would notice that the drag on your hand would decrease.

We see another example of drag reduction when we watch downhill skiers in the Olympics.
Whenever they get the chance, they'll squeeze down into a tight crouch. By making themselves
"smaller," they decrease the drag they create, which allows them to zip faster down the hill.

A passenger jet always retracts its landing gear after takeoff for a similar reason: to reduce drag.
Just like the downhill skier, the pilot wants to make the aircraft as small as possible. The amount
of drag produced by the landing gear of a jet is so great that, at cruising speeds, the gear would
be ripped right off the plane.

5|Page
For flight to take place, thrust must be equal to or greater than the drag. If, for any reason, the
amount of drag becomes larger than the amount of thrust, the plane will slow down. If the thrust
is increased so that it's greater than the drag, the plane will speed up.

Every object on Earth has weight, a product of both gravity and mass. A Boeing 747-8
passenger airliner, for instance, has a maximum takeoff weight of 487.5 tons (442 metric tons),
the force with which the weighty plane is drawn toward the Earth. Weight's opposing force
is lift, which holds an airplane in the air. This feat is accomplished through the use of a wing,
also known as an airfoil. Like drag, lift can exist only in the presence of a moving fluid. It
doesn't matter if the object is stationary and the fluid is moving (as with a kite on a windy day),
or if the fluid is still and the object is moving through it (as with a soaring jet on a windless
day). What really matters is the relative difference in speeds between the object and the fluid.

As for the actual mechanics of lift, the force occurs when a moving fluid is deflected by a solid
object. The wing splits the airflow in two directions: up and over the wing and down along the
underside of the wing.

The wing is shaped and tilted so that the air moving over it travels faster than the air moving
underneath. When moving air flows over an object and encounters an obstacle (such as a bump
or a sudden increase in wing angle), its path narrows and the flow speeds up as all the molecules
rush though. Once past the obstacle, the path widens and the flow slows down again. If you've
ever pinched a water hose, you've observed this very principle in action. By pinching the hose,
you narrow the path of the fluid flow, which speeds up the molecules. Remove the pressure and
the water flow returns to its previous state.

As air speeds up, its pressure drops. So the faster-moving air moving over the wing exerts less
pressure on it than the slower air moving underneath the wing. The result is an upward push of
lift. In the field of fluid dynamics, this is known as Bernoulli's principle.

1.4 Aerodynamics Forces:

The four basic aerodynamic forces are Drag, Thrust, Weight and Lift.

6|Page
 LIFT

DRAG THRUST

WEIGHT
Fig 1.3: Aerodynamics forces

DRAG: Drag is an aerodynamic force that resists the motion of an object moving through a
fluid. The amount of drag depends on a few factors, such as the size of the object, the speed
of the car and the density of the air.

THRUST: Thrust is an aerodynamic force that must be created by an airplane in order to

overcome the drag. Airplanes create thrust using propellers, jet engines or rockets.

WEIGHT: This is the force acting downwards or the gravitational force.

LIFT: Lift is the aerodynamic force that holds an airplane in the air, and is probably the
important of the four aerodynamic forces. Lift is created by the wings of the airplane.

Lift is a force on a wing immersed in a moving fluid, and it acts perpendicular to the flow of
the fluid but drag is the same thing, but acts parallel to the direction of the fluid flow.

1. Air approaching the top surface of the wing is compressed into the air above it as it
moves upward. Then, as the top surface curves downward and away from the air stream,
a low pressure area is developed and the air above is pulled downward toward the back
of the wing.

2. Air approaching the bottom surface of the wing is slowed, compressed and redirected
in a downward path. As the air nears the rear of the wing, its sped and pressure gradually

7|Page
 match that of the air coming over the top. The overall pressure effects encountered on
the bottom of the wing are generally less pronounced than those on the top of the wing.

1.4.1 For straight and level flights:

The following relationships must be true:

THRUST = DRAG

WEIGHT = LIFT

If for any reason, the amount of drag becomes larger then the amount of thrust, the plane will
slow down. If the thrust is increased so that it is greater than drag, the plane will speed up.

If the amount of lift drops below the weight of the airplane, the plane will descend. By
increasing the lift, the pilot can make the airplane climb.

1.5 Working of a helicopter:

Helicopters are the most versatile flying machines in existence today. This versatility gives
the pilot complete access to three dimensional space in a way that no airplane can.

The amazing flexibility of helicopters means that they can fly almost anywhere. However, it
also means that flying the machines is complicated.

A plane can move forward and turn left or right. It also adds the ability to go up and down.
The helicopter can do three things that an airplane cannot:

a. A helicopter can fly backwards.

b. The entire aircraft can rotate in the air.

c. A helicopter can hover motionless in the air.

A rotary motion is the easiest way to keep a wing in continuous motion. The rotating wings
of a helicopter are shaped just like the airfoils of an airplane wing, but generally the wings
on a helicopters rotor are narrow and thin because they must spin so quickly. The
helicopters rotating wing assembly is normally called the Main Rotor. If you give the main

8|Page
rotor wings a slight angle of attack on the shaft and spin the shaft, the wings start to develop
lift.

Fig 1.4: Flying helicopter

In order to spin the shaft with enough force to lift the vehicle, engine of great power is
required. Reciprocating gasoline engines and gas turbine engines are the most common types.
The engines driveshaft can connect through a transmission to the main rotor shaft. The
arrangement works really well until the moment the vehicle leaves the ground. At that
moment, there is nothing to keep the engine from spinning just like the main rotor does. So,
in the absence of anything to stop it, the body will spin in the direction opposite to the main
rotor. To keep the body from spinning, a force is needed to apply on it. The usual way to
provide a force to the body of the vehicle is to attach another set of rotating wings to a long
boom. These wings are known as the Tail Rotor. The tail rotor produces thrust just like an
airplanes propeller does. By producing thrust in a sideways direction, counteracting the
engines desire to spin the body, the tail rotor keeps the body of the helicopter from spinning.
Normally, the tail rotor is driven by a long drive shaft that runs from the main rotors
transmission back through the tail boom to a small transmission at the tail rotor.

9|Page
 CHAPTER 2

APACHE HELICOPTER

2.1 Main parts of an apache:

Apache works in the same way as any other helicopter. It has two rotors that spin several
blades. A blade is a tilted airfoil, just like an air plane wing. As it speeds up through the air,
each blade generates the lift.

Fig 2.1: Parts of an Apache Helicopter

The main rotor, attached to the top of the helicopter, spins six meter blades. As the main rotor
spins, it exerts a rotation force on the entire helicopter. The tail rotor blades work against this
force-they push the tail boom in the opposite direction. An Apache has double tail rotors,
each with two blades.

The pilot maneuvers the helicopter by adjusting a swash plate mechanism. The swash plate
changes each blades pitch to increase lift. Adjusting the pitch equally for all blades lifts the
helicopter straight up and down. Changing the pitch as the blades make their way around to

10 | P a g e
the rotation cycle creates uneven lift, causing the helicopter to tilt and fly in a particular
direction.

Fig 2.2: The rotor assembly on an AH -64A Apache

The swash plate mechanism has two primary roles:

Under the direction of the collective control, the swash plate can change the angle of
both blades simultaneously. Doing this increases or decreases the lift that the main rotor
supplies to the vehicle, allowing the helicopter to gain or lose altitude.
Under the direction of the cyclic control, the swash plate can change the angle of both
blades individually as they revolve. This allows the helicopter to move in any direction
around a 360 o circle, including forward, backward, and left and right.

The core structure of each blade consists of five stainless steel arms, called spars, which
are surrounded by a fiberglass skeleton. The trailing edge of each blade is covered with a
sturdy graphite composite material, while the leading edge is made of titanium. The
titanium is strong enough to withstand brushes with trees and other minor obstacles, which
is helpful in "nap-of-the-earth" flying (zipping along just above the contours of the ground).
Apaches need to fly this way to sneak up on targets and to avoid attack. The rear tail wing
helps stabilize the helicopter during nap-of-the-earth flight as well as during hovering.

11 | P a g e
2.2 Swash Plate Assembly:

A helicopter's main rotor is the most important part of the vehicle. It provides the lift that
allows the helicopter to fly, as well as the control that allows the helicopter to move
laterally, make turns and change altitude. To handle all of these tasks, the rotor must first be
incredibly strong. It must also be able to adjust the angle of the rotor blades with each
revolution they make. The pilot communicates these adjustments through a device known
as the swash plate assembly.

Fig 2.3: Basic Parts of a Helicopter Rotor

The swash plate assembly consists of two parts -- the upper and lower swash plates. The upper
swash plate connects to the mast, or rotor shaft, through special linkages. As the engine turns
the rotor shaft, it also turns the upper swash plate and the rotor blade system. This system
includes blade grips, which connect the blades to a hub. Control rods from the upper swash
plate have a connection point on the blades, making it possible to transfer movements of the
upper swash plate to the blades. And the hub mounts to the mast via the Jesus nut, so named
because its failure is said to bring a pilot face-to-face with Jesus. The lower swash plate is fixed
and doesn't rotate. Ball bearings lie between the upper and lower swash plates, allowing the

12 | P a g e
upper plate to spin freely on top of the lower plate. Control rods attached to the lower swash
plate connect to the cyclic- and collective-pitch levers. When the pilot operates either of those
two levers, his or her inputs are transmitted, via the control rods, to the lower swash plate and
then, ultimately, to the upper swash plate.

Using this rotor design, a pilot can manipulate the swash plate assembly and control the
helicopter's motion. With the cyclic, the swash plate assembly can change the angle of the
blades individually as they revolve. This allows the helicopter to move in any direction around
a 360-degree circle, including forward, backward, left and right. The collective allows the
swash plate assembly to change the angle of all blades simultaneously. Doing this increases or
decreases the lift that the main rotor supplies to the vehicle, allowing the helicopter to gain or
lose altitude.

2.3 Apache Engine and its Working:

The Apache Helicopters use turbo shaft jet engines to power their rotors. Some older or
smaller helicopters use "reciprocating" (Piston) engines for their power source, but most of
the helicopters in use today use gas-turbine engines. They are light, very powerful and
economical. The best part is that they are very reliable as well. Failure rates for gas-turbine
engines are very low because there are not as many internal moving parts as there are in a
reciprocating engine

13 | P a g e
 Fig 2.4: Basic Jet Engine Cross Section

A jet engine works on four very simple principles: "Suck, Squeeze, Burn and Blow". The
picture posted here shows a simple gas-turbine engine cross section.

Fig 2.5: An example of an Apache helicopter turbo shaft engine.

In the front of the engine is the compressor section which "Sucks" in air and "Squeezes" it to
make it denser and better for combustion. Air is brought into the compressor by the turning
compressor blades that are shaped like little airfoils. It works like a big fan to move air into
the engine. In between the moving rows of compressor blades are stationary blade sets called
"stators". The stators change the direction of the airflow and help in the compression process.
The area that the air can occupy gets smaller as the air travels through the compressor. The
air then goes through the diffuser section which transports the air neatly into the combustion
chambers, which are in the combustion section. There the air is mixed with fuel and is ignited
to create a powerful reaction. (The "Burn" part) The explosive burned fuel and air mixture
then travels into the turbine section where the force is turned into a combination of drive
power and thrust (or exhaust). If the force is converted mainly into drive power to drive a

14 | P a g e
transmission, as in most helicopters, then it is referred to as a turbo shaft engine. If the force
is only converted to enough power to drive the compressor, and the rest is used as thrust, then
it is considered to be a turbojet (or thrust producing) engine. (That is the "Blow" part).

2.3.1 How does the power get from the Engine to the Rotors?

The newest Apache sports twin General Electric T700-GE-701C turbo shaft engines,
boasting about 1,700 horsepower each. The power is transferred from the engine using a main
gearbox which changes the power from the engine and sends it to the transmission. In the
transmission RPM is reduced from thousands of RPM to hundreds of RPM. By doing this
the torque is increased and the rotation is slowed to an acceptable level for the rotor system.
The transmission drives the mast which gives direct rotation to the rotors. Often another shaft
will come out of the transmission to directly drive the tail rotor as well.

An accessory gearbox mounted on the engine draws little engine power to drive things like
the oil pump, the generator and the fuel control for the engine itself.

2.4 Apache hellfire missiles:

The Apache's chief function is to take out heavily armored ground targets, such as tanks and
bunkers. To inflict this kind of damage, you need some heavy fire power, and to do it from a
helicopter, you need an extremely sophisticated targeting system.

Fig 2.6: An Apache fires two Hellfire missiles in a training exercise.

15 | P a g e
The Apache's primary weapon, the Hellfire missile, meets these demands. Each missile is a
miniature aircraft, complete with its own guidance computer, steering control and propulsion
system. The payload is a high-explosive, copper-lined-charge warhead powerful enough to burn
through the heaviest tank armor in existence.

The Apache carries the missiles on four firing rails attached to pylons mounted to its wings.
There are two pylons on each wing, and each pylon can support four missiles, so the Apache
can carry as many as 16 missiles at a time. Before launching, each missile receives instructions
directly from the helicopter's computer. When the computer transmits the fire signal, the missile
sets off the propellant. Once the burning propellant generates about 500 pounds of force, the
missile breaks free of the rail. As the missile speeds up, the force of acceleration triggers the
arming mechanism. When the missile makes contact with the target, an impact sensor sets off
the warhead. The original Hellfire design uses a laser guidance system to hit its mark. In this
system, the Apache gunner aims a high-intensity laser beam at the target (in some situations,
ground forces might operate the laser instead). The laser pulses on and off in a particular coded
pattern.

Before giving the firing signal, the Apache computer tells the missile's control system the
specific pulse pattern of the laser. The missile has a laser seeker on its nose that detects the laser
light reflecting off the target. In this way, the missile can see where the target is. The guidance
system calculates which way the missile needs to turn in order to head straight for the reflected
laser light. To change course, the guidance system moves the missile's flight fins. This is
basically the same way an airplane steers.

16 | P a g e
 Fig 2.7: Each rail set holds four Hellfire missiles.
The laser-guided Hellfire system is highly effective, but it has some significant drawbacks:

Cloud cover or obstacles can block the laser beam so it never makes it to the target.

If the missile passes through a cloud, it can lose sight of the target.

The helicopter (or a ground targeting crew) has to keep the laser fixed on the target until
the missile makes contact. This means the helicopter has to be out in the open,
vulnerable to attack.

The Hellfire II, used in Apache Longbow helicopters, corrects these flaws. Instead of a laser-
seeking system, the missile has a radar seeker. The helicopter's radar locates the target, and the
missiles zero in on it. Since radio waves aren't obscured by clouds or obstacles, the missile is
more likely to find its target. Since it doesn't have to keep the laser focused on the target, the
helicopter can fire the missile and immediately find cover.

2.5 Apache Rockets and Chain Gun

Apaches usually fly with two Hydra rocket launchers in place of two of the Hellfire missile
sets. Each rocket launcher carries 19 folding-fin 2.75-inch aerial rockets, secured in launching
tubes. To fire the rockets, the launcher triggers an igniter at the rear end of the tube. The Apache
gunner can fire one rocket at a time or launch them in groups. The flight fins unfold to stabilize
the rocket once it leaves the launcher.

The rockets work with a variety of warhead designs. For example, they might be armed with
high-power explosives or just smoke-producing materials. In one configuration, the warhead
delivers several sub munitions, small bombs that separate from the rocket in the air and fall on
targets below.

The gunner engages close-range targets with an M230 30-mm automatic cannon attached to a
turret under the helicopter's nose. The gunner aims the gun using a sophisticated computer
system in the cockpit. The computer controls hydraulics that swing the turret from side to side
and up and down.

17 | P a g e
Fig 2.8: The Hydra rocket launcher (right) and Hellfire missile rails (left) on an AH-64A
Apache helicopter.

The automatic cannon is a chain gun design, powered by an electric motor. The motor rotates
the chain, which slides the bolt assembly back and forth to load, fire, extract and eject cartridges.
This is different from an ordinary machine gun, which uses the force of the cartridge explosion
or flying bullet to move the bolt.

Fig 2.9: The M-230A1 30-mm automatic cannon on an AH-64A Apache

18 | P a g e
2.6 Apache Controls:

The Apache cockpit is divided into two sections, one directly behind the other. The pilot sits in
the rear section, and the co-pilot/gunner sits in the front section. As you might expect, the pilot
maneuvers the helicopter and the gunner aims and fires the weapons. Both sections of the
cockpit include flight and firing controls in case one pilot needs to take over full operation.

The pilot flies the Apache using collective and cyclic controls, similar to ones you would find
in any other helicopter. The controls manipulate the rotors using both a
mechanical hydraulic system and a digital stabilization system. The digital stabilization system
fine-tunes the powerful hydraulic system to keep the helicopter flying smoothly. The
stabilization system can also keep the helicopter in an automatic hovering position for short
periods of time.

Fig 2.10: The Apache has two cockpit sections: The pilot sits in the rear and the gunner
sits in the front. The rear section is raised above the front section so the pilot can see
clearly.

On the Longbow Apache, three display panels provide the pilot with most navigation and flight
information. These digital displays are much easier to read than traditional instrument dials.
The pilot simply presses buttons on the side of the display to find the information he or she
needs.

19 | P a g e
 Fig 2.11: Inside the Apache Longbow cockpit

2.7 Apache Sensors:

One of the coolest things about the Apache is its sophisticated sensor equipment. The Longbow
Apache detects surrounding ground forces, aircraft and buildings using a radar dome mounted
to the mast. The radar dome uses millimeter radio waves that can make out the shape of
anything in range. The radar signal processor compares these shapes to a database of tanks,
trucks, other aircraft and equipment to identify the general class of each potential target. The
computer pinpoints these targets on the pilot's and gunner's display panels.

20 | P a g e
 Fig 2.12: The Apache Longbow has a distinctive radar dome mounted to its mast.
The pilot and the gunner both use night vision sensors for night operations. The night vision
sensors work on the forward-looking infrared system, which detects the infrared light released
by heated objects.

The pilot's night vision sensor is attached to a rotating turret on top of the Apache's nose. The
gunner's night vision sensor is attached to a separate turret on the underside of the nose. The
lower turret also supports a normal video camera and a telescope, which the gunner uses during
the day.

Fig 2.13: The sensor array on an Apache helicopter

The computer transmits the night vision or video picture to a small display unit in each pilot's
helmet. The video display projects the image onto a monocular lens in front of the pilot's right
eye. Infrared sensors in the cockpit track how the pilot positions the helmet and relay this
information to the turret control system. Each pilot can aim the sensors by simply moving his
or her head! Manual controls are also available, of course.

21 | P a g e
 Fig 2.14: The helmet targeting system in an Apache helicopter

2.8Apache Evasion Tactics and Armor:

The Apache's first line of defense against attack is keeping out of range. As we saw earlier, the
helicopter is specifically designed to fly low to the ground, hiding behind cover whenever
possible. The Apache is also designed to evade enemy radar scanning. If the pilots pick up radar
signals with the onboard scanner, they can activate a radar jammer to confuse the enemy.

Fig 2.15: A flying Apache Helicopter

The Apache is also designed to evade heat-seeking missiles by reducing its infrared
signature (the heat energy it releases). The Black Hole infrared suppression system dissipates
the heat of the engine exhaust by mixing it with air flowing around the helicopter. The cooled

22 | P a g e
exhaust then passes through a special filter, which absorbs more heat. The Longbow also has
an infrared jammer, which generates infrared energy of varying frequencies to confuse heat-
seeking missiles.

The Apache is heavily armored on all sides. Some areas are also surrounded by Kevlar soft
armor for extra protection. The cockpit is protected by layers of reinforced armor
and bulletproof glass. According to Boeing, every part of the helicopter can survive 12.7-mm
rounds, and vital engine and rotor components can withstand 23-mm fire.

Fig 2.16: Anti-penetration protection

23 | P a g e
The area surrounding the cockpit is designed to deform during collision, but the cockpit canopy
is extremely rigid. In a crash, the deformation areas work like the crumple zones in a car -- they
absorb a lot of the impact force, so the collision isn't as hard on the crew. The pilot and gunner
seats are outfitted with heavy Kevlar armor, which also absorbs the force of impact. With these
advanced systems, the crew has an excellent chance of surviving a crash.

Fig 2.17: A flying tank-apache helicopter

Flying an Apache into battle is extremely dangerous, to be sure, but with all its weapons, armor
and sensor equipment, it is a formidable opponent to almost everything else on the battlefield.
It is a deadly combination of strength, agility and fire power.

24 | P a g e
 CHAPTER 3

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPE

3.1 Conclusion:

Flying an Apache into battle is extremely dangerous, to be sure, but with all its weapons,
armors and sensor equipment, it is a formidable opponent to almost everything else on the
battlefield. It is a deadly combination of strength, agility and fire power.

With the design of the apache the very concept of helicopter itself has changed all over the
world. Many countries like Russia, Germany etc. have rolled over their versions of attack
helicopters. They replaced the main drawbacks of apache. But it can be surely emphasized
that the Apache is the pioneer in the attack helicopter family. In this seminar Ive tried to put
forward some of the design features of the same.

Boeing produced 937 AH-64A Apaches between 1984 and 1997. Some remain in service today,
and have:

Two high-performance turbo shaft engines and maximum cruise speed of 284 kmph.
Laser, infrared, and other systems (including target acquisition designation sight/pilot night
vision sensor) to locate, track, and attack targets
A combination of laser-guided precision Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and a 30mm
automatic cannon with up to 1,200 high-explosive, dual-purpose ammunition rounds
Boeings AH-64D Apache and the AH-64D Apache Longbow have numerous enhancements,
including:

Longer-range weapons accuracy and all-weather/night fighting

Detection of objects (moving or stationary) without being detected
Classification and threat-prioritization of up to 128 targets in less than a minute.
Integrated sensors, networking, and digital communications for situational awareness,
management of the combat arena in real time, and digital transmission of images and target
locations to joint operations battlefield commanders.

25 | P a g e
3.2 Future Scope:
The U.S is now developing a new revolutionary helicopter called COMANCHE, which has
several superior techniques. But it is still under construction. So, at present the APACHE
holds the no.1 position among the revolutionary helicopters.

In Afghanistan, it was known as the monster because it could strike fear and attack the
enemy wherever they were, day or night. Today it often works in tandem with heavy-lifters
like the Chinook to provide extra cover and security on missions.

The latest generation AH-64E Apache helicopters, made by Boeing with support from a
series of UK supply chain companies. It has a better engine that delivers 3,400 shaft
horsepower compared to its predecessors 2,854. It has a new gearbox, an improved drive
system and is lighter on fuel, meaning it can go further as well as faster.

The new Apache is a game-changer in defence against global threats. Its presence will deter
most enemies, helping to maintain the peace for years to come.

26 | P a g e
 REFERENCES

"Boeing AH-64 Apache". Jane's All the World's Aircraft. Jane's Information Group,
2010.
Bishop, Chris. Apache AH-64 Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) 19762005. Osprey
Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-84176-816-2.
Richardson, Doug and Lindsay Peacock. Combat Aircraft: AH-64 Apache. London:
Salamander Books, 1992. ISBN 0-86101-675-0.
Donald, David. "AH-64A/D Apache and AH-64D Longbow Apache". Modern
Battlefield Warplanes. AIRtime Publishing Inc, 2004. ISBN 1-880588-76-5.
"How Apache Helicopters Work". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 10 October 2013.

27 | P a g e