My youngest sister flew choppers in the U.S. Army. Not the Apache, as far as I know. She said that chopper pilot training is so difficult that she may not have gone through with it if she had known in advance just how demanding it would be. But she's glad she committed to it, and now flies Life Flights for hospitals.
In a lot of ways flying medical helicopters for hospitals is even more nerve wracking than military flights. Military are trained to deal with flying near the terrain and everything but the medevac pilots have to fly in, assess for the safest location to set down as close as possible to the patient while possibly dealing with trees buildings power lines etc, and then they have to take off again being mindful of environmental hazards, fly back to the hospital, do it as smooth as possible so as to not jostle a patient and the medics so the patient doesn't die, and then land smoothly at the hospital, and do it all as fast as possible. And while concentrating on all of that they also have to use a radio to communicate with the ground. And the cherry on top is they may have to do all that in weather that would call for grounding all non emergency flights. Not every medical flight is an immediate life and death call, some are used because it would be tricky to get an ambulance to the location but none of them would happen if somebody didn't need some significant help. I can't speak for everybody but your sister most certainly has my respect.
I had trained with the helicopters while I was in the Army. You would be surprised how quiet they can be. I was walking down the edge of a wood line and did not even know three of these helicopters were on the other side of the woods until they popped up and sent rockets down range over our heads.
Officially nobody has said they use the tech or on which vehicles but unofficially phase cancellation for helicopters has been played with since at least the early 1980s. To keep it brief, if you have two of the same sound waves perfectly out of phase with each other they will cancel each other and you get silence. If they aren't perfect they will still muffle and reduce each other. So if you have a loud constant noise source (like a helicopter rotor) and you record it (or have stored recording of it from earlier) and play it back with speakers right next to it you can reduce how loud it is at a distance and in theory make it perfectly silent. In the real world there are too many variables to ever achieve it perfectly to silence it for perfect stealth near the source aka the helicopter but you can reduce it enough at range to have a helicopter that is either effectively silent or the remaining noise is quiet enough and altered enough to have people nor realize it is a helicopter they are hearing. Here is a video I found where somebody does a quick real world demonstration with a pair of speakers. th-cam.com/video/bc1Z1ck9hKQ/w-d-xo.html
2:27 my grandfather says it’s like riding a bike. Once you get it, you never forget it. He flew Huey’s in the Vietnam war, served for 33 years, was a Bronze Star recipient, and was Honorably Discharged as a Major. Keep up the good work and love from America.
@@samueladams1775 I’m sorry for your loss. My grandfather says he should have been a Lt. Colonel and had a silver star. The article in the news paper that would have gotten him them got shredded. What division did he serve in?
@@Wolfpack-cc6ib My uncle lived a long prosperous life. Thank you for your condolences. As to what division he was in, I don't know. I know he was a medivac and the Bronze Star was for flying into hot LZs to pick up wounded. He was in the Stars and Stripes a few times. Ironically, he survived Vietnam to come back and be almost killed by his glider/soar plane instructor who ignored my uncle's warning and stalled and crashed the glider. The instructor died in the crash. My uncle got a broken back in the crash. In Vietnam he flew choppers back to base all shot up to almost get killed by an instructor that wouldn't listen.
That dome on top is the AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar. It's on top of the rotor mast so that the Apache can hover behind a hill and expose only that dome and mark targets for the flight. Sort of like sticking a periscope up out of the water on a submarine. Only some of them have them because they mark targets for every helicopter in their flight and relay that information digitally. So a flight of four 64's can hover behind a hill, the longbow equipped bird pops up high enough to mark targets with the radome. It can then send that information to the other birds, and they sort out which targets they are engaging, and then they have a flight trajectory option that lobs the hellfires high, up and over the hill they are hiding behind. This allows them to engage multiple targets with out ever really exposing themselves. And yeah, if you look closely at the pilots helmets, you'll note a green boom extending from the right side of the helmet which holds a monocle in front of their right eye. This monocle projects a reticle where the gunner would like the gun to point. A magenetic detection unit mounted in the cockpit reads magnetic sensors on the helmet and translates that motion to the chain gun. So , where the gunner/pilot look, the gun points. Here's a short video of that www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/u0ym6p/ah64_apaches_helmet_gun_tracking_system/?context=3
When I was in University, I drove by a training ground every day where Apache pilots trained for desert warfare. It was a very rugged/small mountains desert landscape. The pilots used to practice targeting on cars driving on the freeway through the canyons. Almost nobody outside the base knew that (obviously the birds weren’t armed so no accidental launch could happen), but I had a good buddy on base. After he showed me video of my car being “taken out”, I always knew when I saw an Apache slide out from behind a mountain that I was getting killed again.
They also practice in the MCDWC 29 Palms, California and in the Chocolate Mountains North of Yuma, Arizona when I was in the Marines in the 70's and 80's. But I was just a ground controller there.
I got "killed" by a U.S. Marine sea cobra on the Pacific coast highway in 1999 while driving a freightliner semi truck. Just as I spotted the marine beach landing exercise ahead. Saw something out of the corner of my eye, turned my head right, to stare into a gun turret of the 'copter as it paced my truck.
These are wicked weapons. I was stationed in Europe for the US Army back in the mid 1980's, and we trained with these. The only other aircraft I would rather see coming to aid us troops is the A10 Warthog.
I love the hogs because I was stationed where they flew (RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge) but I think that an infantryman would not be too picky who killed someone who was shooting at them
I was also stationed in W. Germany in the mid to late 70s. The A10 Warthog had just come on line and did some demonstrations in Europe while I was there. My favorite aircraft, for sure!! After I was out, I worked at the US Army Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB in the Mojave Desert for a summer. I helped install avionics for testing aircraft, both fixed wing and helicopters. I worked on the Cobra then. What was very exciting to me is the hangar next door was the A10 hangar! On the other side of us was the hangar used for weight and balance on the Boeing 747/Space Shuttle piggyback configuration. I used to watch the A10s and CH-47 (Chinook) practice in the dry lake bed with their mini-guns. And the SR-71 would taxi by the hangar regularly, but for some reason, I never saw one take off or land. Fun times, for sure.
they are killer machines. they don't call it the angel of death for no reason. i'm no pilot, but being able to make sure they are safe to fly and perform all the tons of maintenance the machine requires is an honor.
I spent two years in Vietnam. Helicopter that looks mostly like that and the same shape basically was called the cobra helicopter. It actually had blue glass for windshields. You might want to check that one out.
I was in the parking lot of my local Lowes a couple years ago when I heard the "whump whump" of a helicopter. I immediately KNEW it was a Huey .. and then a Cobra flew over. They were Marines out of Shaw AFB Sumter SC.
The old Cobra was upgraded and it's the Super Cobra now. The original had a single engine while the super cobra is a twin engine model. There was a test version called the King Cobra, but only two were made and that was rejected, since it wasn't a big enough improvement over the original.
0:37: That would be the AN/APG-74 Longbow radar system. 1:08: That's how helicopters generate thrust. They offset the rotor disk such that some of the airflow that was going straight down is now going at an angle. 4:13: Those are all the various computers for the helicopter.
I worked for Lockheed Martin and I used to build the electronic components for the radar systems and I used to build the Hellfire II missiles. There is so much more to those things that I am not sure if I can say what it can do. I do know the Hellfire missiles cost around $50,000 USD EACH. I worked in the clean room assembling the nose cone on the Hellfire. The final assembly to the rest of it is done at a different plant then where I worked.
My husband worked on the electronics of your Apaches from 1998-2008. He was a boon to his Battalions and Companies. I always loved looking at the nose cones when I would go to see him at work. I'd bring our son and we would explore the Apaches in their various disassembly and ask about the components and what the soldiers were working on. I really miss doing that.
@@agrotta1650 The gimbles that spun is what I used to install and then put the clear nose on the tip. The deflector actually has a really thin layer of gold.
@@bcherry8953 They probably recouped the cost of production by selling them to foreign nations🤷 I don't believe that the soldiers were attending Longbow school 20 years ago. A lot less than 20 years ago is my recollection.
Working on the AH-64E is quite literally my job in the US army! A true beast. In regards to your very first question about the angle of the rotor you are entirely correct. The Apache rotors rotate at one speed. The speed of the bird as a whole is entirely based on the angle of the rotors
Love the military reactions. I especially look for them from you guys. But just caught your corn dog reaction and couldn't stop laughing. Great job. Keep up the awesomeness.
The chain gun has changed slightly to a helmet mounted partial control. The helmet is designed for pilots to simply move their head in a direction and the gun follows, the trigger though is still on the control stick so the pilot can choose when to fire or not. It’s something we had to do as the the war on terror had multiple targets and it simply made fighting easier. We also replaced most of the standard bombs with those precision one so we don’t miss the rockets though are standard unfortunately and they do the job mostly.
The Hellfire doesn't have a camera on the nose. That was a different missile. I used to assemble that part of the Hellfire. What you see in the video is a sensor that receives the information they talked about on here. It isn't a camera. But I agree, I used to live watching the videos from those other missiles.
When I worked at Lockheed Martin I used to talk to pilots that came in for tours. We even got to see a few classified videos from the cameras on the Apache. To the best of my knowledge those videos are still classified so I cannot give details of the videos. Even though I don't work there anymore I still cannot divulge it.
Love these birds. Spent 4 years supporting them. They were still making them better 20 years ago. An amazing piece of gear. The pilots were, largely, some of the nicest officers I encountered. Of course the warrant officers were super chill.
@@DKatnik it takes work but he had little to worry about, no command worries, not soldiers to lead, just to fly the bird and be ready. Tell him I love him. May God Bless America.
Dad flew Huey’s during Vietnam. It was my favorite chopper until I saw the Apache.. it’s up there with the A-10 and the F-18 as the most badass air frames our military uses
My MOS (military Job) when I was in the Army was to fix the electronics on the Apache. Loved the work, but wasn't what I thought I would be doing. Never actually worked on the helicopters themselves, just the parts that the soldiers on the flight line removed.
I'm an American combat veteran who flew and trained others to fly Apache helicopters. I retired from the US Army in 2020 and in 1 month my wife and I are immigrating to NZ. I'd love to share my experiences once my family and I arrive 🥰
The "thing on top" of some of the helicopters is a millimeter wave radar system. Those are the longbow apaches, the adar allows the helicopter to scan the battlefield without exposing the aircraft. They can paint targets for radar guided versions of the hellfire missile th
A buddy of mine flew Apaches. He said that they had a small plaque in their ready room that said, "Don't bother to run, you'll only die tired."' The Apache is truly an awesome piece of engineering. Love your lovely family and your posts. Much happiness wished upon you all from North Carolina!
The little flat disk on top of the rotor is a radar system on an AH-64D Apache Longbow for guiding a n Anti-Tank Hellfire Missile. It also raises the system over obstacles to peek at the enemy and map them out and then the gunner can select his targets and relay to others on what's there.
The aggressive rotor pitch angle makes sense on a low flying attack chopper, when forward momentum is needed the hull and more importantly the weapons remain parallel to the ground instead of pointing down at it and can be fired. In turn while hovering the missiles are pointed at an upward angle to more easily clear obstacles gain elevation and then decend on targets.
Wouldn’t the air thrust or audible chop be slightly behind them also so you wouldn’t hear them as quickly as a normal helicopter if they were flying at you? I know the amount of main rotor blades and blade length play a bigger role They really didn’t talk about any stealth capabilities Hmmmm?
Yep. It be 9/11 today. Prayers to all who have lost their lives. But at the same time it’s nice to know the Titans are kicking the Giants butts right now. Edit: Welp never mind ima act like that never happened
I actually work on the team that builds the Apache here in Arizona. Thanks for highlighting this amazing aircraft, sometimes even I forget just how awesome it is and what it can do.
I'm a farmer US Army Sgt and I LOVE. Your enthusiasm for some of our toys. You guys are great... Keep it up. I'd personally love to see more videos of YOUR home NZ... Most of us yanks only know about your lovely home from LOTR and Hercules/ Xena lol... Keep it up. Educational for my kids and tons of fun!
The Gerald R. Ford class Aircraft Carrier is the newest and most advanced Carrier in the US Navy's inventory. The USS Enterprise is currently being constructed in Norfolk and will be the 3rd of 5 Ford class Carrier's produced. What wasn't explained in the video the Longbow Apache has that big "donut" looking thing on top of the main rotor, which is a radar. The Longbow radar allows the Apache to hide behind cover while the radar peeks over the treetops and the USMC AH-1Z Viper can also use the Longbow radar. The Apache and the Viper are definitely not slow the Apache can fly at nearly 200mph while the Viper can reach speeds in excess of 250mph. Both are highly maneuverable and can fly between trees, canyons and buildings swiftly with a skilled pilot. Good video and stay safe.
My uncle was an Apache pilot for decades. He was one of the engineers who helped develop the Longbow system which is utilized on the current models, as well as other helicopters as well. He also took us on a flight in one when I was a young kid, something I'll never forget.
I was an armament/electrical systems repairer on those awesome helicopters. You can hear each round come out of that gun. You guys are cool and live your enthusiasm in everything you do.
The Apache can be very nimble. In the heat of battle when you have explosions all around and multiple aircraft flying by, as well as gunfire nearby, The apache is can "sneak" up when you least expect it. One minute you're focused on battle and the next you hear the sound of doom before the apache raises up from behind cover and destroys it's target.
1:05 The rotor is used to taxi for a convenient take-off area and sometimes they use runways. The rotor tilt is also used for other maneuvers while in flight.
you should check out some combat footage and tactics for the Apache. It's incredibly nimble and deadly. They will team up with a Kiowa aircraft as thier laser designator and the apache can pop up out of cover, deploy munitions, and drop back into cover before the enemy even knows they are there. Deadly foe on the battle field.
I had the pleasure of teaching weapon systems on this aircraft to around 600 personnel over a 6-year period. This is an amazing aircraft and when working correctly is incredibly lethal weapon. Thank you for your honor of American veterans.
Whats cool about this for me is that when I was a coach one of the kids I coached ended up going into the Army twice, once for two different wars. And he was a Helicopter Pilot for one of these.
All helicopter pilots are Officers. Interested to know if he was in ROTC or went to Officer Training School to become a high ranked NCO or a General Officer. I flew Apaches in Mid to late 90's.
The rotor it tipped low in the front to move the helicopter forward, either on wheels on the ground or while flying. When the rotor is held level it raises the helicopter or allows it to descend straight up or down.
the apache has four broad blades and this results on it being able to run it’s main rotor with less rpm’s resulting in a more stable flight and less noise from the rotors
This is incorrect. The main rotor on the 64 actually spins much faster than it’s predecessor. The Cobra used very heavy blades and that inertia kept them moving in case they lost an engine. The 64 uses lighter blades that move faster and aerodynamics keep them moving in the event they lose both engines.
@@secretsquirrel572 Indeed. Not sure why people on the internet seem to like to spew facts that are actually wrong. - former Apache powertrain mechanic
30 years ago I worked for the company that made the prototype for this amazing machine and I hand made a lot of the parts that go into the Apache AH-64 as well as many others. I was fortunate enough to be there the day this bad boy was first tested, (it's first flight), back in 1992, as well as a few other test flights that were given for the Department of Defense to show what it can do.
@@secretsquirrel572 Sorry, you feel the need to attack a stranger, but no, sorry, you're wrong about what I was referring to and I'm not trying to look "cool" to anyone. I worked for a company that did independent contracts for Boeing, as well as many other defense companies like McDonnell Douglas, Cox&Co., Sikorski (where I also did work on their Black Hawks) and a few others as well as built, by hand, the Patriot missiles, and many other things. I remember the day of that first flight and have pictures to go with it. It was April of 1992. What you're talking about is the Boeing AH-64 Apache, what I am referring to is the AH-64D Longbow prototype, which was mentioned in this clip they watched which is why I commented.
Hi Family, I was an instructor pilot at the Army's Ft Rucker training school. There are many aerodynamics that deals with a helicopter flying. The basic of a tail rotor is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction for if the main rotor system is spinning counterclockwise the body of the helicopter wants to spin clockwise. The tail rotor acts to stop the clockwise rotation. Also at the first part of the video you watched showed a yellow patch with a horse head. That is the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft Hood Tx. The 227th Aviation regiment of the Aviation Brigade. I was the Brigade S1 in 1985.
Haha, that's the funniest description of it, but yes! Very much so! And I just know from flying them in simulators, not in reality, but yeah, that exact dynamic is why helicopters are regarded as 'always trying to kill you'. Super input sensitive and can easily get ahead of you and out of control if you're not careful. Plus, there's a lot of absolute 'do not ever do this or you will die' caveats when flying helicopters.
The reason the rotor is tilted forward like that is because the aircraft is taxiing on the ground. It's the rotor that pushes the aircraft forward by the pilot pushing the cyclic stick forward which increases the angle of attack of the rotor blades as they rotate through the rear part of the rotor disk creating more lift/thrust moving the aircraft forward.
I worked at Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego, 1984, and built the cool air intake louvers for the Black Hole exhaust for the first 20 production units. We were responsible for fuselage assembly there. pretty cool to see parts come in at one end and complete airframes go out the other! I left there to go build B1-Bs.
You want to know the power of an Apache attack helicopter four of them during desert Storm knocked out the entire early warning radar system for the Iraqi army. Most important part is that all four of them made it back home safely survivability. Think about it 4 aircraft carry 64 hellfires that's goodbye to 64 main battle tanks ... They're roughly 200 tanks in a division which would consist of 16,000 to 20,000 personnel. That means 12 Apaches can wipe out at least a division of tanks. There are currently at least 800 serving in the US armed military forces. That's 12,800 hellfire missiles from those aircraft and a whole lot of death. Oh don't forget about the 30 mm chain gun as well that shoots out at least 10 rounds a second at you . 1200 rounds gives you roughly 2 minutes of squeezing a trigger of death. And that doesn't even touch on the reconnaissance Factor the helicopters give to you as well . By the way they are actually quite quiet that's a part they didn't tell you about. The buffering systems they have in developed for them. Or any of the other counter electronic measures ,chaff as well as others systems they have to give them survivability.
@@m-jay356👋 look this guy knows how to point out the obvious. People like you remind me of highly educated engineers, that I've met that have no sense common or otherwise.
In the absence of anti-aircraft defenses, yes. The US Army has been fortunate in Iraq & Afghanistan in fighting enemies with little or no air defenses. MANPADs (man portable anti aircraft defense) like the American stinger are deadly. That's one reason the Soviets had so many problems in Afghanistan. The US smuggled in stinger missiles to anti-Soviet Mujahideen, which made it nearly impossible for the Soviets to use their helicopters safely. That's one way NATO is helping Ukraine right now, by supplying MANPAD systems, which make it more dangerous for Russia to use their air assets. In a fight with a "near peer" opponent, aircraft such as the Apache and the A-10 Warthog would have to be far more careful.
My dad was a helicopter mechanic during his first few years in the army, mostly Huey’s and Blackhawk’s but occasionally Apaches, these things are beasts. The thing on top of the rotors is the radar, allowing it to see over the horizon without showing the whole aircraft
I was stationed at Ft Bliss Texas when the 3rd ACR was there. I got to see Apache helicopters all the time. Plus got to see Blackhawk helicopters, M1A2 Abrams Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles (which I worked on), M113s, and humvees.
My brother was a technician for the helmet to gun systems. You look and pull the trigger with pinpoint accuracy. It's guided by your eyes. Incredible tech. All the longbow has to do is peak it's radar dome over a hillside. It can guide firepower from a fleet of apaches onto the target miles away. It's superior air to ground support in the most stealth of a surprise attack.
Greetings from the Great White North. Love your vids. Please keep'em coming. If not mistaken,the chopper can hide behind something with just the radar showing. It can send info on targets to other units. PEACE LOVE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL.
Hi! As a emt/ first responder here in the States, that has had to call medvac and life flight emergency medical helicopter plenty of times, I can you tell that the top rotor on a helicopter does not lock into a rigid position like you would think. It can move up, down to some degree and relies on centrifugal force to even it out in flight, but when its basically idling we are taught to crouch slightly and duck walk as we call it as we carry patients to the chopper and keep our heads low as those blades can dip low enough even in motion like they would be, to decapitate you. we get taught that, so we don't end up a casualty trying to approach the chopper, it's happened in our history, and to my knowledge it works that way with all helicopters.
The AH-64 Apache is built near me in Mesa, Arizona. They do test flights all the time across the Valley. They have a fuselage on a trailer that is brought around to fire departments for training us on how to specifically train for crash/rescue/firefighting specific to the Apache.
The video you guys watched didn't mention that the autocannon can be "slaved" to the gunner's helmet just like the forward sensors. The monacle over the gunner's right eye can be switched to a targeting system for the autocannon, so all the gunner has to do it look at a target and squeeze the trigger.
i love how you guys react to the military i had friends that worked on tanks and little bit of everything and he was in the Navy as well plus i can't believe how long those missiles are on the apache helicopter
Hi all. The ones with the "ball" on top are apache longbow. The are targeting and visual systems. Basically the chopper can poke just the ball above a feature like a hill see what's beyond and target up to 30 things accurately while keeping below cover. The blades behind the hill are quiet and chopper profile hidden. The ball also sends target info to other forces like choppers planes ground forces to lock on and create first strike as well as overwhelming fire on enemy beyond the cover.
I was an Aircraft Maintenance Technician on USAF Heavylift Helicopters when the Apache first went active. There are a lot of really amazing facts about U.S. military helicopters, like the manuverability of the H-53 basic airframe. If you can find it, there's training footage of an "A" model '53 performing 2 consecutive full loops, then going straight into 2 consecutive full barrel-rolls (an H-53 is as big as a city bus). Also, during the Vietnam war, many various aircraft were modified to be gunships, including 4 Army CH-47 Chinooks. Look them up. 👍😉
So, this may have been answered here previously but the reason that the entire set of blades tilt is because those blades are both the propeller and the wing (like a hummingbird)... it's all variable in terms of trim (angle of attack - whatever keeps you flying)... hope that helps
My husband was an A-H64 Armament Electronic Repairer (MOS: A-H64 X-Ray) and also taught for four years at the Triple-A D, at Ft. Eustis during part of his military career. . He retired on Blackhawk. "The new ones" are Apache Longbows.
In my state the building line of the Apache is amazing,you start at one end and gradually walk down the line you see Apache in different stages of being built until you reach the end and see the final product,then in back of factory they test fly them over the river.Very cool.
When I was a kid, my mom and I were driving right at twilight in the field area of Fort Hood Texas and had one of these literally buzz abut 20 to 40 feet over our car after popping out from behind a hill. About 30 seconds after we heard it fire off its weapons. My mom put the gas petal to the floor to get us out of there.
They do have a "whisper" mode--- that changes the exhaust sound and some of the engine noise so that it's more of a hollow "thud" sound than the loud pop pop sound of normal helicopter travel-- so it's NOT as loud as say a huey or comercial copter.
My Mom worked in the department that helped build the Apache. She was part of the group that chose the engine manufacturer. My brother has an Apache pilot's helmet, minus the optics, of course. Still very cool.
I read in an article many years ago that the military can send a small helicopter like a Bell Kiowa with a radar dome to the contact area, and that helicopter can hide behind a hill/terrain with just its radar dome visible and can send the radar information to the Apaches in the area that can then use that information to fire its weapons.
The angle of the rotors in the beginning is to "tow" the helicopter forward. Once it starts moving, the pilot will pull back and the rotor will angle upward more for lift. Ain't we glad we are all friends!
You guys should check out the Bell AH-1 COBRA. This helicopter was the aircraft that was the attack helicopter in the Vietnam war. This helicopter helped the Bell UH-1 Iroquois nicknamed famously as the Huey with ground troops on landing zones and on escort. While a group of Huey’s land a Cobra would use smoke (like used at air shows) to block view of the ground troops and Huey’s so then the enemy would not see the group and start firing at the aircraft and troops. And you said that it must be hard to fly a helicopter. Yes it is…by VR experience :| when you barely move your hand on the control of the helicopter it will move a lot. That’s why it’s really hard for pilots to hover the aircraft. *cough* 5 months of flying helicopters am I right 🫠 helicopters and planes are really fun to see and to interact with in VR and in real life. Hope you guys seen this comment *or someone* love your content! I would enjoy if you send a comment to this comment about how you feel or any more questions about this topic. Hope you all have a great day or night! And always remember to stay awesome!
Great video fam❗️❗️❗️ I live in West Jordan, Utah which is part of the greater Salt Lake City area and I live right next to a airport in which the U.S. Army Reserves fly Apache Attack Helicopters out of❗️❗️ It’s absolutely fun watching them fly by all the time in formation as they go out to the West Desert in Utah to perform maneuvers, war games and target practice (I assume)! Sometimes we also see the big ole Chinook Helicopters fly in and out as well! Also approximately 35 miles north from here is Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Ut which is home of the 75th Airbase Wing, 388th Fighter Wing and 419th Fighter Wing. They Use to fly F-16 Fighting Falcons (a.k.a. Vipers) out of Hill but now they fly nothing but F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighters so it’s always awesome driving north a little ways to see them bad boys flying around and once in a while they fly over the Salt Lake Valley!!! Love your videos fam, keep up the great work!!!!!! ALSO ANOTHER GREAT MILITARY VIDEO FOR YOUR FAMILY TO REVIEW WOULD BE “F-35 ELEPHANT WALK HILL AIR FORCE BASE” TRUST ME YOU WILL BE AMAZED❗️❗️❗️❗️👏🏽👍🏽💪🏽
I live in Arizona and they used to fly these out of a base near us. There’s nothing like the sound of half a dozen of these flying overhead. You could hear them coming. Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp flying fairly low over our house. It was impressive!
The rotors are in "a really aggressive angle" for forward movement. You can imagine that rotors horizontal to the ground would only lift you up and down. To move forward, they need to tilt forward, or the entire fuselage of the helicopter to be tilted forward (but when you asked the question, it was on the ground, and the fuselage cannot be tilted forwards).
To your comment about maneuverability, a helicopter can stop in mid-air and turn which a jet can't so if a jet is attacking a helicopter, it can stop and make the jet overshoot allowing the helicopter if armed with stingers to fire at the jet's exhaust. The Apache will most likely be just on top of the trees if not in the trees making the jet's attack harder.
The maintenance on any helicopter is insane, too. My dad has a Bachelors degree is Aircraft Mechanics...he always said the rule is 1 hour in the air equals 10 hours of maintenance on the ground.
one thing about the sound is that the way the Apache flies the ground, trees and stuff blocks the sounds from enemy formations until it's too late for them to do much about it except try to run away.
@1:00 into the video, the helicopter's propellor gimbaled, and during ground maneuvers, it can be angled forward to drive the helicopter on the tarmac.
Buddy of mine flew with the SOAR regiment. He said flying a helicopter is literally fighting physics. "The Helicopter blades beat the air and gravity into submission" is what he described it as
The angle pulls it forward. Provides forward motion. I was a platoon Sergeant of an Apache unit. My job was to supervise the upkeep of the Apache helicopter. I planned missions with leaders and insured our pilots has safe and trustworthy Apache's. The Taliban called them the Butterfly of death. They are extremely hard to bring down. They have redundant back up systems. Take one system out and another will take over. Take out one engine and the other will still get them home. I was privileged to work with them. good memories.
As a helicopter maintenance tech in the army, Apache helos are not loud at all. For starters the engines are muffled to reduce noise. Secondly, they are able to use both distance and height as defenses. Hellfires can be fired well beyond a mile distance, and the chain gun up to a mile distance. Additionally they are able to use the terrain as a defense also by firing at a target and then ducking behind the terrain for protection.
That device on top of rotors is a radsr system. It is above the rotors so the Apache can hide down behind objects and only the radar is visible. I learned of Apache's when I was young from a 1983 movie 'Blue Thunder'. Starred Roy Schneider (original Jaws - Sheriff) and Malcolm McDowell. Highly recommend if you get a chance.
I spent 12 years as a mechanic and crewchief for AH-64D Apaches. Actually the ones marked "Air Cav" at the beginning of the video are from my old unit, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade.
The AH-64 "Apache," and AH64 Apache Longbow (the newer version with the sensor pod at the top of the rotor mast) has gained a nickname from the enemy of "whispering death." Unlike most helicopters, the Apache can be quite stealthy and quiet. Many enemy targets have been surprised by the Apache, on the battlefield.
The angle of the rotor is to push the helicopter in a certain direction. Leaning forward causes rearward push. Leans left causes right thrust to push it left.
My hubby is a retired US Army (Blackhawk) helicopter pilot. He trained here in Alabama at the base where pilots also train for the Apache helicopter. It is literally down the road from where I grew up and now live again (in the same house). They fly over my house every day. As my husband says, "It's the sound of freedom!"
Salute to your husband, I'm a crewchief for apaches. I'm also from Alabama, so if I ever want to fly them I'll be back in my home state. It's a great thing to know.
Nice that when they're talking about the laser designator for the helfire and it being able to change direction they show the regular non guided rockets firing and not hitting where the laser is pointed.
The Apache is made here in my hometown of Mesa. Arizona. It's not uncommon to see a couple fly over while your driving down the road or while I'm out in the yard mowing the lawn. They're the best attack helicopter in the world!
Omg Apaches are my favorite! I live in Apache Junction, not far from where they are made. Growing up they flew over our neighborhood in groups and the sound was amazing. But first you don't hear them, your walls just start shaking and then you feel a vibration in the air.
very good video also usa and 15 other countries have it in the military and Australia Morocco and Poland have placed orders for it. Also, it takes a crew 2 years of training to MASTER AH-64 APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER.
The thing on top of the rotors is a radar array. Beneath the pilot out in front is Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) that makes for amazing night combat.
Mocking birds also make up their own songs. They are very proud of their singing, getting on the highest limb or on the peak of your roof so everyone can see them. They copy all kinds of sounds from car horns to dogs barking. They are also beautiful to look at with shades of black, grey and white. They are excellent hunters. They land and jerkily spread their wings, making bugs move or fly.
My youngest sister flew choppers in the U.S. Army. Not the Apache, as far as I know. She said that chopper pilot training is so difficult that she may not have gone through with it if she had known in advance just how demanding it would be. But she's glad she committed to it, and now flies Life Flights for hospitals.
Tell her thank you for your service I appreciate it.
So she’s a hero twice over
Props for her, no pun intended.
GOD BLESS YOUR SISTERS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES 🇺🇸 OF AMERICA 🇺🇸👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸ooohhh rrraaaaa!!!! 😉👍🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
In a lot of ways flying medical helicopters for hospitals is even more nerve wracking than military flights. Military are trained to deal with flying near the terrain and everything but the medevac pilots have to fly in, assess for the safest location to set down as close as possible to the patient while possibly dealing with trees buildings power lines etc, and then they have to take off again being mindful of environmental hazards, fly back to the hospital, do it as smooth as possible so as to not jostle a patient and the medics so the patient doesn't die, and then land smoothly at the hospital, and do it all as fast as possible. And while concentrating on all of that they also have to use a radio to communicate with the ground. And the cherry on top is they may have to do all that in weather that would call for grounding all non emergency flights.
Not every medical flight is an immediate life and death call, some are used because it would be tricky to get an ambulance to the location but none of them would happen if somebody didn't need some significant help.
I can't speak for everybody but your sister most certainly has my respect.
I had trained with the helicopters while I was in the Army. You would be surprised how quiet they can be. I was walking down the edge of a wood line and did not even know three of these helicopters were on the other side of the woods until they popped up and sent rockets down range over our heads.
WOW !!!
Haha i live next to a base. I couldnt hear shitttt. I didnt know they were there till i looked up and saw a pair of them.
damn😂
Officially nobody has said they use the tech or on which vehicles but unofficially phase cancellation for helicopters has been played with since at least the early 1980s. To keep it brief, if you have two of the same sound waves perfectly out of phase with each other they will cancel each other and you get silence. If they aren't perfect they will still muffle and reduce each other. So if you have a loud constant noise source (like a helicopter rotor) and you record it (or have stored recording of it from earlier) and play it back with speakers right next to it you can reduce how loud it is at a distance and in theory make it perfectly silent. In the real world there are too many variables to ever achieve it perfectly to silence it for perfect stealth near the source aka the helicopter but you can reduce it enough at range to have a helicopter that is either effectively silent or the remaining noise is quiet enough and altered enough to have people nor realize it is a helicopter they are hearing.
Here is a video I found where somebody does a quick real world demonstration with a pair of speakers.
th-cam.com/video/bc1Z1ck9hKQ/w-d-xo.html
Yeah had that happen to my Here at fort rucker when I was out fishing
2:27 my grandfather says it’s like riding a bike. Once you get it, you never forget it. He flew Huey’s in the Vietnam war, served for 33 years, was a Bronze Star recipient, and was Honorably Discharged as a Major. Keep up the good work and love from America.
My Uncle Bob also flew Hueys in Vietnam and got the Bronze Star. Lt. Colt. Robert S. LaMonte. He passed away a few years ago.
@@samueladams1775 I’m sorry for your loss. My grandfather says he should have been a Lt. Colonel and had a silver star. The article in the news paper that would have gotten him them got shredded. What division did he serve in?
@@Wolfpack-cc6ib My uncle lived a long prosperous life. Thank you for your condolences. As to what division he was in, I don't know. I know he was a medivac and the Bronze Star was for flying into hot LZs to pick up wounded. He was in the Stars and Stripes a few times. Ironically, he survived Vietnam to come back and be almost killed by his glider/soar plane instructor who ignored my uncle's warning and stalled and crashed the glider. The instructor died in the crash. My uncle got a broken back in the crash. In Vietnam he flew choppers back to base all shot up to almost get killed by an instructor that wouldn't listen.
That dome on top is the AN/APG-78 Longbow Fire Control Radar.
It's on top of the rotor mast so that the Apache can hover behind a hill and expose only that dome and mark targets for the flight.
Sort of like sticking a periscope up out of the water on a submarine.
Only some of them have them because they mark targets for every helicopter in their flight and relay that information digitally.
So a flight of four 64's can hover behind a hill, the longbow equipped bird pops up high enough to mark targets with the radome.
It can then send that information to the other birds, and they sort out which targets they are engaging, and then they have a flight trajectory option that lobs the hellfires high, up and over the hill they are hiding behind.
This allows them to engage multiple targets with out ever really exposing themselves.
And yeah, if you look closely at the pilots helmets, you'll note a green boom extending from the right side of the helmet which holds a monocle in front of their right eye. This monocle projects a reticle where the gunner would like the gun to point.
A magenetic detection unit mounted in the cockpit reads magnetic sensors on the helmet and translates that motion to the chain gun.
So , where the gunner/pilot look, the gun points.
Here's a short video of that
www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/u0ym6p/ah64_apaches_helmet_gun_tracking_system/?context=3
You saved me from typing a paragraph lol.
Thanks for sharing that detailed explanation! I took a guess, and I believe I came fairly close.
That was Great! Thanks
Helluva explanation. The FCR is amazing, when it actually works lol.
Yo, I knew about the longbow system, but I didnt know they used mortar mode on the missiles lol
When I was in University, I drove by a training ground every day where Apache pilots trained for desert warfare. It was a very rugged/small mountains desert landscape. The pilots used to practice targeting on cars driving on the freeway through the canyons. Almost nobody outside the base knew that (obviously the birds weren’t armed so no accidental launch could happen), but I had a good buddy on base. After he showed me video of my car being “taken out”, I always knew when I saw an Apache slide out from behind a mountain that I was getting killed again.
LOL.
Unfortunately, we have to train as we fight. Luckily, your car doesn't have missile warning systems that don't causes absolute pandemonium on th I-10.
They also practice in the MCDWC 29 Palms, California and in the Chocolate Mountains North of Yuma, Arizona when I was in the Marines in the 70's and 80's. But I was just a ground controller there.
I got "killed" by a U.S. Marine sea cobra on the Pacific coast highway in 1999 while driving a freightliner semi truck. Just as I spotted the marine beach landing exercise ahead. Saw something out of the corner of my eye, turned my head right, to stare into a gun turret of the 'copter as it paced my truck.
That would be a disturbing feeling knowing another grave was dug for you
These are wicked weapons. I was stationed in Europe for the US Army back in the mid 1980's, and we trained with these. The only other aircraft I would rather see coming to aid us troops is the A10 Warthog.
I dunno man Im sure the boys would be happy to see a Cobra over head as well in a pinch lol
I love the hogs because I was stationed where they flew (RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge) but I think that an infantryman would not be too picky who killed someone who was shooting at them
@@robreesor5011 Sure in a pinch if there were no Apaches or Warthogs available, and the F-16 were not on station, then sure, I'd take a Cobra.
or the specter gun ship
I was also stationed in W. Germany in the mid to late 70s. The A10 Warthog had just come on line and did some demonstrations in Europe while I was there. My favorite aircraft, for sure!! After I was out, I worked at the US Army Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB in the Mojave Desert for a summer. I helped install avionics for testing aircraft, both fixed wing and helicopters. I worked on the Cobra then. What was very exciting to me is the hangar next door was the A10 hangar! On the other side of us was the hangar used for weight and balance on the Boeing 747/Space Shuttle piggyback configuration. I used to watch the A10s and CH-47 (Chinook) practice in the dry lake bed with their mini-guns. And the SR-71 would taxi by the hangar regularly, but for some reason, I never saw one take off or land. Fun times, for sure.
The Apache is actually pretty fast and quiet, it serves specific roles. Usually taking out tanks and ground forces.
Wasn't all that quiet when I was trying to sleep at night on base.
@@GTRNights I swear they use my barracks has a landing approach. If you work on them daily it’s not something you wanna hear at night😂.
The Apache has saved my life many times in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am so great full for those pilots.
Seeing Apache and Viper attack helicopters in the air definitely made me feel safer when visiting my family members deployed overseas.
they are killer machines. they don't call it the angel of death for no reason. i'm no pilot, but being able to make sure they are safe to fly and perform all the tons of maintenance the machine requires is an honor.
@@cronkb i think the angel of death is the ac-130 not the apache ..
@@ExarchGaming for planes yes, for helicopters it’s the apache
@@cronkb When it comes to Apache's and A-10s, I'm fond of just saying; "Here, there be dragons." :D I mean, after all, they both spit fire.
I spent two years in Vietnam. Helicopter that looks mostly like that and the same shape basically was called the cobra helicopter. It actually had blue glass for windshields. You might want to check that one out.
I was in the parking lot of my local Lowes a couple years ago when I heard the "whump whump" of a helicopter. I immediately KNEW it was a Huey .. and then a Cobra flew over. They were Marines out of Shaw AFB Sumter SC.
The Marines still fly the Cobra; it's the US Army that flies the Apache.
The old Cobra was upgraded and it's the Super Cobra now. The original had a single engine while the super cobra is a twin engine model. There was a test version called the King Cobra, but only two were made and that was rejected, since it wasn't a big enough improvement over the original.
0:37: That would be the AN/APG-74 Longbow radar system.
1:08: That's how helicopters generate thrust. They offset the rotor disk such that some of the airflow that was going straight down is now going at an angle.
4:13: Those are all the various computers for the helicopter.
I worked for Lockheed Martin and I used to build the electronic components for the radar systems and I used to build the Hellfire II missiles. There is so much more to those things that I am not sure if I can say what it can do. I do know the Hellfire missiles cost around $50,000 USD EACH. I worked in the clean room assembling the nose cone on the Hellfire. The final assembly to the rest of it is done at a different plant then where I worked.
My husband worked on the electronics of your Apaches from 1998-2008. He was a boon to his Battalions and Companies.
I always loved looking at the nose cones when I would go to see him at work. I'd bring our son and we would explore the Apaches in their various disassembly and ask about the components and what the soldiers were working on. I really miss doing that.
@@agrotta1650
The gimbles that spun is what I used to install and then put the clear nose on the tip. The deflector actually has a really thin layer of gold.
@@sjgavenger37 That is so cool 🥰
Thank you!
How did they manage to cut costs so much? I remember the longbows being about 100k each about 20 years ago.
@@bcherry8953 They probably recouped the cost of production by selling them to foreign nations🤷 I don't believe that the soldiers were attending Longbow school 20 years ago. A lot less than 20 years ago is my recollection.
Having the rotors tilted is how they are able to taxi forward. They have control of the rotor angle.
Working on the AH-64E is quite literally my job in the US army! A true beast. In regards to your very first question about the angle of the rotor you are entirely correct. The Apache rotors rotate at one speed. The speed of the bird as a whole is entirely based on the angle of the rotors
yessir. high above the mf best.
You a Romeo or a Yankee?
@@tristansundquist1834 yankee
@@TrueMenace2society There we gooooooo.
@@tristansundquist1834 yessirrr airborneee
Love the military reactions. I especially look for them from you guys. But just caught your corn dog reaction and couldn't stop laughing. Great job. Keep up the awesomeness.
The chain gun has changed slightly to a helmet mounted partial control. The helmet is designed for pilots to simply move their head in a direction and the gun follows, the trigger though is still on the control stick so the pilot can choose when to fire or not. It’s something we had to do as the the war on terror had multiple targets and it simply made fighting easier. We also replaced most of the standard bombs with those precision one so we don’t miss the rockets though are standard unfortunately and they do the job mostly.
Need to be careful when targeting-one Apache crew with a chain gun took out a British vehicle and killed a number of Tommies. 😢😢😢😢😢
During Gulf War I, it was intriguing to watch the missiles actually arriving at their targets from the nose cameras inside the missiles.
The Hellfire doesn't have a camera on the nose. That was a different missile. I used to assemble that part of the Hellfire. What you see in the video is a sensor that receives the information they talked about on here. It isn't a camera. But I agree, I used to live watching the videos from those other missiles.
When I worked at Lockheed Martin I used to talk to pilots that came in for tours. We even got to see a few classified videos from the cameras on the Apache. To the best of my knowledge those videos are still classified so I cannot give details of the videos. Even though I don't work there anymore I still cannot divulge it.
Love these birds. Spent 4 years supporting them. They were still making them better 20 years ago. An amazing piece of gear. The pilots were, largely, some of the nicest officers I encountered. Of course the warrant officers were super chill.
My uncle was a warrant officer apache pilot.
@@DKatnik it takes work but he had little to worry about, no command worries, not soldiers to lead, just to fly the bird and be ready.
Tell him I love him. May God Bless America.
Thank you for loving me, i truly do love being an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
I was lucky/unlucky to see these in action during combat in Iraq. It was pretty unbelievable to watch.
Dad flew Huey’s during Vietnam. It was my favorite chopper until I saw the Apache.. it’s up there with the A-10 and the F-18 as the most badass air frames our military uses
A Huey can carry passengers and cargo (can also be armed)... An Apache cannot (strictly fighter)
@@billgee02 yes.
My MOS (military Job) when I was in the Army was to fix the electronics on the Apache. Loved the work, but wasn't what I thought I would be doing. Never actually worked on the helicopters themselves, just the parts that the soldiers on the flight line removed.
I'm an American combat veteran who flew and trained others to fly Apache helicopters. I retired from the US Army in 2020 and in 1 month my wife and I are immigrating to NZ. I'd love to share my experiences once my family and I arrive 🥰
I love how tight knit your family is. Going on new adventures and experiencing new things together. A very positive experience for all if us!
The "thing on top" of some of the helicopters is a millimeter wave radar system. Those are the longbow apaches, the adar allows the helicopter to scan the battlefield without exposing the aircraft. They can paint targets for radar guided versions of the hellfire missile th
A buddy of mine flew Apaches. He said that they had a small plaque in their ready room that said, "Don't bother to run, you'll only die tired."' The Apache is truly an awesome piece of engineering. Love your lovely family and your posts. Much happiness wished upon you all from North Carolina!
The little flat disk on top of the rotor is a radar system on an AH-64D Apache Longbow for guiding a n Anti-Tank Hellfire Missile. It also raises the system over obstacles to peek at the enemy and map them out and then the gunner can select his targets and relay to others on what's there.
The aggressive rotor pitch angle makes sense on a low flying attack chopper, when forward momentum is needed the hull and more importantly the weapons remain parallel to the ground instead of pointing down at it and can be fired. In turn while hovering the missiles are pointed at an upward angle to more easily clear obstacles gain elevation and then decend on targets.
Wouldn’t the air thrust or audible chop be slightly behind them also
so you wouldn’t hear them as quickly as a normal helicopter if they were flying at you?
I know the amount of main rotor blades and blade length play a bigger role
They really didn’t talk about any stealth capabilities
Hmmmm?
Yep. It be 9/11 today. Prayers to all who have lost their lives. But at the same time it’s nice to know the Titans are kicking the Giants butts right now.
Edit: Welp never mind ima act like that never happened
Coming from a patriot--no one asked
@@zgSH4DOW cool and I didnt ask for ur opinion
I actually work on the team that builds the Apache here in Arizona. Thanks for highlighting this amazing aircraft, sometimes even I forget just how awesome it is and what it can do.
This is one of the aircraft that keeps the USA rated as #1...❤️🇺🇸❤️
I'm a farmer US Army Sgt and I LOVE. Your enthusiasm for some of our toys.
You guys are great... Keep it up.
I'd personally love to see more videos of YOUR home NZ... Most of us yanks only know about your lovely home from LOTR and Hercules/ Xena lol... Keep it up. Educational for my kids and tons of fun!
When I was little I always spelled helicopter..this way hellacopter🚁 ..lol 😆.
The Gerald R. Ford class Aircraft Carrier is the newest and most advanced Carrier in the US Navy's inventory. The USS Enterprise is currently being constructed in Norfolk and will be the 3rd of 5 Ford class Carrier's produced. What wasn't explained in the video the Longbow Apache has that big "donut" looking thing on top of the main rotor, which is a radar. The Longbow radar allows the Apache to hide behind cover while the radar peeks over the treetops and the USMC AH-1Z Viper can also use the Longbow radar. The Apache and the Viper are definitely not slow the Apache can fly at nearly 200mph while the Viper can reach speeds in excess of 250mph. Both are highly maneuverable and can fly between trees, canyons and buildings swiftly with a skilled pilot. Good video and stay safe.
My uncle was an Apache pilot for decades. He was one of the engineers who helped develop the Longbow system which is utilized on the current models, as well as other helicopters as well. He also took us on a flight in one when I was a young kid, something I'll never forget.
I was an armament/electrical systems repairer on those awesome helicopters. You can hear each round come out of that gun.
You guys are cool and live your enthusiasm in everything you do.
The Apache can be very nimble. In the heat of battle when you have explosions all around and multiple aircraft flying by, as well as gunfire nearby, The apache is can "sneak" up when you least expect it. One minute you're focused on battle and the next you hear the sound of doom before the apache raises up from behind cover and destroys it's target.
1:05 The rotor is used to taxi for a convenient take-off area and sometimes they use runways. The rotor tilt is also used for other maneuvers while in flight.
you should check out some combat footage and tactics for the Apache. It's incredibly nimble and deadly. They will team up with a Kiowa aircraft as thier laser designator and the apache can pop up out of cover, deploy munitions, and drop back into cover before the enemy even knows they are there. Deadly foe on the battle field.
I had the pleasure of teaching weapon systems on this aircraft to around 600 personnel over a 6-year period. This is an amazing aircraft and when working correctly is incredibly lethal weapon. Thank you for your honor of American veterans.
Whats cool about this for me is that when I was a coach one of the kids I coached ended up going into the Army twice, once for two different wars. And he was a Helicopter Pilot for one of these.
All helicopter pilots are Officers. Interested to know if he was in ROTC or went to Officer Training School to become a high ranked NCO or a General Officer. I flew Apaches in Mid to late 90's.
The rotor it tipped low in the front to move the helicopter forward, either on wheels on the ground or while flying. When the rotor is held level it raises the helicopter or allows it to descend straight up or down.
the apache has four broad blades and this results on it being able to run it’s main rotor with less rpm’s resulting in a more stable flight and less noise from the rotors
This is incorrect. The main rotor on the 64 actually spins much faster than it’s predecessor. The Cobra used very heavy blades and that inertia kept them moving in case they lost an engine. The 64 uses lighter blades that move faster and aerodynamics keep them moving in the event they lose both engines.
@@secretsquirrel572 Indeed. Not sure why people on the internet seem to like to spew facts that are actually wrong. - former Apache powertrain mechanic
30 years ago I worked for the company that made the prototype for this amazing machine and I hand made a lot of the parts that go into the Apache AH-64 as well as many others. I was fortunate enough to be there the day this bad boy was first tested, (it's first flight), back in 1992, as well as a few other test flights that were given for the Department of Defense to show what it can do.
Funny because the first flight of the first AH64 built was in the September 1975. Keep trying to look cool.
@@secretsquirrel572 Sorry, you feel the need to attack a stranger, but no, sorry, you're wrong about what I was referring to and I'm not trying to look "cool" to anyone. I worked for a company that did independent contracts for Boeing, as well as many other defense companies like McDonnell Douglas, Cox&Co., Sikorski (where I also did work on their Black Hawks) and a few others as well as built, by hand, the Patriot missiles, and many other things. I remember the day of that first flight and have pictures to go with it. It was April of 1992. What you're talking about is the Boeing AH-64 Apache, what I am referring to is the AH-64D Longbow prototype, which was mentioned in this clip they watched which is why I commented.
Notice how young the people working on the copter are. They have grown up with the computer and IT equipment.
Hi Family, I was an instructor pilot at the Army's Ft Rucker training school. There are many aerodynamics that deals with a helicopter flying. The basic of a tail rotor is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction for if the main rotor system is spinning counterclockwise the body of the helicopter wants to spin clockwise. The tail rotor acts to stop the clockwise rotation. Also at the first part of the video you watched showed a yellow patch with a horse head. That is the 1st Cavalry Division at Ft Hood Tx. The 227th Aviation regiment of the Aviation Brigade. I was the Brigade S1 in 1985.
Yes, that is why the rotor was tilted forward. Flying a helicopter is like balancing a basketball on a sharp pencil while running.
Haha, that's the funniest description of it, but yes! Very much so! And I just know from flying them in simulators, not in reality, but yeah, that exact dynamic is why helicopters are regarded as 'always trying to kill you'. Super input sensitive and can easily get ahead of you and out of control if you're not careful. Plus, there's a lot of absolute 'do not ever do this or you will die' caveats when flying helicopters.
@@Tora1337 fixed wig guys always called then "800 parts flying in close formation"
@@rjr-yp9uj lol
Also accurate. :D
The reason the rotor is tilted forward like that is because the aircraft is taxiing on the ground. It's the rotor that pushes the aircraft forward by the pilot pushing the cyclic stick forward which increases the angle of attack of the rotor blades as they rotate through the rear part of the rotor disk creating more lift/thrust moving the aircraft forward.
I worked at Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego, 1984, and built the cool air intake louvers for the Black Hole exhaust for the first 20 production units. We were responsible for fuselage assembly there. pretty cool to see parts come in at one end and complete airframes go out the other! I left there to go build B1-Bs.
You want to know the power of an Apache attack helicopter four of them during desert Storm knocked out the entire early warning radar system for the Iraqi army. Most important part is that all four of them made it back home safely survivability. Think about it 4 aircraft carry 64 hellfires that's goodbye to 64 main battle tanks ... They're roughly 200 tanks in a division which would consist of 16,000 to 20,000 personnel. That means 12 Apaches can wipe out at least a division of tanks. There are currently at least 800 serving in the US armed military forces. That's 12,800 hellfire missiles from those aircraft and a whole lot of death. Oh don't forget about the 30 mm chain gun as well that shoots out at least 10 rounds a second at you . 1200 rounds gives you roughly 2 minutes of squeezing a trigger of death. And that doesn't even touch on the reconnaissance Factor the helicopters give to you as well . By the way they are actually quite quiet that's a part they didn't tell you about. The buffering systems they have in developed for them. Or any of the other counter electronic measures ,chaff as well as others systems they have to give them survivability.
@@m-jay356👋 look this guy knows how to point out the obvious. People like you remind me of highly educated engineers, that I've met that have no sense common or otherwise.
In the absence of anti-aircraft defenses, yes. The US Army has been fortunate in Iraq & Afghanistan in fighting enemies with little or no air defenses. MANPADs (man portable anti aircraft defense) like the American stinger are deadly. That's one reason the Soviets had so many problems in Afghanistan. The US smuggled in stinger missiles to anti-Soviet Mujahideen, which made it nearly impossible for the Soviets to use their helicopters safely.
That's one way NATO is helping Ukraine right now, by supplying MANPAD systems, which make it more dangerous for Russia to use their air assets.
In a fight with a "near peer" opponent, aircraft such as the Apache and the A-10 Warthog would have to be far more careful.
My dad was a helicopter mechanic during his first few years in the army, mostly Huey’s and Blackhawk’s but occasionally Apaches, these things are beasts. The thing on top of the rotors is the radar, allowing it to see over the horizon without showing the whole aircraft
Wicked and deadly machine!!!! Love u guys and God Bless from Trey in Mississippi ❤️
God bless from James in Mississippi as well!
James back at ya brother God Bless my friend!!!!
I was stationed at Ft Bliss Texas when the 3rd ACR was there. I got to see Apache helicopters all the time. Plus got to see Blackhawk helicopters, M1A2 Abrams Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles (which I worked on), M113s, and humvees.
I would definitely check out the Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier video. Also, if you haven’t checked out the M1 Abrams tank, you should
My brother was a technician for the helmet to gun systems. You look and pull the trigger with pinpoint accuracy. It's guided by your eyes. Incredible tech. All the longbow has to do is peak it's radar dome over a hillside. It can guide firepower from a fleet of apaches onto the target miles away. It's superior air to ground support in the most stealth of a surprise attack.
Greetings from the Great White North. Love your vids. Please keep'em coming. If not mistaken,the chopper can hide behind something with just the radar showing. It can send info on targets to other units. PEACE LOVE AND HAPPINESS TO ALL.
Hi! As a emt/ first responder here in the States, that has had to call medvac and life flight emergency medical helicopter plenty of times, I can you tell that the top rotor on a helicopter does not lock into a rigid position like you would think. It can move up, down to some degree and relies on centrifugal force to even it out in flight, but when its basically idling we are taught to crouch slightly and duck walk as we call it as we carry patients to the chopper and keep our heads low as those blades can dip low enough even in motion like they would be, to decapitate you. we get taught that, so we don't end up a casualty trying to approach the chopper, it's happened in our history, and to my knowledge it works that way with all helicopters.
The AH-1Z Viper flown by the Marine Corps is equally as awesome. Its actually faster, has longer range, and carries more payload than the Apache.
maybe the delta model but not the echo. also the magazine is 1350 rounds not 1200.
The AH-64 Apache is built near me in Mesa, Arizona. They do test flights all the time across the Valley. They have a fuselage on a trailer that is brought around to fire departments for training us on how to specifically train for crash/rescue/firefighting specific to the Apache.
Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down.
The video you guys watched didn't mention that the autocannon can be "slaved" to the gunner's helmet just like the forward sensors. The monacle over the gunner's right eye can be switched to a targeting system for the autocannon, so all the gunner has to do it look at a target and squeeze the trigger.
i love how you guys react to the military i had friends that worked on tanks and little bit of everything and he was in the Navy as well plus i can't believe how long those missiles are on the apache helicopter
Hi all. The ones with the "ball" on top are apache longbow. The are targeting and visual systems. Basically the chopper can poke just the ball above a feature like a hill see what's beyond and target up to 30 things accurately while keeping below cover. The blades behind the hill are quiet and chopper profile hidden. The ball also sends target info to other forces like choppers planes ground forces to lock on and create first strike as well as overwhelming fire on enemy beyond the cover.
I was an Aircraft Maintenance Technician on USAF Heavylift Helicopters when the Apache first went active. There are a lot of really amazing facts about U.S. military helicopters, like the manuverability of the H-53 basic airframe.
If you can find it, there's training footage of an "A" model '53 performing 2 consecutive full loops, then going straight into 2 consecutive full barrel-rolls (an H-53 is as big as a city bus).
Also, during the Vietnam war, many various aircraft were modified to be gunships, including 4 Army CH-47 Chinooks.
Look them up. 👍😉
So, this may have been answered here previously but the reason that the entire set of blades tilt is because those blades are both the propeller and the wing (like a hummingbird)... it's all variable in terms of trim (angle of attack - whatever keeps you flying)... hope that helps
My husband was an A-H64 Armament Electronic Repairer (MOS: A-H64 X-Ray) and also taught for four years at the Triple-A D, at Ft. Eustis during part of his military career. .
He retired on Blackhawk. "The new ones" are Apache Longbows.
In my state the building line of the Apache is amazing,you start at one end and gradually walk down the line you see Apache in different stages of being built until you reach the end and see the final product,then in back of factory they test fly them over the river.Very cool.
When I was a kid, my mom and I were driving right at twilight in the field area of Fort Hood Texas and had one of these literally buzz abut 20 to 40 feet over our car after popping out from behind a hill. About 30 seconds after we heard it fire off its weapons. My mom put the gas petal to the floor to get us out of there.
They do have a "whisper" mode--- that changes the exhaust sound and some of the engine noise so that it's more of a hollow "thud" sound than the loud pop pop sound of normal helicopter travel-- so it's NOT as loud as say a huey or comercial copter.
My Mom worked in the department that helped build the Apache. She was part of the group that chose the engine manufacturer. My brother has an Apache pilot's helmet, minus the optics, of course. Still very cool.
I read in an article many years ago that the military can send a small helicopter like a Bell Kiowa with a radar dome to the contact area, and that helicopter can hide behind a hill/terrain with just its radar dome visible and can send the radar information to the Apaches in the area that can then use that information to fire its weapons.
The angle of the rotors in the beginning is to "tow" the helicopter forward. Once it starts moving, the pilot will pull back and the rotor will angle upward more for lift. Ain't we glad we are all friends!
You guys should check out the Bell AH-1 COBRA. This helicopter was the aircraft that was the attack helicopter in the Vietnam war. This helicopter helped the Bell UH-1 Iroquois nicknamed famously as the Huey with ground troops on landing zones and on escort. While a group of Huey’s land a Cobra would use smoke (like used at air shows) to block view of the ground troops and Huey’s so then the enemy would not see the group and start firing at the aircraft and troops. And you said that it must be hard to fly a helicopter. Yes it is…by VR experience :| when you barely move your hand on the control of the helicopter it will move a lot. That’s why it’s really hard for pilots to hover the aircraft. *cough* 5 months of flying helicopters am I right 🫠 helicopters and planes are really fun to see and to interact with in VR and in real life. Hope you guys seen this comment *or someone* love your content! I would enjoy if you send a comment to this comment about how you feel or any more questions about this topic. Hope you all have a great day or night! And always remember to stay awesome!
Great video fam❗️❗️❗️ I live in West Jordan, Utah which is part of the greater Salt Lake City area and I live right next to a airport in which the U.S. Army Reserves fly Apache Attack Helicopters out of❗️❗️ It’s absolutely fun watching them fly by all the time in formation as they go out to the West Desert in Utah to perform maneuvers, war games and target practice (I assume)! Sometimes we also see the big ole Chinook Helicopters fly in and out as well! Also approximately 35 miles north from here is Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Ut which is home of the 75th Airbase Wing, 388th Fighter Wing and 419th Fighter Wing. They Use to fly F-16 Fighting Falcons (a.k.a. Vipers) out of Hill but now they fly nothing but F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighters so it’s always awesome driving north a little ways to see them bad boys flying around and once in a while they fly over the Salt Lake Valley!!! Love your videos fam, keep up the great work!!!!!! ALSO ANOTHER GREAT MILITARY VIDEO FOR YOUR FAMILY TO REVIEW WOULD BE “F-35 ELEPHANT WALK HILL AIR FORCE BASE” TRUST ME YOU WILL BE AMAZED❗️❗️❗️❗️👏🏽👍🏽💪🏽
I live in Arizona and they used to fly these out of a base near us. There’s nothing like the sound of half a dozen of these flying overhead. You could hear them coming. Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp flying fairly low over our house. It was impressive!
The rotors are in "a really aggressive angle" for forward movement. You can imagine that rotors horizontal to the ground would only lift you up and down. To move forward, they need to tilt forward, or the entire fuselage of the helicopter to be tilted forward (but when you asked the question, it was on the ground, and the fuselage cannot be tilted forwards).
The Bubble on top is it's special Radar. It allows the helicopter to see over trees without exposing it's self to enemy fire.
To your comment about maneuverability, a helicopter can stop in mid-air and turn which a jet can't so if a jet is attacking a helicopter, it can stop and make the jet overshoot allowing the helicopter if armed with stingers to fire at the jet's exhaust. The Apache will most likely be just on top of the trees if not in the trees making the jet's attack harder.
The maintenance on any helicopter is insane, too. My dad has a Bachelors degree is Aircraft Mechanics...he always said the rule is 1 hour in the air equals 10 hours of maintenance on the ground.
one thing about the sound is that the way the Apache flies the ground, trees and stuff blocks the sounds from enemy formations until it's too late for them to do much about it except try to run away.
@1:00 into the video, the helicopter's propellor gimbaled, and during ground maneuvers, it can be angled forward to drive the helicopter on the tarmac.
@Textme±1𝟺𝟶𝟾𝟸𝟷𝟺𝟿𝟸𝟸𝟷 Nope. Not happening.
Buddy of mine flew with the SOAR regiment. He said flying a helicopter is literally fighting physics.
"The Helicopter blades beat the air and gravity into submission" is what he described it as
Thanks!
The angle pulls it forward. Provides forward motion. I was a platoon Sergeant of an Apache unit. My job was to supervise the upkeep of the Apache helicopter. I planned missions with leaders and insured our pilots has safe and trustworthy Apache's. The Taliban called them the Butterfly of death. They are extremely hard to bring down. They have redundant back up systems. Take one system out and another will take over. Take out one engine and the other will still get them home. I was privileged to work with them. good memories.
As a helicopter maintenance tech in the army, Apache helos are not loud at all. For starters the engines are muffled to reduce noise. Secondly, they are able to use both distance and height as defenses. Hellfires can be fired well beyond a mile distance, and the chain gun up to a mile distance. Additionally they are able to use the terrain as a defense also by firing at a target and then ducking behind the terrain for protection.
That device on top of rotors is a radsr system. It is above the rotors so the Apache can hide down behind objects and only the radar is visible. I learned of Apache's when I was young from a 1983 movie 'Blue Thunder'. Starred Roy Schneider (original Jaws - Sheriff) and Malcolm McDowell. Highly recommend if you get a chance.
I spent 12 years as a mechanic and crewchief for AH-64D Apaches. Actually the ones marked "Air Cav" at the beginning of the video are from my old unit, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade.
The AH-64 "Apache," and AH64 Apache Longbow (the newer version with the sensor pod at the top of the rotor mast) has gained a nickname from the enemy of "whispering death." Unlike most helicopters, the Apache can be quite stealthy and quiet. Many enemy targets have been surprised by the Apache, on the battlefield.
That thing on top is the radar receiver and sensor array ( anttena) for targeting systems
The angle of the rotor is to push the helicopter in a certain direction. Leaning forward causes rearward push. Leans left causes right thrust to push it left.
My hubby is a retired US Army (Blackhawk) helicopter pilot. He trained here in Alabama at the base where pilots also train for the Apache helicopter. It is literally down the road from where I grew up and now live again (in the same house). They fly over my house every day. As my husband says, "It's the sound of freedom!"
Salute to your husband, I'm a crewchief for apaches. I'm also from Alabama, so if I ever want to fly them I'll be back in my home state. It's a great thing to know.
Nice that when they're talking about the laser designator for the helfire and it being able to change direction they show the regular non guided rockets firing and not hitting where the laser is pointed.
My older brother is former infantry. He has been a mechanic on the apache now for several years
The Apache is made here in my hometown of Mesa. Arizona. It's not uncommon to see a couple fly over while your driving down the road or while I'm out in the yard mowing the lawn. They're the best attack helicopter in the world!
Your children's facial reactions have to be some of the best things on earth!
Omg Apaches are my favorite! I live in Apache Junction, not far from where they are made. Growing up they flew over our neighborhood in groups and the sound was amazing. But first you don't hear them, your walls just start shaking and then you feel a vibration in the air.
That bubble dome on top is a radar system called the Longbow. It helps w/ the electronic targeting systems.
very good video also usa and 15 other countries have it in the military and Australia Morocco and Poland have placed orders for it. Also, it takes a crew 2 years of training to MASTER AH-64 APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER.
The apache can engage targets from miles away and does not have to get really close typically. 🇺🇸
I work on those, especially the electronics and weapons. Complicated, but amazing pieces of technology!
The peace on top of the helicopter can peak and look over the crest of a hill while keeping the helicopter in cover from potential enemy fire.
The thing on top of the rotors is a radar array. Beneath the pilot out in front is Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) that makes for amazing night combat.
Mocking birds also make up their own songs. They are very proud of their singing, getting on the highest limb or on the peak of your roof so everyone can see them. They copy all kinds of sounds from car horns to dogs barking. They are also beautiful to look at with shades of black, grey and white. They are excellent hunters. They land and jerkily spread their wings, making bugs move or fly.