Some background:The Bell AH-1 Cobra (company designation: Model 209) is a two-blade, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was developed using the engine, transmission and rotor system of the Bell's UH-1 Iroquois. The AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
The AH-1 was the backbone of the United States Army's attack helicopter fleet, but has been replaced by the AH-64 Apache in Army service. Upgraded versions continue to fly with the militaries of several other nations. The latest user in a long row of international operators is the Czech Republic, which partially replaced its Mi-24/35 fleet with the smaller and less costly AH-1.
These new aircraft were actually bought in Japan and technically represent the single-engined AH-1S, which is roughly the equivalent to the United States Army's AH-1Fs and still in use with the JGSDF, but was outfitted with different armament and avionics, tailored to the Czech needs in order to minimize the maintenance and equipment cost for the mixed type helicopter fleet. Fuji Heavy Industries built the Bell Cobra under license from 1984 to 2000, and 89 were delivered to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, while 15 more were produced for the Czech Republic in 1999 and 2000. The engine is the T53-K-703 turboshaft, which Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced under license.
The Czech Air Force (CZAF; Czech: Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky) introduced the type in 2002, and they were grouped in a separate helicopter squadron. The Czech Cobras received a major change of armament and mission avionics, though. Main weapon is the Russian 9K121 'Vikhr' (Вихрь, English: Whirlwind) missile complex which replaces the former Western TOW equipment. The Vikhr is a Russian laser guided anti-tank missile system that is believed to have entered service around 1990, having been first shown publicly at the 1992 Farnborough Airshow. Furthermore, the General Dynamics 20 mm (0.787 in) M197 3-barreled Gatling cannon in the chin turret was replaced by a flexible twin-barrel GSh-23L, with 300 rounds of ammunition.
The Vikhr remains the main armement, though. The compact missile is designed to engage vital ground targets, including armoured targets fitted out with built-in and add-on explosive reactive armor, at a range of up to 8 km when fired from a helicopter, up to 5 km at night, as well as air targets in conditions of air defense assets activity.
The Czech Cobras (which received the designation AH-1CZ) are primarily used in the latter role, serving as escorts and support for the Mi-24/35 and are intended for fighting against low speed/low altitude airborne targets like other helicopters. The heavier Mi-24/35 are primariliy intended for the ground attack/CAS role.
The Vikhr missile is part of the Vikhr-M system, which also includes an automatic sight. The automatic sight is provided with TV and IR channels for target sighting, a laser beam channel for missile control, a laser rangefinder, an automatic target tracking unit, a digital computer and a system for stabilization and aiming the sighting and beam channels.
The automatic sight provides for target detection and identification both by day and night, automatic target tracking and missile guidance, and generates exact information for gun and rocket firing. The guided missile consists of a HEAT fragmentation warhead fitted with a contact and a proximity fuze, an air-dynamic control actuator, control electronics, a motor and laser detector. It is kept in a sealed launching transporting container, and the Czech AH-1CZ can carry up to sixteen of these on it four hardpoints, even though a mix of these guided with unguided missiles or gun pods is more frequent.
The multi-purpose warhead (two-stage HEAT and an additional fragmentation sleeve) allows the missile to be used against armoured, airborne and area targets alike. The use of the proximity fuze allows a near miss of up to 5 m and makes it possible to engage an air target at speeds of 500 m/s.
The Vikhr missile laser beam control system provides for its precise guidance owing to data transmission to the missile in the course of its launch, which is excluded in homing systems. A series of non-imaging detectors face backwards from the missile toward the launch platform and guide the missile toward the centre of the laser beam (unlike semi-active laser seekers, which aim for a laser reflected off the target). This is much cheaper and also more resistant to countermeasures.
The missiles can be fired singly or in pairs (at the same target to increase lethality). The high flight speed allows it to engage targets rapidly. The system is capable of launching Vikhr missiles against two to four targets during a 30-second period and starting at a range of 10 km, which increases its lethality to three to four times that of earlier systems.
The independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003 when the force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at Olomouc. Within the new structure the Air Force Commander in Chief was in a position of one of Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy.
Since 1 July 2013, the Czech Air Force is independent again, with headquarters located in Prague and with new Commander in Chief Brigadier General Libor Štefánik.
At the moment it is uncertain if more AH-1CZ will be bought, or if these as well as the Mi-35 fleet will be replaced by a more modern, single helicopter type - the Czech Mi-35 will definitively be retired in 2018.
General characteristics: Crew: 2: one pilot, one co-pilot/gunner (CPG)
Length: 53 ft (16.1 m) (with both rotors turning)
Fuselage length: 44 ft 7 in (13.6 m)
Stub wing span: 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m)
Rotor diameter: 44 ft (13.6 m)
Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.12 m)
Empty weight: 6,600 lb (2,993 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 10,000 lb (4,500 kg)
Powerplant: 1× Lycoming T53-L-703 turboshaft, 1,800 shp (1,300 kW)
Rotor system: 2 blades on main rotor, 2 blades on tail rotor
Performance: Never exceed speed: 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h)
Maximum speed: 149 knots (172 mph, 277 km/h)
Range: 274 nmi (315 mi, 510 km)
Service ceiling: 12,200 ft (3,720 m)
Rate of climb: 1,620 ft/min (8.2 m/s)
Armament: Chin barbette with a stabilized, flexible twin-barrel GSh-23L cannon, with 300 RPG
Four stub wing hardpoints for up to sixteen 9K121 'Vikhr' laser-guided missiles,
or a mix of unguided missiles (various pods) and GSh-23L gun pods.
The kit and its assembly:Diese gewhifte Cobra hat ihren Ursprung im Juni diesen Jahres, als ein tschechischer Modellbau-Kollege (Wenzel, a.k.a. PantherG - aus einem Forum analog unserem hier) einige Profile von diversen AH-1Gs in diversen CZAF-Markierungen und Anstrichvorschlägen auf whatifmodelers.com postete, u.a. das hier:
Ich fand das... plausibel und begann, ein bisschen Geschichte zu stricken - u.a. wurde es bei mir die AH-1S, angemacht mit Flugkörpern russischer Herkunft und letztlich in einem Anstrich analog den zuletzt noch fliegenden Mi-24V der CZAF.
Lustigerweise - und das gab den Impuls zum Bau in der letzten Woche, kam A Model kürzlich dann hiermit um die Ecke...
Wirkt bekannt? Tatsächlich ist der Bausatz von den tschechischen Bastlern angeregt worden, die die Cobra-Profile an A Model weitergegeben haben! Onsofern lustig, wie sich Ideen verselbständigen?
"Meine" (und die einzig wahre!) CZAF-Cobra ist der sehr gutre Hobby Boss-Bausatz, nur minimal verändert; so sind die Außenlasten gescratcht, ebenso der Kinnturm, und zwei Piloten wurden mit eingebaut.
Die Lackierung orientiert sich an echten Mi-24V, siehe Bilder oben - alles, wie üblich, mit Hand und Pinsel sowie Humbrol-Farben (155, 126 und 129 sowie 166 unten), plus ein leichtes Tuschewashing und Trockenbemalung
Die CZAF-Markierungen stammen von eine Hungarian Aero Decals (a. k. a. HAD Models) Bogen, und ich hab' mich für eine Lo-Viz-Option entschieden. Sehr chic!
Tja, und mal was Zeitgenössisches, zumal Hubschrauber auch eher selten gewhift werden.
Thema: What if? Bell AH-1CZ Cobra, '1508' of 223rd Helicopter Sq., Czech Air Force, 2004 (Gelesen 2794 mal)
