The AH-1W Super Cobra, one of the twin-engine variants of the AH-1 helicopter, is a very effective low-altitude firepower platform capable of providing accurate, fierce and effective fire support to ground forces at treetop heights.
Airframe structure
The AH-1W helicopter has a longitudinal cockpit layout with the shooter in front and the pilot in the rear. The front hatch is on the left and the rear hatch is on the right. The engine is placed on both shoulders, and the rear exhaust pipes are arranged side by side, all of which are tilted out at a certain angle, and the exhaust pipes are much shorter than the previous model. The rotors are double-bladed with the tip of the paddle swept back. The small medium wing is shorter in size, with a 1/4 chord sweep angle of about 14 degrees. The flat tail is mounted at the rear of the girder and is trapezoidal. The vertical tail has a large swept angle, a small chord length, and 2 tail paddles, located on the right side. Skid-type landing gear is used.
Combat performance
Attack
The AH-1W helicopter can carry a wide range of weapons and equipment, including 4 LAU68B 7-tube air-to-ground rocket launchers, or 4 LAU68A7 tube air-to-ground rocket launchers, or 4 LAU61A 19-tube air-to-ground rocket launchers, or 1 LAU69A 19-tube air-to-ground rocket launcher, 8 Tao anti-tank missiles or 8 AGM114A Hellfire anti-tank missiles, 2 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 1 20 mm M197 air-to-air rocket launcher, GAU2B/ 1 Minigang A machine gun, 4 SUU44A submunitions, 2 MK45 incendiary bombs, 2 CBU55B oil and gas submunitions, etc.
Protective power
The main parts of the AH-1W helicopter are armored, and the small fuselage is easy to camouflage and hide, fly in the jungle, and has strong survivability.
Mechanical power
The AH-1W helicopter features a streamlined fuselage with a small footprint and a low and narrow exterior profile, combined with the powerful power of two General Electric T700 turboshaft engines (each with a power of 1300 kW), which is more maneuverable.