Improved Cobra Armament Program (ICAM)

Whiskey,

Your picture really caught my eye.  It looks like a PROD or ECAS configured with a 4 blade Marine Corps rotor head.  I went to one of my key reference sites (http://tri.army.mil/LC/CS/csa/aahist2.htm#AH1S) and found the following information:

AH-1Q anti-armor version (1973) was the result of the Improved Cobra Armament Program (ICAP), to fill the operational gap left by the failure of the AH-56A Cheyenne program. The AH-1Q had an M28A1E1 turret, XM65 TOW/Cobra missile subsystem, infrared sight, and XM128 helmet sight subsystem (HSS). The AH-1Q was equipped to fire eight Hughes BGM-71 130mm TOW (Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire Command-Link Guided) anti-tank missiles mounted in a pair of two-round pods on the outboard pylons. M200 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers could be carried on the inboard pylons. The AH-1Q was deployed to Vietnam in 1973, but was unable to carry a full weapon load in that environment, leading to development of the AH-1S Cobra. The AH-1Q was the first Cobra to feature the snub-nosed Telescopic Sight Unit (TSU).

YAH-1R prototype was the result of the Improved Cobra Agility and Maneuverability Program (ICAM), essentially an AH-1G with an upgrade to a T53-l-703 1800 SHP engine, transmission and tail rotor, but without the TOW missile system. A second prototype, the YAH-1S, was a AH-1Q upgrade with full TOW capability.

 For additional information and some excellent pictures of the AH-1S Cobra, go to Butch Lottman's AH-1S Cobra page and AH-1S MOD Cobra photos page.  Also check http://www.midwaysailor.com/photos/cobra.html for some AH-1F(MC) pics.  I found 1 pic of the YAH-1s at http://twdesigns.org/hueyhelicopters/history%20gallery/249.jpg.

Cheers,

Wade

Whisky, if you can find a 1/48th Bell 412 and replace the cobra transmission with the Bell transmission and rotor system and modify the cowling, you will come real close to having a replica of the four-bladed cobra. I saw the real bird I believe either in the late 70's early 80's at Test Activities at Cairns Airfield and I remember thinking that they had basically used the same rotor system as the Bell 412. I would assume Bell used as much stock stuff as possible because they would not want to spend their own R&D money on something that was not paid for by the Army. I believe the four-bladed cobra was a demonstration model Bell was trying to sell the Army. I think they demonstrated it at Rucker at the same time that the AH-64 was still going through its program development and acceptance. My timeline might be a little off, but that is what I remember about the actual aircraft. It was just a demonstration improvement offered by Bell and not a requirement. It was more of what we call an (unsolicited proposal).

Charlie