AH-1Z Picture of the day

Par429 wrote:

Dave- The picture is of one of the helos from Pax River (Z-1?, not sure) out at Yuma, AZ for weapons and gun firing tests. The test was some months ago, not too early since the helo has the turned exhausts installed. Both the Z and Y are out on the west coast currently for OPEVAL. The picture came from PMA-276's website. They update thier pics every so often. http://pma276public.navair.navy.mil Phil

Thanks... I didn't realize they did work in Yuma. I thought maybe it was from an early weapon test at China. I believe all of them are: 166477 (Z1), 166478 (Z2), 166479.

Dave
- The North Spin - The Place for Everything Flight Test
http://www.thenorthspin.com

I want one!

 

(And a kit would be cool too.)

Dave-
The picture is of one of the helos from Pax River (Z-1?, not sure) out at Yuma, AZ for weapons and gun firing tests. The test was some months ago, not too early since the helo has the turned exhausts installed. Both the Z and Y are out on the west coast currently for OPEVAL. The picture came from PMA-276's website. They update thier pics every so often.
http://pma276public.navair.navy.mil

Phil

Cool... I assume that must be one of the ones with VX9 right now, judging by the topography. They have both the Z and Y out here. They've been heard at both China and Pendleton, and the Y has been spotted a couple times. I've not heard or seen either myself, unfortunately. That Z looks very cool in the test configuration. Actually, that might have even been taken during early testing. Where did the photo come from?

Dave
- The North Spin - The Place for Everything Flight Test
http://www.thenorthspin.com

Chris,

The forward extension looks like some sort of intake filter, but the aft end is the new-style flat exhausts.  It definitely looks like an actual nacelle now instead of the twin-pac. Pretty cool!

Jon

I like the larger stub wings.  Makes more room to carry more Hate-n'-Discontent.  It looks like they have an extension on the engine nacells.  Maybe that's for lessening the heat signature?  You gotta love those cobras.  Does anybody have any idea when they're getting to the fleet?

Semper Fi,

Chris

As far as I can determine the 19 shot pods (LAU-61 and M261) are different similarly to the 7 shot pods (LAU-68 and M260) in that the Army pods are a few inches longer. 

AH1WSnake, you have sharp eyes.  The rocket and gun firing were part of the same test series.  I didn't notice it before, but if you look closely at the camera on the starboard skid, it sure looks like it's pointed at the gun to record link separation.

 

Phil

Too sweet. Maybe they'll be making a gun run, too.......got the cannon dropped to fixed forward position.

I'm not sure about the 19-shot pods, but from what I've seen of reference pictures, the Army's 7-shot pods that get used on the AH-6J & OH-58D are definitely different than the ones Marine aviation uses.

 

Cobrahistorian-
I'd have to look it up, but as I recall, the LAU-61 and M261 pods are close, but not exactly the same. The M261 is a few inches longer. I'm not sure why that is, though.

Phil

SCHWING!!!!

Very nice, Phil!  Now here's a question.  Are LAU-61 pods and M261 pods the same thing, or do we have two completely different versions of the same damn thing in the inventory?