×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
X-PLANE AIRCRAFT
FUTURE FLIGHT
Aviation / Aerospace

Boeing AH-64E Block 2 Compound


Twin-Seat, Twin-Engine Attack Helicopter Proposal [ 2028 ]



The AH-64E Block 2 Compound is being proposed by Boeing as a potential replacement for the in-service AH-64E attack models.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/17/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The AH-64 "Apache" dedicated twin-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter has been an American Army mainstay since 1986, proving its worth in the tank-killing / support / escort roles during the Persian Gulf War of 1991 and extending its usefulness in the hunt for enemy forces during the invasions of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). The series has been exported to a select group of U.S.-friendly countries that includes Egypt, India, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Originally developed under the Hughes brand label in the 1970s, the product then moved to McDonnell Douglas in the 1980s-1990s and is currently (2019) owned by Boeing.

Despite its continued excellence, the helicopter's design does have its roots in a 1970s Army requirement which saw the Soviet Union, and its mass collection of tanks and related heavy armor, as the "enemy-of-the-day". This makes the series decades-old and efforts have been undertaken to ensure the aircraft's viability over the changing battlescape - resulting in such entries as the B and B+ model upgrades, the AH-64D "Apache Longbow", and the AH-64E (D-model Block III). The AH-64F was proposed in 2014 towards the Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program which intends a successor for the AH-64 line before 2040.

To head off complete abandonment by the Army of the Apache line altogether, Boeing has moved on developing the conceptual "Advanced AH-64E Block 2 Compound", or "Advanced Apache", to fill the potential void. It is intended as an evolutionary successor to the in-service AH-64E Apache attack helicopter models relied on so heavily by the United States Army. The design was revealed in scale model form during the latter part of 2018 (HELicopter Military Operations Technology = HELMOT) and, as of this writing (May 2019), a scale model of the Advanced Apache has been successfully tested to prove the overall design sound.

At its core, the proposed "compound helicopter" retains the stepped, tandem seating cockpit arrangement of the original Apache to house its two crewmen, a pilot in the rear cockpit and a weapons specialist in the forward cockpit (the cockpit is also assumed to be heavily armored). Optics are also retained at the nose in a limited-traversing mount. The main rotor system appears to be of a rigid four-bladed design while a six-bladed propeller unit is seated in a "pusher" arrangement at the extreme rear of the aircraft (this quality is what gives the helicopter its "compound" classification as well as enhanced speed capabilities). Additionally, there is a port side-mounted 2 x Two-bladed tail rotor unit (featuring contra-rotating blades) used to cancel out the torque effects of the main rotor unit.

The engines straddle the boxy, slab-sided fuselage and each unit sports oval intakes with modified, slim exhaust ports, the latter most likely intended to reduce heat signatures. The engines are held high and mounted close to the fuselage sides. In terms of performance, estimates include a sustained 212 mile-per-hour speed limit out to a range of 530 miles.

Comparatively, the AH-64E production model can reach speeds of 165 mph (cruising) and 182 mph (maximum) while traveling out to ranges of 300 miles (ferry range of 1,180 miles).©MilitaryFactory.com
Of note in the new design is that the wingstubs having been lengthened to allow for three underwing hardpoints per wing member (an increase from the original's two). The vertical tail fin is not only of a larger-area shape but it has also been positioned ventrally so as to better clear the tail unit for the pusher prop system as well as engine wash. The tail unit also includes the usual horizontal planes, one member to each side of the tail stem with the port side member holding the contra-rotating tail-rotor component.

Unlike the current-generation Apache, the Advanced Apache does not figure to have a fixed, wheeled, "tail-dragger" undercarriage. Instead it showcases a fully-retractable undercarriage to promote better aerodynamic efficiency - considering the increased speeds expected of this helicopter, this design quality makes sense (a tailwheel is retained at the ventral tail fin however).

In terms of armament, a chin-mounted (largely enclosed) turret structure remains under the nose. With each wing sporting three hardpoints, tactical usefulness of the helicopter is considerably broadened as the system would now be able to carry more ordnance in the way of rocket pods, Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), fuel tanks, and special-missile pods - in pairs or in mixed sets. This means as many as 16 x Hellfire ATGMs alongside 2 x 19-shot rocket pods giving the platform inherently strong capabilities to undertake multiple mission sets with one loadout.

For instance, the current-generation Apaches are typically armed for the "Anti-Armor" (tank-killing), "Covering Force" (support), or "Escort" roles dictating a heavy reliance on either missiles or rockets or a limited mix of the two. In the new approach, a single Advanced Apache would be outfitted with a heavy load out of both missiles and rockets (as well as its chin-mounted gun) to better respond to mulitple battlefield threats related to any role it was needed to fulfill.

It remains to be seen if the Advanced Apache design comes to any sort of fruition as these sorts of grand evolutionary steps to existing products rarely materialize - the service almost always proceeding with clean-sheet designs for future growth.

NOTE: Some values presented on this page have been estimated on the part of the author based on contemporary helicopter designs. The article will be updated as new information allows.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Boeing Company - USA
Manufacturer(s)
United States (possible)
Operators National flag of the United States
2028
Service Year
United States
National Origin
In-Development
Project Status
2
Crew
0
Units


GROUND ATTACK
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


72.2 ft
(22.00 meters)
Length
59.1 ft
(18.00 meters)
Width/Span
13.1 ft
(4.00 meters)
Height
17,086 lb
(7,750 kilograms)
Empty Weight
34,502 lb
(15,650 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+17,417 lb
(+7,900 kg)
Weight Difference


2 x Turboshaft engines of unknown make, model, and output power used to drive a four-bladed main rotor with six-bladed "pusher" propeller and 2 x Two-bladed tail rotor units.
Propulsion
212 mph
(341 kph | 184 knots)
Max Speed
21,325 ft
(6,500 m | 4 miles)
Ceiling
530 miles
(853 km | 461 nm)
Range
3,000 ft/min
(914 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


PROPOSED, STANDARD:
1 x 30mm autocannon in chin turret.

PROPOSED, MISSION-VARIABLE:
Mix of AGM-114 "Hellfire" Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), 7- or 19-shot rocket pods, AIM-92 "Stinger" air-to-air missiles, jettisonable fuel tanks, special-mission pods and the like.


6
Hardpoints


AH-64E Block 2 Compound - Base Project Designation.


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Boeing AH-64E Block 2 Compound
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)