APACHE AH-64D

Key Features: Crew     2 - pilot and copilot / gunner Maiden Flight     30 September 1975 Entry into Service     1984 Manufacturer  Hughes Helicopters, McDonnell            Douglas and boeing Integrated  Defense Systems  Operators United States Army, Israel Air Force,    Royal Netherlands Air Force, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Dimensions: Main Rotor Blade Diameter           14,630cm Height                                                 3,590cm Empty Weight                                   5,165kg Length                                                17.73m Weights: Maximum Weight                             6,838kg Maximum Take-Off Weight           10,433kg Engines: Type                                              2×General Electric T700-GE-701 Power Capacity                                1,265kW each Performance: Maximum Cruising Speed              265km/h Maximum Rate of Climb                  889m/min Maximum Vertical Rate of Climb   663m/min Range                                                   400km on internal fuel                                                   1,900km on internal and external fuel Endurance                                           3hrs 9min on internal fuel g Limit Values                                     +3.5g to -0.5g Maximum Speed                                 279km/h Combat Radius                                   480km Ferry Range                                         1,900km Service Ceiling                                     6,400m The Apache is a twin-engined army attack helicopter developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing). It entered service with the US Army in 1984 and has been exported to Egypt, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UK. The US Army has more than 800 Apaches in service, and more than 1,000 have been exported. The Apache was first used in combat in 1989 in the US military action in Panama. It was used in Operation Desert Storm and has supported low intensity and peacekeeping operations worldwide including Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo. The AH-64D Longbow was deployed by the US Army in Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and, from June 2003, in South Korea. An additional 13 new-build Apaches were initially ordered, along with another 11 in November 2006. The US Army ordered 96 additional remanufactured helicopters in January 2007 and 18 new-build helicopters in April 2007. During the same year, 30 AH-64Ds were ordered by the UAE. The first new-build AH-64D was delivered to the US Army in June 2007 and the first of the additional remanufactured helicopters in October 2007. The AH-64D Longbow is fitted with the Longbow millimetre wave fire control radar and the Longbow Hellfire missile. 501 AH-64A Apaches upgraded to AH-64D standard have been delivered to the US Army. Deliveries completed in August 2006. International orders The Longbow has also been ordered by the Netherlands (30, deliveries complete), Singapore (20, first delivered in May 2002, deliveries complete), Israel (designated "Seraph" nine new, nine remanufactured, first delivered April 2005) and Egypt (35, remanufactured, deliveries completed in January 2007). A number of AH-64A helicopters have been upgraded to AH-64D standard for South Korea. 30 UAE Apaches are being upgraded to AH-64D Longbow standard, and deliveries began in May 2008. In June 2006, Saudi Arabia requested the upgrade of 12 Apaches to standard and, in September 2008, the sale of 12 new AH-64Ds. In October 2008, Taiwan requested the sale of 30 AH-64D Block III Apaches. In August 2001, the AH-64D was selected by the Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force with a requirement for 55 helicopters. The Apache for Japan is designated AH-64DJP and is armed with Stinger air-to-air missiles. In September 2002, Kuwait ordered 16 AH-64D helicopters. The first was delivered in February 2007. The Kuwaiti Apaches are equipped with BAE Systems HIDAS defensive aids system. In September 2003, Greece signed a contract for 12 (plus four options) AH-64D Longbow, also to be fitted with HIDAS. The first was delivered in January 2007. Upgrades The first of the upgraded block II Apaches was delivered to the US Army in February 2003. Block II included upgrades to the digital communications systems of 96 A-model Apaches to improve communications within the "tactical internet". In October 2007, Boeing delivered the first extended block II to the US Army. In July 2005, the US Army awarded Boeing a development contract for block III improvements, to enter service from 2011. In December 2009, the maiden flight test of AH-64D Apache with block III structures were completed. Science Engineering Services Inc, (SES) is a partner to Boeing in upgrading the AH-64D helicopters to the block III configuration. It will perform disassembly, inspection and repair of the AH-64D Apache helicopters. Block III includes increasing digitisation, the joint tactical radio system, enhanced engines and drive systems, capability to control UAVs and new composite rotor blade. The new blades, which successfully completed flight testing in May 2004, increase the Apache's cruise speed, climb rate and payload capability. The block III system development and demonstration (SDD) contract was awarded to Boeing in July 2006. First flight of the Apache Block III was in July 2008. The US Army plans to upgrade all its Apache fleet to block III standard. The disassembly, inspection and repair works will take place at the SES West Aviation and Integration Facility in Huntsville. The helicopters will then be shipped to Boeing in Mesa, Arizona, for incorporating the AH-64D Apache block III. WAH-64 A consortium of GKN Westland (now AgustaWestland), Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Shorts bid a version of the Longbow Apache for the UK Army attack helicopter requirement which was selected in July 1995. Assembly of the WAH-64 Longbow Apache was carried out in the UK by AgustaWestland. The first helicopter entered service in January 2001 designated as the AH mk1. 67 helicopters have been delivered; the last was formally handed over at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2004. Initial operating capability was achieved in October 2004 and, in May 2005, the first of three Army Air Corps regiments of 18 helicopters was declared fully operational. The other two regiments are expected to be fully operational by 2010. The AH mk1 helicopter has also been operated successfully on HMS Ocean helicopter carrier and, in November 2006, made a first landing on Invincible Class aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal. In March 2007, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that, by September 2007, all UK Army Apache helicopters would be based at Wattisham Airbase in Suffolk. Apache weapons A 30mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun is located under the fuselage. It provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds a minute. The helicopter has capacity for up to 1,200 rounds of ammunition. The AH-64D is armed with the Lockheed Martin / Boeing AGM-114D Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missile which has a millimetre wave seeker which allows the missile to perform in full fire and forget mode. Range is 8km to 12km. British Army AH mk1 helicopters are armed with the CRV7 70mm rocket system from Bristol Aerospace of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Apache can be equipped with air-to-air missiles (Stinger, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mistral and Sidearm) and the advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS), formerly known as Hydra, family of guided and unguided 70mm rockets. Plans to arm the Apache with the advanced precision kill weapon system (APKWS) II, a laser-guided version of the Hydra were shelved in the FY2008 budget. The US Army awarded BAE Systems a development contract for the APKWS II in April 2006. The Longbow Apache carries the combination of armaments chosen for the particular mission. In the close support role, the helicopter carries 16 Hellfire missiles on four four-rail launchers and four air-to-air missiles. Sensors The AH-64D Longbow Apache is equipped with the Northrop Grumman millimetre-wave Longbow radar. The Longbow fire control radar incorporates an integrated radar frequency interferometer for passive location and identification of radar-emitting threats. An advantage of millimetre wave is that it performs under poor-visibility conditions and is less sensitive to ground clutter. The short wavelength allows a very narrow beamwidth, which is resistant to countermeasures. The Longbow Apache can effect an attack in 30 seconds. The radar dome is unmasked for a single radar scan and then remasked. The processors determine the location, speed and direction of travel of a maximum of 256 targets. The target acquisition designation sight, TADS (AN/ASQ-170), and the pilot night vision sensor, PNVS (AN/AAQ-11), were developed by Lockheed Martin. The turret-mounted TADS provides direct-view optics, television and three-fields-of-view forward-looking infrared (FLIR) to carry out search, detection and recognition, and Litton laser rangefinder / designator. PNVS consists of a FLIR in a rotating turret located on the nose above the TADS. The image from the PNVS is displayed in the monocular eyepiece of the Honeywell integrated helmet And display sighting system, IHADSS, worn by the pilot and copilot / gunner. A contract to equip the UK AH Mk1 helicopters with Arrowhead was placed in May 2005. The first two were delivered in November 2008 and deliveries are to conclude in 2010. Lockheed Martin has developed a new targeting and night vision system for the Apache, using second-generation long-wave infrared sensors with improved range and resolution. The new system is called Arrowhead and has a targeting FLIR with three fields of view, a dual field-of-view pilotage FLIR, a CCD TV camera, electronic zoom, target tracker and auto-boresight. Arrowhead entered production in December 2003 and the first unit was delivered to the US Army in May 2005. 704 US Army Apaches are to be equipped with Arrowhead by 2011. Countermeasures The Apache is equipped with an electronic warfare suite consisting of: AN/APR-39A(V) radar warning receiver from Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) and Lockheed Martin; Lockheed Martin AN/APR-48A Radar Frequency Interferometer Electronic Support target acquisition system; AN/ALQ-144 infra-red countermeasures set from BAE Systems IEWS (formerly Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company); AN/AVR-2 laser warning receiver from Goodrich (formerly Hughes Danbury Optical Systems then Raytheon); AN/ALQ-136(V) radar jammer developed by ITT; and chaff dispensers. US Army Longbow Apaches were to be fitted with the ITT AN/ALQ-211 SIRCM (suite of integrated radio frequency countermeasures) suite, however the availability of funding for this project is uncertain. UK AH mk1 Apaches are fitted with BAE Systems helicopter integrated defensive aids suite (HIDAS), also chosen by Kuwait and Greece. HIDAS, which includes the Sky Guardian 2000 radar warning receiver, entered service on the AH mk1 in July 2003. Israeli AH-64D helicopters are fitted with the Elisra Seraph self-protection system, including SPS-65 missile warner and SPJ-40 radar jammer. Dutch AH-64D helicopters are being fitted with the Northrop Grumman directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) pod. Engines The Apache is equipped with two turboshaft engines, each providing 1,265kW. The American AH-64D has General Electric T700-GE-701 engines and the UK Apache is fitted with RTM322 engines from Rolls-Royce / Turbomeca. Performance The AH-64 Apache can climb at a rate of 889m/min. The maximum and cruise speeds of the helicopter are 279km/h and 260km/h respectively. The ferry range and service ceiling of the helicopter are 1,900km and 6,400m respectively. The endurance is 3 hours 9 minutes. The helicopter weighs around 5,165kg, while the maximum take-off weight is 10,433kg. Here are some pictures of Apache:

Antonov AN225

 

AN-225 MRIYA (NATO codename: “Cossacks”) is the largest and heaviest airplane in the world. Myria come from The Russian word incidentally means ‘inspired dream’ it is classed as a Strategic Air-lifter and was constructed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukraine in 1988 as a derivative from the Antanov An124.

His job as an aircraft carrier for russian Shuttle Buran, but is also used as an ordinary cargo aircraft. Unlike any other commercially available aircraft, the An-225 has the ability to carry external loads of up to 90 tonnes mounted on its “roof rack” also.

The AN-225 is very big. It takes up more than 2 Boeing 747 parking spaces. There is enough cargo space to load 5 tanks, the complete assembled fuselage of a Boeing 737, or 8 double-decker buses. It can carry up to 1500 people at a time. With a maximum gross weight of 640 tonnes, the An-225 is the world’s heaviest aircraft. A size comparison between it and four of the world’s other largest airplanes is as follow :

Antonov AN225 


Here’s the complete Specification of the airplane:

* Crew: 6
* Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb)
* Door dimensions: 440 x 640 cm (14.4 x 21 ft)
* Length: 84 m (275.6 ft)
* Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 2 in)
* Height: 18.1 m (59.3 ft)
* Wing area: 905 m2 (9,743.7 ft2)
* Cargo Volume: 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft))
* Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,315 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 600,000 kg (1,323,000 lb)
* Powerplant: 6× ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) each
* Takeoff run: 3,500 m (11,000 ft) with maximum payload

Performance

* Maximum speed: 850 km/h (460 knots, 530 mph)
* Cruise speed: 800 km/h (430 knots, 500 mph)
* Range: With maximum fuel: 15,400 km (9,570 mi) and With maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi))
* Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,100 ft)
* Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m² (135.5 lb/ft²)
* Thrust/weight: 0.234

Here’s the photos of the airplane:

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It is primarily an air superiority fighter, but has multiple capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the prime contractor and is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapon systems and final assembly of the F-22. Program partner Boeing Integrated Defense Systems provides the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and all of the pilot and maintenance training systems.

The F-22 won the Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter contest over the Northrop YF-23 in April 1991. While the aircraft's primary mission remains air superiority, for which it can carry up to 8 air-to-air missiles internally, a secondary ground-attack role has also been developed. This capability was highlighted when the Raptor was briefly renamed the F/A-22 in late 2002, though it has been redesignated as the F-22 since December 2005. The F-22 was designed primarily to supplement and replace the F-15 by incorporating the latest in stealth features and propulsion technology. These advances include its angular design, use of radar-absorbant composite materials, and the ability to "supercruise" at supersonic speeds without using an afterburner. The F-22 also emphasizes agility through the use of thrust vectoring nozzles and a sophisticated fly-by-wire control system.

F-22 RAPTOR ARMAMENT:

Gun: one 20-mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon (480 rds)
Stations: four internal weapons bays and four external hardpoints
Air-to-Air Missile: AIM-9M Sidewinder, AIM-120A/C AMRAAM, AIM-9X Sidewinder planned
Air-to-Surface Missile: none
Bomb: GBU-32 JDAM, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb planned

Album of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Cabin

Contractors of F-22

Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback

The Sukhoi Su-34 (export designation Su-32, NATO reporting name Fullback) is an advanced Russian 2-seat fighter-bomber and strike aircraft. It is intended to eventually replace the Sukhoi Su-24.

A dedicated fighter bomber version of the Su-27 'Flanker', first developed from the 1980s for the Soviet Union (with the Sukhoi bureau designation T-10V), it made its first flight on 13 April 1990 and was originally designated Su-27IB (IB: Istrebitel Bombardirovshchik / Fighter Bomber). It was developed in parallel with the two-seat naval trainer, the Su-27KUB (KUB: Korabelnyy Uchebno-Boyevoy, shipboard combat trainer), although, contrary to earlier reports, the two aircraft are not directly related

Armament

* 1× 30 mm GSh-30-1 (9A-4071K) cannon, 150 rounds
* 2× wingtip rails for R-73 (AA-11 'Archer') air-to-air missiles
* 10× wing and fuselage stations for up to 8,000 kg (17,630 lb) of ordinance, including Kh-29L/T, Kh-25MT/ML, Kh-25MP, Kh-36, Kh-38, Kh-41, Kh-59M, Kh-58, Kh-31P, Kh-35 Ural, Kh-41, Kh-65S, Kh-SD, 2 Moskit, 3 Jachont air-to-ground missiles, KAB-500L/KR or KAB-1500L guided bombs, unguided bombs, B-8 rocket pods with 20 80 mm S-8 rockets, B-13 rocket pods with 5 122 mm S-13 rockets, O-25 rocket pods with 1 340 mm S-25 rocket, fuel tanks, EW- and reconnaissance pods.

Cabin