AH-6i
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Boeing AH-6i Light Attack / Reconnaissance helicopter
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The AH-6i is a light attack and reconnaissance helicopter which incorporates the combat-proven airframe design of the AH-6M helicopter. The AH-6i is designed and manufactured by the Company Boeing. The AH-6i program, launched by Boeing at the 2008 AUSA meeting, is intended for international customers. The AH-6i features flexible mission configuration, an integrated digital cockpit, combat-proven design, the highest payload in its class, an integrated and qualified weapons system, and a communications package that enables connectivity with other aircraft and ground stations. In October 2009, Boeing announced that the AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter successfully completed its first flight on Sept. 16, seven months after the company started work on the prototype aircraft. During the 36-minute flight at the Boeing Rotorcraft Systems facility in Mesa, Ariz., the helicopter demonstrated its flight characteristics and several handling maneuvers. |
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- MH-6 Little Bird: The AH-6 is based on the MH-6, a light helicopter used for Special Operations in the United States Army.
- AH-6i: export variant of the AH-6s - AH-6s: Proposed version of the AH-6 for the US Army's Armed Aerial Scout program - A/MH-6X: Mission Enhanced Little Bird |
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| Design | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The airframe structure of the AH-6i was strengthened to cope with the increased weight and weapons fit. The fuselage includes a ballistic tolerant main tank and a new forward canopy structure for the avionics bay. The ground clearance is increased with an extended height landing gear. The modular design allows the integration of flexible mission configurations, as well as additional capabilities for future requirements. The AH-6i helicopter has a length of 7.5 m, height of 1.6 m and width of 3.3 m. The wing span of the rotorcraft is 8.38 m. The helicopter can carry a payload of 907 kg.
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Avionics and equipment
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The Boeing AH-6i is fitted with new advanced glass cockpit which incorporates bubble-window crew doors. The cockpit accommodates two pilots. The night vision goggle (NVG) compatible cockpit integrates two multifunction displays, an up-front display, a 3-in-1 flight information display, vertical information display and pilot and co-pilot intercom control station (ICS) panels. The AH-6i helicopter features an L-3 Wescam MX-15Di EO/IR targeting sensor system which integrates up to six high-performance sensors, including a laser designator with LRF, laser illuminator, eye-safe laser range-finder, colour daylight camera with zoom lens, mono daylight camera with spotter lens and an infra-red (IR) with high magnification four-step zoom. The navigation equipment and systems onboard the AH-6i include a LN251 INS/GPS, Boeing integrated digital map, L3 standby flight instrumentation system, HARCO air data computer and an APN-209 radar altimeter. The helicopter is equipped with Wulfsberg RT5000/C5000 digital communications system.
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Propulsion
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The Boeing AH-6i features new main and tail rotor systems for superior performance. The AH-6i is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C30R/3M engine which develops a power output of 650shp.
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The AH-6i helicopter features a lightweight multiple weapons support system for mounting wide range of weapons, including the M-134D 7.62mm mini-gun, GAU-19 12.7mm mini-gun, M260 seven-shot rocket pod, laser-guided 70mm Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) and Hellfire semi-active laser (SAL) missiles. The Hellfire is a laser guided air-to-surface missile (ASM) equipped with multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike capabilities. The integrated weapon support system enables the AH-6 to perform counteraction missions involving the destruction of key enemy installations.
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