The AH-56A Cheyenne attack helo

[Slater]

Short Youtube video on this cancelled system. It's said that technologically, they bit off more than they could chew at the time. Still a neat machine, and by 1972 most of the technical issues were resolved but by then it was too late, and the Army was looking ahead to what would be the AH-64 Apache.

In Vietnam, it's speed and firepower would have been useful. You have to wonder how much of a maintenance headache it would have been, though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csGWV541yjw

[Voodoochild]

Pretty cool. Almost like a beta version of the Apache.

[Heavy Metal]

I have heard of it. That thing was a flying angel of death. I wonder how well-armored it was?

Seems like a way for the Army to get around the fixed-wing ban for better CAS.

Damn shame it never got built. The thought of that thing would have given Ivan the shits!

Imagine the modern progeny of that thing flying today!

[MountainRaven]

Kinda reminds me of the Ka-50. So utterly unconventional and yet so awesome, all at the same time.

[murphy j]

Video blocked due to copyright issues is the message I got when I tried to watch it. I'll try again at home, but I'm pretty sure I know which aircraft it is. When I was stationed at Ft Campbell in the mid 90s, there was one of the original prototypes on static display there. Very neat machine, and I've always wondered what could have been.

EDIT: The video worked for me once I got back to the house and got on a computer. I was previously trying to use my phone. It was the aircraft I remember. I have some recollection that there were only 3 left of, I think, 11 prototypes. One was at Ft Campbell, one was in the Smithsonian and I can't seem to remember where the other is. Of course, I may have all those numbers wrong because it's been more than 15 years when I took an interest in the subject and researched it. But, I do know for certain, there was one at Ft. Campbell as late as 1997.

EDIT II: Did a quick search and according to wiki(I know), there's 4 left. One at Ft Polk, one at Ft Campbell, and two at Ft Rucker. Also, there were 10 prototypes.

[Tzed250]

I built a plastic model of the Cheyenne when I was a kid. I always thought it was the coolest chopper.

[Caeser25]

Whatever happened to the Commanche? And why aren't the names of these helicopters, uh, offensive ?

[Sam]

I built a plastic model of the Cheyenne when I was a kid. I always thought it was the coolest chopper.

That's exactly what came to my mind. I've seen the Cheyenne model helicopters at K Mart when I was a kid. I've never seen a real flying one.

[Army Chief]

Actually had a family member working at Lockheed on this project back in the day. As I recall, it was expensive and complicated, and while it was very likely to work, something called the HueyCobra came along to do a very similar job for a whole lot less money. I used to go look at the static one at Fort Rucker quite often. Still looks likes a fairly modern aircraft in many ways, despite its age.

AC

[Moose-Knuckle]

The cockpit/canopy reminds me of the cockpit of the transport that the Colonial Marines used in Aliens, reminiscent of WWII bombers.

[crusader377]

I read an article about the Cheyenne several years ago. From my understanding it was very fast 250-300 mph range and expensive. Its attack profile was quite different from the AH-1 cobra and latter Apache in it was to utilize a diving attack almost like a dive bomber to attack tank formations. Unfortunately its attack profile would put it in the optimum engagement altitude for the ZSU-23-4 SPAAG and the SA-8 SAM and this along with its price was the main reason for its cancellation.

[SOWT]

IIRC it cost more then the F-5 fighter.

[Slater]

The USAF also felt that the Cheyenne infringed on their Close Air Support mission, and duplicated the mission of the AX (to become the A-10) program.

[Abraham]

I wonder why the libs aren't howling about the Indian names...whoops, I mean Native American.