ACE CORPORATION PLASTIC HOBBY MODEL KIT 1/144 AH-64D LONGBOW APACHE

Following a 1972 U.S. Army requirement for a new Advanced Attack Helicopter to replace the AH-1 Heycobra. Two manufactures were chosen to build competition proto types, Bell YAH-63 and Hughes-64, the latter winning the competition and making its first flight on 30 September 1975. After protracted development with several machines, in 1980 the Martin-Marietta TADS/PNVS (Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot's Night Vision Sensor) was adopted for the night attack role. The name Apache was adopted in 1981 and production of the AH-64A began in 1982; in 1984 Hughes was absorbed by McDonnell Douglas. Operation Desert Storm in 1991 saw the first major conflict for the U.S. Army Apaches, where they devastated Iraqi armour, using Rockwell AGM-114 Hellfire laser-guided anti-tank missiles, podded 70mm Hydra rockets and the 30mm M230 chain Gun under the nose. The front cockpit houses the copilot/gunner and the pilot occupies the raised rear cockpit. A total of 821 Apaches was delivered to the U.S. Army by 1996. Experiences in the 1991 Gulf War rapidly led to the development of the AH-64D Longbow wersion, with its very powerful and sophistcated long range fire control radar (FCR) mounted above the rotor head. The Hellfire ATM requires a direct line of sight with the target, and together with completely new advanced avionics systems, much of its housed in the enlarged box fairings each side of the fuselarge. the Apache could now detect and attack targets while remaining virtually hidden from the enemy. Another advantage of the radar is that it can simultaneously survey, scan and track over 1,000 targets at long ranges even in the worst visibility conditions, and of these it can identify 128 with attack priority automatically given to 16 of these for a full load of hellfires.

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