Bell YAH-63 (Model 409)
In 1972, the US Army initiated the Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) Program to procure an aircraft for the anti-armor attack role. The goal was to replace the Bell AH-1 Cobra with a helicopter that had significant improvements in firepower, performance and range.
The Army specified that the AAH was to be powered by twin General Electric T700 turboshaft engines with 1,500 shp (1,120 kW) each. This was the same powerplant to be used in the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. The AAH would be armed with a 30-millimeter cannon and 16 BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, which was later modified to include a load of 16 laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles.
Bell, Boeing-Vertol, Hughes, Lockheed and Sikorsky all submitted proposals for the AAH program. In June 1973, Bell and Hughes were selected as finalists, and each was awarded a contract for the construction of two prototypes. The Bell entry, the twin-engine Model 409 (YAH-63) had a two-bladed main rotor system and tandem crew seating with the pilot occupying the front seat instead of the rear (the reverse of the AH-1's arrangement). It had stub wings for armament, wheeled tricycle landing gear, flat canopy window plates, an unusual “tee” tail, a large vertical fin, and a three-barreled General Electric XM-188 30 mm (1.18 in) cannon. For transport, the YAH-63's rotor mast could be lowered and the landing gear could kneel to reduce its height.
The first prototype of the YAH-63 (serial 73-22246) made its initial flight on Oct. 1, 1975. This rotorcraft crashed in June 1976, but a static test prototype was brought up to flight standard and, along with the second prototype (73-22247), entered the flyoff against the Hughes entry, the Model 77 (YAH-64). The Hughes YAH-64 was selected in December 1976 and was developed into the production AH-64 Apache version. Bell would use this experience with the T700 engine to develop the AH-1T+ design and later the AH-1W.
Resources:
- Bell YAH-63, Vertipedia, Vertical Flight Society
- Bell YAH-63, Wikipedia
- Bell 409/YAH-63 (1975), Aviastar website
Photo via Paul Faltyn/Niagara Aerospace Museum and Paul Fardink
Description by Paul Fardink
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