What if aircraft

[Sabre21]

I'm not into modding yet but considering some of you might want to do more contemporary scenarios, you could always include the RAH-66 into the mod. It was cancelled in 04 due to budget cuts but I will have to say it was one heck of an aircraft. I spent 8 years of my life on that program, too bad it was cut.

It had a 20mm cannon that retracted up into the fuselage, a much more advanced version than found on the Cobra with twice the rate of fire. It could carry 6 hellfire internally or 24 rockets or 12 stinger (6 hardpoints) plus 8 more hardpoints if the external wings were added on but then you lost the stealth ability.

It was all composite using the latest stealth technologies, had a cruise airspeed of 175 knots and was fully aerobatic.

[Mad Russian]

I like this one.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Sabre21]

One thing the Russians really need to work on is visibility out of their cockpits.

[bloodybill]

What is the name of that Russian helicopter? It's pretty whatever it is.

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: bloodybill

What is the name of that Russian helicopter? It's pretty whatever it is.

The Ka-50.

[Mad Russian]

Is that not the Ka-52?

Good Hunting.

MR

[Sabre21]

ORIGINAL: Mad Russian

Is that not the Ka-52?

Good Hunting.

MR

The Ka-52 is a 2-seater where the crew sits side-by-side and can have up to three hard point pylons on each wing where the 50 has two. I've seen pics where the 52 had 2 pylons on each wing and other pics it had 3. The big giveaway here is the front of the canopy is a single pane and not a double wide one.

When the Comanche was first being developed, a single seat variant was first tested but the cockpit workload was just too much for 1 person. I kind of suspect the Russians figured that out when they went with the 52.

Here is a nice shot of a 52. Note the front windscreen and larger side windows.

[Sabre21]

Looks like they improved pilot visibility considerably with the 52 over the 50. Here is a cockpit shot. Fairly state of the art with a digitized cockpit. Looks like it is about as wide as the one in the Blackhawk.

I suspect they don't use helmet mounted displays. That big thing on the upper left of the console is no doubt the weapon sighting system. Tends to block the forward view out the window. Reminds me of the heads up display in a cobra.


Edit: I just read where this thing has ejection seats. That means the rotor system must get blown before the pilots eject. While it is a cool looking aircraft, that double rotor system scares me. Blades flex a lot in flight and I think the chances of that thing having a mid air with itself is a definite risk. The fact it has an ejection system tells me the autorotaional characteristics are probably that of a brick.