The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single engine attack helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter and rushed into United States Army service in June 1967 as an interim gunship built around the engine, transmission and rotor system of the existing UH-1 Iroquois. It flew more than a million operational hours providing fire support and escorting transport helicopters during the Vietnam War, and it remained the core of the Army's attack helicopter fleet through further combat in Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War before being phased out in the 1990s.
Facts
SignificanceDeveloped as a rapid interim gunship for the Vietnam War, sharing the engine, transmission and rotor system of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois 1 Manufacturer or Builder Sources
1. Wikipedia: Bell AH-1 Cobra
WikipediaLead section, first sentence
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter.
Lead section, Model 209 prototype sentence
On 7 September 1965, the Model 209 prototype performed its maiden flight; after rapidly gaining the support of various senior officials, quantity production of the type proceeded rapidly with little revision.
Lead section, Vietnam War development sentence
The AH-1 was rapidly developed as an interim gunship in response to the United States Army's needs in the Vietnam War.
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