Rah-66 Comanche Helicopter first screenshots.

[Bishop]

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[Bishop]

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[Bishop]

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[Ferret Fangs]

Nice, but there are some things about your model that are a little different than the real thing...
1) The actual paint job is basic, low-observable, flat black.
2) The upper surface of the nose is a little more rounded, this is a sensor turret under a windscreen.
3) The real gun is a triple-barreled 25mm rotary cannon, yours looks like a single barrel 30mm with a large muzzle brake, similar to the one mounted on the fuselage of the Ka-50.
Its really a great model, and I don't know if yours was actually modeled after a real RAH-66, just thought you might appreciate some feedback.
Anyway, Bravo Zulu Mate. Great Job!

[PunkerSXDX]

I second That, it's nice to see some one finaly start on a Comanche, there's been a lot of talk but no Action. Right On!  

[Frosty]

Looks pretty damn sweet! ;D

[Bishop]

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[Eviscerator]

i may be wrong about this,but it now seems the US Army doesnt want the RAH-66 but these two AH-66's:


Tomahawk:  Once the War began (or budget cuts) the US Army was faced with the fact that the Comanche could not be a 'supplemental' helo to the Apache.  Beefing up the weapons by adding external pylons, the Army found that the Tomahawk was a decent ground attack/support helo on its own.

Warrior:  To combat the multitude of helos in the air, the Warrior was designed to carry only anti-aircraft weapons; and a lot of them.  While maintaining its autocannon, the Warrior is a dedicated anti-aircraft helo.

[Bishop]

Wrong, wrong and wrong again...

The Comanche is going to be constructed by Boeing-Sikorsky and will be used as a recon helicopter and for small hit and run raids. Latest information is that the RAH-66 will be equiped to the US army, having stealth capabilities like the F-22, B-2 and F117A. The AH-66 however has been cancelled due to the lack of being to increase the effectiveness of helo's. Also the AH-66 was to replace the AH-64, but the RAH-66 is meant to scout the terrain and to make sure the AH-64 can do big work. So the RAH-66 is not going to replace the AH-64 at all. It will however take over a big part of what the OH-58 is currently used for...

For more info about the RAH-66 visit: http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/rah66/rah66_back.htm site.

[Bishop]

Wrong, wrong and wrong again...

The Comanche is going to be constructed by Boeing-Sikorsky and will be used as a recon helicopter and for small hit and run raids. Latest information is that the RAH-66 will be equiped to the US army, having stealth capabilities like the F-22, B-2 and F117A. The AH-66 however has been cancelled due to the lack of being to increase the effectiveness of helo's. Also the AH-66 was to replace the AH-64, but the RAH-66 is meant to scout the terrain and to make sure the AH-64 can do big work. So the RAH-66 is not going to replace the AH-64 at all. It will however take over a big part of what the OH-58 is currently used for...

For more info about the RAH-66 visit: http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/rah66/rah66_back.htm

[Eviscerator]

well the site i got that from is pretty up to date, as you can see it says 'once the war started....' and the fact the US Army cannot afford to have such an expensive helicopter take over just the role of a recon and supplement to the AH-64

[Bishop]

Sorry for the double post. Slow forums I guess...

[Bishop]

This site is even better. http://www.rah66comanche.com/

[Ferret Fangs]

After having visited those sites, I have to retract two of my previous statements...
1) The actual gun is a triple barrel cannon in 20mm, not 25mm, sorry.
2) It seems as though the actual paint scheme will be a very dark olive drab, though I suppose it could be painted in any camouflage paint scheme, for a higher degree of low observability.
you've got the right schematic line drawings... look at the top-down view of the nose. See how it is round like a semi-circle? That is what I meant in my firstpost.
It's too bad you won't be able to change the model. You've got great talent. My suggestion is to continue modelling using whatever tools you have access to.
Perhaps submit your model to the BAS group, maybe they can help you finish the model and get it in game.

[Ferret Fangs]

Hey eviserator, I haven't heard anything about a cancellation in this program. The Army is real keen on purchasing this helo as they are restructuring the entire organization to meet the Force XXI commitment, and Commanche is a key technology of the Army's part in it. Could you post the link to the site you got that info from? Im always interested in military news such as this.
Here are reference sources I use daily... very dependable stuff: http://www.fas.org/
and here: http://www.globalsecurity.org/index.html
Later.

[Eviscerator]

a triple barrel 20mm sounds like an M197 as used on cobras since the AH-1J, and the site i got that info from is: http://www.geocities.com/ph_armstrong/WingRotary/Gunships/AH-1.htm

[Bishop]

Eviscator, I really want to have the link to that page that says the comance will be cancelled. As far as I know the AH-66 project got cancelled, but the RAH-66 is planned for 2004. If you check my links to the pages I gave in the posts before, then you know the helicopter is going to be constructed. The 2 RAH-66 that excist today, are both slightly different and the one giving the best results will be constructed.

[Eviscerator]

er i already gave the link in my last post, but i didnt say they cancelled it, just saying what i read on the site that the US Army couldnt afford to have the RAH-66 as a supplement to the apache, but youll read that on the site...

[Ferret Fangs]

The info was from a role playing game's website or something I think. Not the most reliable source of defense industry related news in my opinion.
No Biship, I think the Commanche is still on track. I don't know if it still within it's projected budgetary constraints, but these large procurement projects for such a complex system usually tend to be a little more costly than planned. In any case, I have read that Commanche's R&D phase acounts for only 4.5% of the Army's total fiscal year budget... definately well within the capabilities of the Army to absorb at this date. I wonder where this is all going? We have a replacement for the OH-58/AH-1/AH-6 in the RAH-66. The V-22 will replace all of the Blackhawk variants, the UH-1's still in service, as well as the Pavelow, Chinook variant's, and probably others. Now we need a replacement for the Apache...
I'd make a larger/heavier version of the Commanche, for this. Just stretch the fuselage and put in a large rotary weapons launcher similar to the one on the B-1, and B-2 bombers. Not quite that large but you get the idea... It needs six-eight hardpoints of the capacity found on the Apache. This gprovides a total of 16 Hellfire's, plus two rocket pods, plus four AIM-9X Sidewinders, or four Stingers. Add the Apache M230 cannon. The Apache's chaingun would fit the low-observable fairing of the Commanche as well, or maybe make a retractable system that allows the gun to be stowed inside the fuselage.
Well, that's what I'd do anyway.

[Eviscerator]

er, theres a lot of things wrong with what you said, the RAH-66 couldnt hope to do what the AH-6 does, its not small enough for the jobs the AH-6 does, its only planned to do the OH-58 and AH-1 jobs, and the V-22 replacing all the blackhawk variants? not a chance! the army isnt even buying v-22's so the chinooks wont be replaced by it either, replacing the pavelows and hueys? not any time soon, the blackhawks will be first to replace them, the only helo's the v-22 is to replace are the H-46 and some of the jobs of the H-53, as for the apache replacement, the AH-64D will be around for a very long time to come, it was only first delivered in 1997 and the US Army isnt even replacing all of its AH-64A's, however it can go some of the way to doing the job of the OH-58D kiowa warrior/AH-1 as those two pictures from that site are actually on globalsecurity.org:

http://globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/rah-66-specs.htm



id go with making the last two if i were you, they are the only ones that could be made well enough in ofp, as the gears would have to stay down, and there can be no inflight panel opening, so no hidden weapon systems, until bis make this work youre pretty much screwed bishop

[PunkerSXDX]

i'm sure FlipeR will think of some thing for ya!  

[johnnylump]

RAH-66 Comanche program is still active, although it may get cancelled. Rumsfeld's already done away with the Crusader artillery, and other big-ticket programs like the F-22, JSF, Osprey and Comanche all may face cuts.

Barring that, initial production for Comanche slated for 2004 (www.boeing.com)

[Coporal_Punishment]

Yeah it'll be awsome if you boys down at Balistics help.

and another thing

The Comanche is slated to replace the AH-1 Series Cobra light attack helicopter, the OH-6A Cayuse, and the OH-58A/OH-58C Kiowa light observation helicopters.

source

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/rah-66.htm

[Tigershark]

Bishop....please email if you would like to move this project over to Ballistic....you will be the chief developer of course..you'll just benefit from our infrastructure and experience.

Totally up to you my friend....either way....good luck...it looks awesome.

[Bishop]

Eviscator, I see what confusion came up with you. You confused the AH-66 with the RAH-66.

The AH-66 was a Gunship, meant to do a lot of damage in the battlefield.

The RAH-66 is a recon helicopter for light recon/scout tasks.

The AH-66 Gunship was cancelled, but the RAH-66 will be produced in 2004.

As in RAH-66, It stands for Recon/Attack Helicopter (which means it's fast, light and lethal).

The AH-66 -> is just an attack helicopter, where was no use for as the AH-64 could easly do the same task. That's why the AH-66 was cancelled, but the RAH-66 will be constructed. That's the whole story out there.

-Bishop

P.S: Tigershark, I've mailed you to negotiate first. E-mail me back will ya? Thanks.