Posted on 07/18/2017 8:54:43 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Here’s the first known video of their latest addition (it’s not replacing the Hind) to their arsenal, the KA-52, in combat. Not the closest support, not like the guys in the Hind, but interesting to watch. These are the ones with no tail rotor and twin contra-rotating main rotors. These things can barrel roll, loop and circle strafe with ease.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oixIcGRG0U
I knew a man who was on the design team for the Cobra. Neat old guy.
>Here’s the first known video of their latest addition (it’s not replacing the Hind) to their arsenal, the KA-52, in combat. Not the closest support, not like the guys in the Hind, but interesting to watch. These are the ones with no tail rotor and twin contra-rotating main rotors. These things can barrel roll, loop and circle strafe with ease.
Did the KA-52 see any combat in Syria?
That video *is* of KA-52s in combat in Syria. They’re reportedly still being used in combat there.
>That video *is* of KA-52s in combat in Syria. They’re reportedly still being used in combat there.
Sorry, should have been more precise. I was wondering how well it handled small arms fire in combat. That video was an attack run without anyone firing back from what I could tell. Interesting rocket attack angle and that’s one heck of a nimble chopper.
There’ve been no KA-52 losses as of yet, so apparently they’re doing reasonably well. There have been 5 Mi-24 variants lost , but only two of them were Russian operated and one of those may have been due to friendly fire or weapons malfunction - cause is unclear. The other was hit by enemy fire (probable recoilless rifle hit) after making an emergency landing due to mechanical issues - the crew survived and made it back safe. The Russians also lost one of their Mi-28 “Apache-ski” units to mechanical malfunction.
Also, they have definitely been getting fired on, mostly by (ironically) Russian .51 cal and larger heavy machine guns and AA guns. There’s some video floating around of rebels taking a KA type and an Mi-24 under fire with a heavy machine gun from below. You can see the sparks of hits on the bellies of the choppers but they seem completely unaffected. Considering that the rotor head and cockpit of the Mi-24 is proof against 20mm/23mm fire and the fuselage and rotor head of the KA is rated against 23mm, that’s rather unsurprising. The entire fuselage of the Mi-24 is proof against .50 BMG/.51 Russian.
When I was in the USAF, I was stationed for 3 years at Coleman AAF, just north of Mannheim, Germany, and my detachment provided weather support for the airfield. Cobras, Hueys, Chinooks and U-21 fixed wing aircraft were based out of Coleman at the time.
I was a kid at Fort Rucker in this time frame. Remember seeing the Cheyenne prototype as well as the early Cobras, and it was obvious even to a 3rd grader they were A Big Deal.
Good post, thanks.
I remember working as a powerplant mechanic for Lycoming back in 1980 - still pulling T-53s out of cans back from Vietnam for overhaul. There were stacks of 'em.
The Apache has dispatched many Haji’s to their reward at night. A-10’s don’t work at night.
The Apache’s were mis-used in a famous battle where they went in deep rather than as part of a coordinated Air-Ground Mech assault. That interdiction mission should have gone to the USAF. CAS is the attack helo’s game.
They do as of the A-10C. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Republic_A-10_Thunderbolt_II#A-10C
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8RIG3kJXtc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx_0Avkchog
OOPs! I spaced the “C” variant. You are correct. Lost 12 years in my timeline! I know (remembered) that they had targeted the entire fleet. Did they finish the upgrades to all of them?
Still I am told that Apaches and AC-130’s did most of the night work in Iraq and Afcrapistan.
Miss, more coffee please.
They’re still working through the fleet with the re-wing and C-spec upgrades, I believe.
Also, we were well into Iraq and Afghanistan before the C-spec got finalized and upgrades began.
Great article, thanks for your ever ongoing efforts.
True, I think it was started around 2005.
Thanks for keeping me straight!!!!!!
In Red Dawn, A Hind took a direct hit from an RPG and kept on going!
Even the parent Mi-8 transport helicopter has been known to do that. Here’s one that ate a missile in Syria. It pretty much shrugs off the SAM and keeps flying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJG-w70Tlvc
The people responsible for launching the missile are immediately jubilant when the missile scores a hit but are quite disheartened when the Russian chopper fails to explode, fall out of the air, go on fire or pretty much do anything else but keep flying.
Here’s a Hind getting a missile in the ‘face’ and it just keeps flying:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVzq8YZcBqQ
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.