The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-seat attack helicopter built by Bell for the U.S. Army and the first dedicated attack helicopter to enter large-scale service. It reached Vietnam in 1967, where Cobras flew more than a million operational hours. Developed by Bell Helicopter.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-seat attack helicopter built by Bell for the U.S. Developed by Bell Helicopter.
Photo: Communication Specialist Seaman Mark Hays, Public domainSee Specifications for full detail.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-seat, single-rotor attack helicopter built by Bell Helicopter for the U.S. Army. It was the first dedicated attack helicopter to enter large-scale service, and the first AH-1Gs reached Vietnam in 1967. [1] [2]
Bell built 1,116 AH-1Gs for the Army between 1967 and 1973, and Cobras logged more than a million operational hours in Vietnam. The type was developed into twin-engine versions for the U.S. Marine Corps and exported to Japan, Israel, Turkey and others. [1] [2]
The Cobra grew out of the UH-1 Iroquois as the Bell Model 209, which used the Huey's engine, transmission and rotor system with a new, narrow fuselage. About 80 percent of its components already had Huey part numbers. The prototype rolled out on 3 September 1965 and first flew four days later. [1]
The Army applied the Cobra name to the AH-1G designation, after Bell added Cobra to the Huey nickname to make HueyCobra. The aircraft was first designated UH-1H, and the A for attack was soon adopted. [1]
The AH-1G has stepped tandem seating, with the gunner in the forward seat for the best visibility and the commander behind him. Both seats have flight controls and armoured seats. A chin-mounted M28 turret carries two 7.62 mm miniguns, two M129 40 mm grenade launchers, or one of each. [1]
The stub wings carry 2.75 in rockets in 7-tube M158 or 19-tube M200 launchers. The AH-1G was 53 ft (16.2 m) long with its rotors turning, weighed 9,500 lb at takeoff and used a Lycoming T53-L-13 turboshaft for a top speed of 149 kn. [1] [2]
The first six AH-1Gs arrived at Bien Hoa on 30 August 1967, and the 334th Assault Helicopter Company became operational on 6 October 1967. The first combat kill was a sampan on 4 September 1967. Cobras flew fire support, escorted transports and worked in hunter-killer teams with OH-6A scouts, and the Army flew the type in Vietnam until the withdrawal in 1973. [1]
About 300 of the nearly 1,110 Cobras delivered were lost to combat and accidents. Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos destroyed 26 AH-1Gs and damaged 158. In the Iran-Iraq War, Iraqi Mi-25s and Iranian AH-1J SeaCobras fought the only confirmed air-to-air battles between helicopters, with 10 SeaCobras and 6 Mi-25s destroyed. [1] [2] [3]
The Marine Corps ordered the twin-engine AH-1J in 1968, followed by the longer AH-1T and the AH-1W SuperCobra, which the Marines retired in 2020. Two of four AH-1Ts involved in the 1983 Grenada invasion were lost to anti-aircraft fire on the first day. [1]
Israel bought six AH-1Gs, formed its first attack helicopter squadron on 1 December 1977 and made its first attack on 9 May 1979 near Tyre, Lebanon. Japan built 89 AH-1S under licence from 1984 to 2000, and Turkey operated ten AH-1Ws and 32 ex-U.S. Army Cobras. The Army removed the type from the reserves in September 2001, but the U.S. Forest Service converted 25 AH-1Fs into Firewatch Cobras, the last two of which retired in October 2021. [1]
The Bell AH-1 Cobra has a top speed of 149 kn (171 mph / 276 km/h).
A total of 1,116 were built.
No, the Bell AH-1 Cobra has been retired. It retired in 2020.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra first flew on September 7th 1965.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra has a range of 360 mi (570 km, 310 nmi).
Cobras are preserved in museums across the United States; the airframes below are individually documented.
Military Cobras rarely broadcast a position, so sightings on Flightradar24 are rare. Filter for type H1 and look for civil-registered or foreign-operated aircraft.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 149 kn (171 mph / 276 km/h) |
|---|---|
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | 360 mi |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 11,400 ft |
| Rate of Climb | 1,230 ft/min (6.2 m/s) |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Main Rotor Diameter | 44 ft |
| Length | 53 ft rotors turning; 44 ft 5 in fuselage |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: 5,810 lb; MTOW: 9,500 lb |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 1 x Lycoming T53-L-13 turboshaft, 1,100 shp (820 kW) |
| ArmamentArmament — The weapons an aircraft can carry: guns, missiles, bombs and rockets, whether mounted internally, on wing hardpoints, or in bomb bays. Glossary → | M28 chin turret with two 7.62 mm miniguns, two M129 40 mm grenade launchers, or one of each; 2.75 in rockets in 7-tube M158 or 19-tube M200 launchers on the stub wings; optional M18 minigun pod or XM35 with an XM195 20 mm cannon |
| Crew | 2 (gunner in the front seat, pilot in the rear) |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | Weapons only - no troop compartment |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter |
| Origin | United States |
| First Flight | September 7th 1965 |
| Service Entry | August 30th 1967 |
| Retired | 2020 |
| Number Built | 1,116 |
| Unit Cost | Not publicly disclosed - no per-aircraft price for the AH-1G was found in the sources checked |
| Combat Losses | About 300 of the nearly 1,110 AH-1Gs delivered to the Army were lost to combat and accidents in Vietnam. Operation Lam Son 719 alone destroyed 26 and damaged 158. |
4 notable events involving the AH-1 Cobra, 1965 to 1983. Curated rather than exhaustive.
The prototype Model 209 made its first flight four days after its 3 September rollout.
The 334th Assault Helicopter Company became the first operational AH-1 unit in Vietnam.
Across the operation in Laos, 26 AH-1Gs were destroyed and 158 more were damaged.
Two of the four Marine AH-1Ts involved were lost to anti-aircraft fire on the first day of the invasion.
| AH-1G HueyCobra | The initial 1966 production version for the U.S. Army, with a T53-L-13 engine and an M28 chin turret. Bell built 1,116 from 1967 to 1973, and the Army's fleet peaked at 1,081 aircraft. The first six reached Bien Hoa, Vietnam, on 30 August 1967. |
| AH-1Q / AH-1S / AH-1F | Army upgrades. The AH-1Q added TOW anti-tank missiles, and the AH-1S added the T53-L-703 engine. The modernised AH-1F had a 1,800 shp engine, a weight of 10,000 lb and a range of 274 nmi. Japan built 89 AH-1S under licence at Fuji from 1984 to 2000. |
| AH-1J SeaCobra / AH-1T | A twin-engine version ordered by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. The AH-1T was a later Marine upgrade with a longer fuselage and tailboom. |
| AH-1W SuperCobra | The Marine Corps' twin-engine version, retired from U.S. service in 2020. Turkey bought ten AH-1Ws alongside 32 ex-U.S. Army Cobras. |
| AH-1Z Viper | A later development for the U.S. Marine Corps. The sources list it as a related aircraft rather than as a Cobra variant, and it follows the AH-1W, which the Marines retired in 2020. |
Cobras are preserved in museums across the United States; the airframes below are individually documented.
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