Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra

Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra. . , Sea Cobra attack helicopters were based on the successful Bell UH-1 Huey, also displayed on the flight deck. The Sea Cobra took only six months to develop and made its combat debut during the Vietnam War (1955-1975)., The Sea Cobra has the same turbine engine, transmission and rotor system as the Huey, but the Sea Cobra's fuselage was redesigned and streamlined. Tandem seating placed the pilot behind and above the gunner. The tree-barreled cannon, located in a chin-mounted turret under the gunner, was devastating when used against ground targets. Marine Corps "J" variants of the Sea Cobra twin engines and carried larger guns than the U.S. Army Cobras did. Marine aviators welcomed the additional firepower and appreciated the greater safety provided by the two jet engines., The first AH-1J Sea Cobras were deployed to South Vietnam for combat evaluation in February 1971. The new attack helicopter provided invaluable while escorted CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters and during fierce fighting along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos., Short winglets on either side of the fuselage functioned as pylons for a variety of weapons, including the TOW missile. TOW stands for a tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided missiles., The Sea Cobra on display here is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. This Sea Cobra was the last flying "J" model to be retired. It made its final landing on Intrepid on October 29, 1993, flown by Maj. Warren Fox, USMC, of Marine Aircraft Group 42.,

Length: 44 feet (13.4 m) , Height: 13 feet 6 inches (4.1 m) , Rotor Span: 44 feet (13.4 m) , Empty Weight: 6,600 pounds (2,993 kg) , Max Weight: 9,979 pounds (4,526 kg) , Top Speed: 219 miles per hour (352 kph) , Ceiling: 11,398 feet (3,475 m) , Crew: Two, pilot and gunner , Armament: One M197 three-barrel 20mm gun with 750 rounds of ammo, underwing attachments for four TOW missiles, eight Hellfire missiles, or one AIM-9L Sidewinder missile or Zuni rocket launchers

, [Captions:] , The U.S. Marine Corps adapted the AH-1J Sea Cobra for varied mission requirements. It was a potent round attack helicopter, and it protected itself from the other aircraft by using the AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missile, seen here mounted on the weapons pylon., The U.S. Army also used a version of the Sea Cobra attack helicopter. Shown here is an AH-1G, a single engine version flow by the 334th Helicopter Company of the 145th Aviation Battalion in South Vietnam in 1969.