Difference between revisions of "XH-45 Atakapa"
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Latest revision as of 23:13, 8 May 2012
United States Military
The XH-45 Atakapa was developed in 1962 by Treadstone Industries as a proof of concept for the United States Army, and is considered to be the ancestor of helicopter gunships such as the AH-1 Cobra and the AH-64 Apache.
The Atakapa was based on a helicopter developed by Treadstone for the civil aerospace market. The conversion from civil to military was uncomplicated: the majority of the airframe remained the same, with the cockpit expanded and restructured to accomodate the additional weapons and guidance systems. Pilots noted some performance issues during air trials due to the shift in the weight distribution of the craft, but with sufficient time experienced pilots were able to adapt.
The XH-45 was tested extensively as part of a classified program called STEP CHILD, which attempted to test the combat potential of such a design in urban environments and a variety of wilderness terrains. Deemed a success, the intention was to develop a production version of the craft. However, rather than continue working with Treadstone Industries, the military ultimately awarded the contract to Bell, who developed the AH-1 Cobra from their UH-1 Iroquois design: already a popular and reliable workhorse of the US military's helicopter fleet.
Out of Character
In real life, the designation H-45 was set aside by the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the US Air Force for a project called STEP CHILD. There are some references to an XH-45, but nothing "official".
It's appearence is based on the eponymous helicopter from the movie Blue Thunder.
