Squadron Vehicles — AH-56A Cheyenne: First Of Its Kind

Today we’ll be taking a look at the AH-56A Cheyenne, a special helicopter coming to the USA as a squadron vehicle!

Vehicle History

In Vietnam, the U.S. Army modified UH-1 Iroquois helicopters to have combat capabilities. However, they soon realised this was not enough and started a new program in 1964 called the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) for a new, dedicated attack helicopter. Twelve companies, including Bell, Convair, Sikorsky and Lockheed submitted helicopter designs, with Sikorsky and Lockheed moving on to the second stage.

Lockheed’s design for the CL-840 eventually won in 1966, with a contract to build 10 prototypes being issued the same year. This proposed design was unique in that it was designed as a “compound” helicopter, meaning it had fixed-wings like a plane, a rigid main rotor and an extra tail-mounted propeller in a push configuration, giving it increased speed. It was designated the AH-56, given the nickname “Cheyenne” and first flew on September 21st 1967.

The prototypes went through several test flights during 1968 and the U.S. Army awarded a contract for production AH-56 helicopters. However on March 12th 1969, the test pilot encountered issues with the rotor, which lead to a fatal crash. The Cheyenne prototypes were grounded and an investigation into what caused the crash ensued. Several improvements were made to the helicopter after the crash, however it took longer than needed to fix all of the issues, delaying the project. This caused the U.S. Army to fall behind schedule, and so it gave Lockheed a “cure notice” by April 1969, requesting that all serious issues be fixed in 15 days. Despite Lockheed’s attempts to fix the problems with the helicopter, the Army became cautious of its overall safety and cancelled the production contract on May 19th 1969. Lockheed continued to try and fix the issues but the U.S. Army closed down the AAFSS program in August 1972.

Also in 1972, very shortly after the closure of the AAFSS program, the U.S. Army launched another attack helicopter program called the Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH). As a result of the AAH project, the famous AH-64 Apache was developed, which is still in world-wide use today.

Introducing the AH-56A Cheyenne!

Meet the AH-56A Cheyenne, which is a rather interesting looking and uniquely designed helicopter that we’ll be telling you about today. It’s coming as a squadron vehicle so make sure to get yourself into a squadron so you can get this thing! Let’s take a closer look at what it’s all about.

Right off the bat, you may have noticed that the AH-56A Cheyenne looks quite unique. The landing gear is high, the raised cockpit canopy looks interesting, and the overall design reminds you of something that you just can’t put your finger on (perhaps the Apache?). The core design of this helicopter however is different, as it is a “compound” helicopter. Because of this, there is an extra propeller at the back driven by the rotor engine, which acts as propulsion, helping to push the helicopter forward.

Additionally, the main rotor is of rigid design, meaning the blades are directly attached to the propeller shaft without hinges, giving them better flex and control over a standard single rotor helicopter. The AH-56A also features bigger and thicker wings than those found on other