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The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.
The HYPERLINK "http://www.boeing.com/defense/ah-64-apache/"AH-64 Apache is the most advanced multi-role combat helicopter for the U.S. Army. The helicopter, also one of the fastest helicopters in the world. It can attain a maximum speed of 284km/h in hot day conditions.
The AH-64D Apache is a four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The high-performance engines (maximum power of 1,890shp each engine) ensure the helicopter to reach a maximum altitude of 15,895ft (4,845m) at a rate of climb of 2,915ft/m.
Maximum speed: 292.60 km/h (181.81 mph) Maiden flight: 30 Sep 1975 Length: 58.17 ft Wingspan: 48.00 ft Passengers: 2 Type: HYPERLINK "/search?q=Attack+helicopter&filters=ufn%3a%22Attack+helicopter%22+sid%3a%22704c413b-eaa0-4ca5-290d-52f57f9531d1%22&FORM=SNAPST"Attack helicopter

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
Length: 58.17 ft (17.73 m) (with both rotors turning)
Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
Height: 12.7 ft (3.87 m)
Disc area: 1,809.5 ft² (168.11 m²)
Empty weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
Loaded weight: 17,650 lb (8,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Fuselage length: 49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T700-GE-701 turboshafts, 1,690 shp (1,260 kW)
[upgraded to T700-GE-701C (for AH-64A/D from 1990), 1,890 shp (1,409 kW)] each

Performance
Never exceed speed: 197 knots (227 mph, 365 km/h)
Maximum speed: 158 knots (182 mph, 293 km/h)
Cruise speed: 143 knots (165 mph, 265 km/h)
Range: 257 nmi (295 mi, 476 km) with Longbow radar mast
Combat radius: 260 nmi (300 mi, 480 km)
Ferry range: 1,024 nmi (1,180 mi, 1,900 km)
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m) minimum loaded
Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s)
Disc loading: 9.80 lb/ft² (47.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.18 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)

Armament
Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds as part of the Area Weapon Subsystem
Hardpoints: Four pylon stations on the stub wings. Longbows also have a station on each wingtip for an AIM-92 Stinger twin missile pack.
Rockets: Hydra 70 70 mm, CRV7 70 mm, and APKWS 70 mm air-to-ground rockets
Missiles: Typically AGM-114 Hellfire variants; AIM-92 Stinger may also be carried.

Avionics
Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 Longbow fire-control radar (Note: can only be mounted on the AH-64D/E)

The AH-64 Apache was designed to be an extremely tough survivor under combat. The prototype Apache made its first flight in 1975 as the YAH-64, and in 1976, Hughes received a full-scale development contract. In 1982, the Army approved the program, now known as AH-64A Apache, for production. Deliveries began from the McDonnell Douglas plant at Mesa, Ariz., in 1984 - the year Hughes Helicopters became part of McDonnell Douglas.

A target acquisition and designation sight/pilot night-vision sensor and other advanced technologies added to its effectiveness in the ground support role. To reduce costs and simplify logistics, the Apache used the same T700 engines as the Army’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and its naval cousin, the SH-60 Seahawk.

Highly maneuverable and heavily armed, the combat-proven Apache helicopter is the backbone of the U.S. Army’s all-weather, ground-support capability. The AH-64D Apache Longbow, which first flew as a prototype on May 14, 1992, provided a quantum leap in capability over the AH-64A. The Apache Longbow’s fire-control radar and advanced avionics suite gave combat pilots the ability to rapidly detect, classify, prioritize, and engage stationary or moving enemy targets at standoff ranges in nearly all weather conditions. There is also an international Apache export version.

Over the years, the Apache has been enhanced with advanced technology to make the helicopter more survivable, deployable and easier to maintain. The AH-64 Apache is the most advanced multirole combat helicopter for the U.S. Army and a growing number of international defense forces.

In 2003, the Army accepted the first advanced technology Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow, referred to as Block II. The Block II version incorporated advanced avionics, digital enhancements and communications upgrades.

In 2011, Boeing delivered the first AH-64D Apache Block III multirole attack helicopter to the Army. Block III brought superior flight performance and increased networked communications capabilities. The AH-64D Apache Block III was renamed the AH-64E Apache “Guardian” in 2012.

In 2012, Boeing also received all-new fuselages for the first AH-64E helicopters, incorporating a variety of small but important modifications to accommodate AH-64E configuration changes, such as enhancements to the extended forward avionics bays and slots for new electronics. More than 100 AH-64Es had been produced as of October 2014.

In 1981, three pre-production AH-64As were handed over to the U.S. Army for Operational Test II. The Army testing was successful, but afterward it was decided to upgrade to the more powerful T700-GE-701 version of engine, rated at 1,690 shp (1,260 kW). The AH-64 was named the Apache in late 1981, keeping with the Army's traditional use of American Indian tribal names for its helicopters and it was approved for full-scale production in 1982. In 1983, the first production helicopter was rolled out at Hughes Helicopter's facility at Mesa, Arizona. Hughes Helicopters was purchased by McDonnell Douglas for $470 million in 1984. The helicopter unit later became part of The Boeing Company with the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in August 1997. In 1986, the incremental or flyaway cost for the AH-64A was $7M and the average unit cost was approximately $13.9M based on total costs.

During the 1980s, McDonnell Douglas studied an AH-64B, featuring an updated cockpit, new fire control system and other upgrades. In 1988, funding was approved for a multi-stage upgrade program to improve sensor and weapon systems. Technological advance led to the program's cancellation in favor of more ambitious changes. In August 1990, development of the AH-64D Apache Longbow was approved by the Defense Acquisition Board. The first AH-64D prototype flew on 15 April 1992, prototype testing ended in April 1995. During testing, six AH-64D helicopters were pitted against a numerically superior group of AH-64A helicopters; the results demonstrated the AH-64D to have a seven times increase in survivability and four times increase in lethality compared to the AH-64A. On 13 October 1995, full-scale production was approved; a $1.9-billion five-year contract was signed in August 1996 to rebuild 232 AH-64As to AH-64D standard. On 17 March 1997, the first production AH-64D first flew, it was delivered on 31 March.

Portions of the Apache are produced by various aerospace firms. AgustaWestland has produced number of components for the Apache, both for the international market and for the British Army's AgustaWestland Apache.[30] Since 2004, Korea Aerospace Industries has been the sole manufacturer of the Apache's fuselage. Fuselage production had previously been performed by Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical; the transfer of fuselage production led to a prolonged legal dispute between Teledyne Ryan and Boeing.

The AH-64D program cost a total of $11bn through 2007. In April 2006, Boeing was awarded a $67.6M fixed-price contract for the remanufacture of several existing U.S. AH-64As to the AH-64D configuration; between May 2009 and July 2011, a further five contracts were issued to remanufacture batches of AH-64As to the upgraded D variant. Since 2008, nations operating the older AH-64A have been urged to undertake modernization programs to become AH-64Ds, as Boeing and the U.S. Army plans to terminate support for the A-variants in the near future.