The HueyCobra was vastly different from any helicopter that had ever been built to that point.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is an attack helicopter that was developed from the famed UH-1 Iroquois, or “Huey,” iconic for its role in the Vietnam War. The AH-1, sometimes referred to as the “HueyCobra” or “Snake,” used the same engine, transmission, and rotor system as the Huey. But in modifying the HueyCobra for an attack role, the fuselage was narrowed, stub wings were added (for weapons loadouts), a gun turret was mounted in the chin, and an armored tandem cockpit was added.
After its rapid development to meet the Army’s glaring need for an armed escort for transport helicopters, the HueyCobra made its first flight in 1965. Production was initiated shortly thereafter, with limited revisions, allowing the HueyCobra to enter service in 1967—in time for the Vietnam War’s escalation in the late 1960s. The HueyCobra would serve with the Army for over thirty years, while a variant, the AH-1 “SuperCobra” would serve with the Marine Corps from 1986 until 2020.
The emergence of the Huey, arguably the most iconic helicopter ever built, gave the U.S. Army a form of “air cavalry” during the Vietnam War—allowing for a mobile and expansive fighting force. As the Huey became increasingly central to U.S. military tactics in the conflict, the protection of the Huey became increasingly important; the copter had proven itself as a troop transport, but was highly vulnerable to ground fire, especially during low-altitude and relatively static procedures like loading or unloading troops at a landing zone. To protect the Hueys, the Army often had to use artillery or ground forces—which wasn’t always practical—or use converted, more heavily armed Hueys as escorts, which also wasn’t always practical. The solution to this problem turned out to be a variation of the Huey itself—a gunship variant.
The HueyCobra was designed, intentionally, to appear like a fighter jet. Different from any helicopter that had ever been built to that point, it was slender and sleek, with a narrow fuselage and a tandem cockpit enclosed in a canopy—clearly drawing inspiration from a fighter’s airframe. The cockpit arrangement was also quite unusual for the time, with the pilot sitting behind the gunner. Tempered-steel seats and personal body armor was used to protect the operators from the ground fire they were sure to encounter—a harbinger of the titanium-encased cockpit that would be incorporated in the A-10 Warthog, an aircraft that would be used in similar close air support roles ten years later.
Another obvious difference between the HueyCobra and the Huey is that the former carried about twice as much weaponry. In using the weaponry, HueyCobra avoided remaining still over battle spaces. Rather, the helicopter would maintain speed and mobility, firing the gun turret from beneath the helicopter’s chin, and 2.75-inch rockets, held beneath the stub wings.
The HueyCobra would prove effective—yet with room for improvements, which would inform the development of the Marine Corps’ SuperCobra variant, and eventually the Army’s attack helicopter replacement, the AH-64 Apache, which remains the world’s most advanced attack helicopter.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / VanderWolf Images.
