AH-1G Helicopter, 19-Round Lightweight Airborne Launcher Jettison Envelope Determination.

摘要

The United States Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity conducted a limited evaluation of a 19-round prototype launcher to determine a safe jettison envelope for the 19-round lightweight airborne rocket launcher. The evaluation was conducted from 25 May 1978 to 6 June 1978 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Ten flights using an AH-1G helicopter were conducted totaling 3.5 flight hours. This evaluation defined a safe jettison envelope in coordinated (ball-centered) level flight to 120 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS) and in autorotation at 70 KCAS. Establishment of a jettison envelope equivalent to that of the M159 and M200 launcher will require 75 7-round and 75 19-round lightweight airborne rocket launchers and 744 2.75-inch Model M229 rockets. Five reliability and maintainability launcher shortcomings were identified during the evaluation of the prototype launcher. (Author)