Closest Real-Life Airwolf Equivalent?

[zenrat]

Thanks Dizz, Lee.
 

[Spino]

The AH-56 wasn't proceeded with because it was realized that it was the wrong machine for the changing realities of what would be needed if the Soviets attacked Western Europe.
It was designed to be an all-singing all-dancing multi-role helicopter to an early '60s conception of what would be needed, and it was influenced by what was happening in Vietnam. Unlike the AH-64 it was not designed with anti-armour as its primary role, that was to be just one of its planned roles. It would have worked OK in that occasional role in a Vietnam like scenario, not so much against the Warsaw Pact. The clue to what it actually was is the last three letters in the program name, FSS (Fire Support System). Flying artillery with a role like that of a fixed wing attack aircraft and localized fire support, after making its bombing run. The high speed requirement wasn't for accompanying the troop helicopters, it was so it could also be an escort for fixed wing aircraft. What it would supposedly be protecting them from is still an open question. The ability to hover at 6,000 ft. was also an odd requirement.
As it turned out the experience in Vietnam showed that a smaller machine like the Cobra was the better choice for the assault role and hard to hit. The AH-56 would have been a nice fat target in those conditions. The Cobra was also easily adapted to use the TOW missile for the anti-armour role, the lack of a mast-mounted site was not an issue because of the weapon being line of sight, the AH-56 would have had to expose itself just as the Cobra did, but again it would have been a bigger target and more limited in where it could hide.
Contrary to what some folks seem to believe the Cobra was not some sort of lash up that was rushed into production to fill the gap. Bell was working on concepts for dedicated attack helicopters years before AAFSS came along, they presented the D-255 concept to the Army in 1962, it not only presaged the Cobra and AAFSS in shape and proportions, one of the mockups also had the stepped cockpits that later became the standard for attack helicopters.
The fact is that the AH-56 was designed and built to questionable requirements that had already been superseded by the reality of changing tactical and strategic requirements before its first flight.

I can see some of your points here, especially about the AH-56 being a bigger target.  However my understanding of the dash speed requirement was mostly due to the expectation that an escort helicopter would need to have a considerable performance margin over the helicopters it would have to escort, to prevent it from getting left behind if it has to engage something along the way.  I have heard some stuff here and there about this speed requirement being intended to make the Cheyenne harder to hit, but that doesn't make much sense with things like ZSU-23-4 and SA-7 around.

Also, if the Cheyenne wasn't designed specifically with the anti-armor mission in mind, why did it have a highly advanced (for the time) fire control system with TOW-specific features like the capability to store coordinates for targets?  While the stored coordinates wouldn't be valid for moving tanks, it would allow the helicopter to re-locate and immediately have its TOW sight pointing in the general direction of the intended target.

[Gondor]

I can see some of your points here, especially about the AH-56 being a bigger target.  However my understanding of the dash speed requirement was mostly due to the expectation that an escort helicopter would need to have a considerable performance margin over the helicopters it would have to escort, to prevent it from getting left behind if it has to engage something along the way.  I have heard some stuff here and there about this speed requirement being intended to make the Cheyenne harder to hit, but that doesn't make much sense with things like ZSU-23-4 and SA-7 around.

Also, if the Cheyenne wasn't designed specifically with the anti-armor mission in mind, why did it have a highly advanced (for the time) fire control system with TOW-specific features like the capability to store coordinates for targets?  While the stored coordinates wouldn't be valid for moving tanks, it would allow the helicopter to re-locate and immediately have its TOW sight pointing in the general direction of the intended target.

Useful for taking out the same sites you mention on the way back or to simply avoid them.

Gondor

[Spino]

I actually made up a full-scale 3D model of a twin-engine S-67 derivative a while back, unfortunately it was done in a student edition of Solidworks that I no longer have access to 

If I can I'll post some photos, was thinking of maybe slicing it and printing it at scale, maybe adding a pair of J-85s or something to get a bit more of an Airwolf look.

[kerick]

There's the old Cheyenne kit from Atlantis and the S-67 Blackhawk kit from Anigrand Craftswork. Add the various Cobra and Apache kits and you can build a nice collection in 1/72nd scale. Unfortunately Airwolf from Aoshima and Kitech and Blue Thunder from Aoshima are in 1/48th. Of course there are Cobras and Apaches in various scales, lots of opportunities there. Could they be whiffed together somehow? I still have an MV-22 to convert to a gunship or attack aircraft.
It's late, I'm tired and I'm just chunking out ideas that may not be coherent, so please be nice to a guy who's radioactive right now.

[Rick Lowe]

please be nice to a guy who's radioactive right now.

Always a good idea to be nice to someone who glows in the dark... do you get much late-night reading done, without having to use the lights? 

[kerick]

please be nice to a guy who's radioactive right now.

Always a good idea to be nice to someone who glows in the dark... do you get much late-night reading done, without having to use the lights? 

It's keeping my wife awake and she's furious.
Just kidding. I have to sleep in another room for a few days and use a different toilet as most of the material comes out of me in sweat or urine.

This treatment is really new. There is a drug called a dotontate that attaches itself to a part of a protein molecule that only occurs on the cancer cells walls, not healthy cells. It carries along for the ride a radioactive isotope called Lu-177. This decays into Lu-176, which is extremely stable, emitting beta radiation. This has a half life of 6.7 days and the beta radiation only travels less than 10mm so it's active enough to damage the cancer cells but not very many healthy cells. It's also used to treat prostate cancer that has spread into the rest of the body. In my case its purpose is to stop the bad tumors from growing and hopefully kill off any tiny spots that may not be visible yet. My last check up showed it's doing what is expected so we will continue with the treatment that's two months after this one and see what's happening then. It's incredibly expensive so thank god I have good insurance through Medicare and my military retirement. If you have prostate cancer ask about it at your closest big time hospital. I'm going to University of Chicago Medicine and they are the only hospital approved in Illinois to do this. Not every doctor or hospital may be aware of this treatment.

[NARSES2]

My last check up showed it's doing what is expected so we will continue with the treatment that's two months after this one and see what's happening then.

And long may it continue to do so   

Got a mate who's just had a full stem cell "replacement". He now has to stay in quarantine for 100 days, hopefully though it will all be worth it.

[kerick]

My last check up showed it's doing what is expected so we will continue with the treatment that's two months after this one and see what's happening then.

And long may it continue to do so   

Got a mate who's just had a full stem cell "replacement". He now has to stay in quarantine for 100 days, hopefully though it will all be worth it.

It's amazing the things scientists have come up with.

[NARSES2]

It's amazing the things scientists have come up with.

Very true 

[PR19_Kit]

He now has to stay in quarantine for 100 days, hopefully though it will all be worth it.

What? How does that work?

Surely SOMEone has to be in contact with him somehow so he can eat etc?

[kerick]

I'm sure that means he has to stay home so he doesn't catch something from other people.

[jcf]

I actually made up a full-scale 3D model of a twin-engine S-67 derivative a while back, unfortunately it was done in a student edition of Solidworks that I no longer have access to 

If I can I'll post some photos, was thinking of maybe slicing it and printing it at scale, maybe adding a pair of J-85s or something to get a bit more of an Airwolf look.

Do you mean a twin engine S-66?
The S-67 had twin engines as it used the entire power and rotor system of the S-61.

[Spino]

Do you mean a twin engine S-66?
The S-67 had twin engines as it used the entire power and rotor system of the S-61.

I actually didn't realize the S-67 had twin engines.   

So what I actually did then is create a model of the S-67 but with the exhausts of an AH-1Z, and redesigned engine intakes.

[NARSES2]

I'm sure that means he has to stay home so he doesn't catch something from other people.

Exactly that. Basically it means he can really only see his wife and close family as long as they take precautions re passing anything on. I think in practice it will be his Mrs and medics and he'll keep in touch with everyone else via Zoom or similar. I'm not a fan of Zoom and its ilk, but they have their uses in these situations.