The Apache helicopter in Desert Combat is too hard to fly

The Apache helicopter in Desert Combat is too hard to fly.

By: Avery R. Davis

At first I thought it was just me. I was fascinated with the idea of an FPS that included combat aircraft, and especially when one of those aircraft was an AH-64 Apache gunship helicopter. But, when I tried to fly the Apache in Desert Combat, I would always crash. Reading the forums, I could see lots of people having problems with flying the Apache, and the most common advice seemed to be that flying helicopter was just so much different from flying an airplane that success with an airplane was not applicable. But, I had experience with another helicopter simulation, "R/C Helicopter" from Summitsoft. I got pretty good with it, and it does include a simulation of the Apache. But, since this was a simulation of radio controlled model helicopters, I had to admit the possibility that this also might not be applicable to the Desert Combat helicopter. So, I turned to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 with its Bell 206 Jetranger simulation, and I downloaded flight instructions from Hoversafe Academy. When I felt I could fly the Jetranger pretty well, I downloaded a model of the AH-64 Apache for FS. If anything, the Apache is easier to fly than the Jetranger, mainly because it just has so much more power. Even after all this, I still crash the Apache in Desert Combat. My last resort was to purchase the Activision title, "Apache: AH-64 Assault", and play it instead. Sure, it is only single player, and a somewhat predictable flight combat game, but it isn't too easy nor too hard to be fun.

Links to helicopter simulation sites:

Review of the R/C Helicopter program

Gamespot’s review of the R/C Helicopter program

Don’t Chop the Chopper!

By: Avery R. Davis

Recently, the real Apache has come under some criticism. Fred Kaplan wrote an article, "Chop the Chopper", on the web site: http://politics.slate.msn.com/id/2081906/, where he points out some apparent shortcomings, and recommends that the A-10 attack jet would be a better investment. His argument has some merit, but doesn't tell the complete story. Certainly, the A-10 was designed (and has proven) to be ideal for providing close air support and aerial battlefield fire support for the Army, but the Army was prohibited from operating any combat airplanes when the Air Force was made a separate service in 1948. Since the Army really hates having to depend on the Air Force, they exploited a loophole in the 1948 Key West agreement on "roles and missions" in that it said nothing about combat helicopters. The necessities of combat in Vietnam inspired the innovation of combat helicopters, at first just armed utility helicopters like Hueys, then in the form of a specially designed gunship, the AH-1 Cobra. In the late-sixties, the Army pushed the loophole too far with the development of the AH-56 Cheyenne. This was a compound helicopter with wings and a propeller in addition to the main and tail rotors, and it was faster than any conventional helicopter since it didn't need the main rotor for lift or propulsion at high speeds. It was almost as fast as a propeller airplane, and it still had the full vertical flight capabilities of a helicopter. The only problem was it was too expensive, costing almost as an F-16 jet fighter. When the Pentagon cancelled the Cheyenne, it ordered the A-10 to provide the aerial battlefield fire support the Army needed. But this put the Army back to depending on the Air Force, so the Army bought another helicopter gunship, the AH-64 Apache. Still, the main question remains: Would the Army be better off with the A-10? The criticism is primarily based on the one infamous mission during the recent war in Iraq where 33 Apaches went out, 1 was shot down and 30 of those returning needed significant repairs from battle damage. I say that this could be seen as a testament to the survivablility of the Apache! 31 of them got shot up, and only one was lost, and even then the crew survived! But, back to the main question: Would the Army be better off with A-10s instead of Apaches? Let's look at it another way: If the Army could operate "real" combat airplanes, would there still be a role for attack helicopters? There is a way to answer this experimentally. Just look at the U.S. Marine Corps. To someone unfamiliar with U.S. military history, the existence of the Marines would seem redundant. But historically there have been excellent reasons for having a ground attack force attached to the Navy because they could specialize in amphibious assault. The other big advantage the Marines have is that they were not affected by the 1948 Key West agreement, and so can fly any airplanes the Navy will support. This includes the Navy's F/A-18 attack fighter, and the AV-8B Harrier jump-jet. Ironically, it was the Army that financed much of the basic reasearch in the 50s and 60's that led to the development of the Harrier, but the Pentagon would not let the Harrier through the helicopter loophole. Thus, the Marines have a fully integrated land attack package that includes fighter planes for battlefield fire support. Yet, the marines also operate attack helicopters: an upgraded version of the AH-1 Cobra first used in Vietnam. And the Marines had good success with their Cobra gunships in the Iraqi war. Recent articles in Aviation Week magazine pointed out differences in tactics and doctrine between the Army and Marines in their deployment of attack helicopters. The big difference is that the Marines abandoned the practice of coming to a hover before firing weapons. Unless the helicopter is hovering over friendly troops, it becomes an easy target for small arms fire when hovering. The Marines adopted tactics to keep their speed over 60 knots when attacking, and seemed to have had good success with this in Iraq. So maybe the Army just needs to change how they use their Apaches, not junk them.

Links on Apache Helicopter:

"Chop the Chopper", by Fred Kaplan

"Bombing by Numbers", by Fred Kaplan

Federation of American Scientists on the Apache helicopter

Boeing's site on the Apache helicopter

Globalsecurity’s AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter information page

Cartercopters AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter information page

U.S. Army AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter information page