DRAGSTER/APACHE
Giving New Meaning to the Words Lean and Mean
The U.S. Army Top Fuel Team keeps their dragster rocketing down the track at NHRA events around the country. An Army pilot maneuvers the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter at speeds up to 225 mph on training and combat missions. Before every take-off, an entire team of Mechanics and Repairers makes sure the mechanical, computer, and weapons systems of the aircraft are operating flawlessly.
Fuel and engine specialists optimize the performance of the Top Fuel dragster's engine, which is capable of producing up to 7,000 horsepower. Army Aircraft Powerplant and Powertrain Repairers work together to make sure the Apache Longbow's twin 1,890 horsepower turboshafts are in perfect working order. After all, they have to keep eight tons of helicopter moving through the air.
Led by the crew chief, the Army Top Fuel Team puts in long hours at the shop and the track to make sure every aspect of the dragster is race-ready. The Attack Helicopter Repairer serves as the Apache crew chief supervising Armament, Electrical and Avionic Systems Repairers as they maintain their specific parts of Apache Longbow aircraft and ensure each system is meshing correctly. Mission success depends on the performance of each member of this team and they know it.
The Army Top Fuel Team puts hundreds of hours of work every week into the dragster, all for a 4.5 second run. The driver must maneuver this machine, the fastest accelerating vehicle on earth, down the track at speeds over 300 mph. The Apache Longbow Team maintains the operational readiness of every aspect of their aircraft to keep the Pilot flying at a top speed of 226 mph, while the Co-Pilot controls the systems that simultaneously detect and classify 120 ground and airborne targets.
DRAGSTER/APACHE
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TOP FUEL DRAGSTER | AH-64D APACHE LONGBOW | |
---|---|---|
Horsepower | 7,000 hp | Twin 1,890 hp turboshafts |
Top speed | 325 mph | 226 mph |
Acceleration | 0-100 mph in .8 sec | 1,500 vertical feet per minute |
Length | 25 ft | 58 ft |
Range | 1,000 ft | 300 miles |