AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter Series - American Classic Gunship

[@_Matsimus_]

What an amazing attack helicopter. It reminds me of a Cheetah cat....fast....agile....sleek.....and bloody deadly. Hope you enjoyed this video everyone! Please share it around if you did and I hope you all have a great day! :-D Matt

[@TheTrueAdept]

Actually, it was going to be replaced with the AH-56 Cheyenne attack helicopter for the Army, and the AH-56 got killed because of inter-service politics (the USAF is pretty much a control freak on anything that flies... the only reason that the US Army has fixed wing transports and helicopters and the Navy has it's air fleet is because of savvy politicians and shear political clout respectively).

[@TheTrueAdept]

At times they're WORSE than the Nazi-era Luftwaffe when it comes to air power exclusivity. It didn't help that most of it's formative years were led/influenced by the likes of 'Bomber Harris', the king of assholes that he was. [rolls eyes] Then again it goes into detail in the book Eagle against the Sun in it's pre-war US military segment.

[@SirCzechMate]

Super cool! Thank you Matsimus! btw, I hope you never change your intro/outro clip... it's one of the best and most badarse one I've ever seen!

[@1bottlejackdaniels]

hi, Matsimus. nice background piano-music ...title name?! composer?!

[@samriberi5513]

Matsimus hey man is it a true leak the Australian Defence Force has the possibility of getting some ah-1z cobras for the LHDs? Cheers

[@DragonPilot]

I flew the AH-1G Cobra in Vietnam '68-'69. Later I served as a Cobra flight instructor at Cobra Hall, Hunter AAF, Savannah, GA. Logged more than 3000 hours in the Cobra, 1067 hours of combat in Vietnam.

[@onepunchmantolkienfan5383]

Thank you for your service, o7!

[@NyteStalker89]

Welcome home sir!

[@vincentstella5131]

I am proud to say I flew an AH-1F Cobra with D/1-4 CAV in Desert Storm and it truly is an amazing aircraft. I had wanted to fly one every since I was a kid and ended up fulfilling my childhood dream. While I later flew AH-64A Apaches and AH-64D Apache Longbows which were awesome in their own right, the Cobra will always be my first love. Besides, without the 20mm ammo can loaded, there was plenty of room to haul personal gear and occasionally pizzas out to the field!

[@vaunfestus9768]

You can haul a good amount of beer to the FARP in the Cobra ammo storage. Det 1 F. Co 135th Avn. Camp eagle sometime in the 90s.

[@protokevinleversee975]

My Uncle flew the Cobra in Vietnam, I never met him, he died in 74, I was 1.

[@protokevinleversee975]

@Old Iron glad to connect im at protobpo at gmail

[@peepopalaber]

calling bs. rn. somebody with the brain to fly helicopters wouldn't follow and like the next news network or newsmax. or saves a video how to order a grand. or "rock melting tech". a bunch of scifi and miniature stuff ... seems like a neckbeard keyboard warrior.

[@vincentstella5131]

@@peepopalaber Since you obviously have so much time on your hands that you pass condescending judgement on people and subjects you know little about, why don't you go to the link below actually proves I was there. Maybe you can actually buy the book and read it for yourself. After you read it, maybe you'll learn some humility and how to respect people. books.google.com/books?id=sUDcIC-3QyoC&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=road+to+safwan+vincent+stella&source=bl&ots=ot9g0lRfTu&sig=ACfU3U3zJjAyHi9ucRQZ0URtqbaA3IX3sg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNqrCMi6ftAhXhVTABHT7YBusQ6AEwA3oECA4QAQ#v=onepage&q=road%20to%20safwan%20vincent%20stella&f=false

[@baronvonfrankenstein6295]

I love the fact that the USMC kept the Cobra and made it into a super attack helicopter.

[@Ggb129]

The AH-1Z is such a cool helicopter. I definitely like it more than the AH-64.

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

If they had the money you could probably put the longbow radar on a Cobra it's just a radar attached to the top of the rotor after all XD

[@williampaz2092]

Baron VonFrankenstein Baron, no matter how many times the US Marine Corp looks at the Apache they keep ordering more Cobras. I asked a Marine Lt why. “It just doesn’t FEEL right, it just doesn’t.”

[@Audfile]

Cooler than the Apache

[@Maurizio4672]

la piritolenza di apaci

[@tommy516]

My dad flew both the AH-1 and the UH-1 back in the 80’s. Graduated at the top of his class at Fort Rucker, very cool Machine!!

[@hueydoc]

over 50 years later and my Cobras from the 70's are still flying. The Huey was fun to fly but man I loved the air conditioner in these !

[@Sneakyboson]

I still think the OG Cobra is the coolest looking attack helicopter ever made.

[@eduardos8895]

I loved the airconditioned seats that this thing had on hot days. The front seat was a bit cramped though, especially for a 6+ foot guy like me

[@badutbadut2309]

Blah b LOL! nice one.

[@JohnSmith-qv6hp]

@Jimmy Jazz had that feeling in a glider my.one and only.flight wasn't for me

[@phapnui]

1G I flew had an ecu that had vents for cold air directed at your head. Problem was they spit out ice chunks so you would have had to fly with your visor down. We never used them in the unit I was in.

I fully the F models and the S models in Hawaii. You needed it in those hot environments otherwise the sun coming through the plexiglass canopy turn the inside into a greenhouse. Couldn't fly without the ecu.

[@petesheppard1709]

A point of clarification: The Cobras were partially disassembled for shipping, both to save space and to apply protective covering from the salt air of the sea (they were not 'navalized' to protect against salt-water corrosion). They actually were fully assembled and test-flown in the States, before they were prepared for loading for Vietnam. The video you showed was the RE-assembly and fly-off; faster than unloading and reassembly ashore.

[@_Matsimus_]

Pete Sheppard hmmm ok thanks for the clarification. Point still stands, they were rebuilt on ship and not just ready to go.

[@petesheppard1709]

Yep and yep. BTW, thanks for this video. I've always had a soft spot for the Snake as well. :)

[@Ggb129]

@Randy Hodder It probably wouldn't be a smart idea to give your position away to one of these things. You would be so fucked.

[@rogfromthegarage8158]

I joined the service in 1980 and had a pretty high score on the ASVAB so I could pick any MOS I wanted. I picked 67 Yankee which was attack helicopter repairer. In other words, a Cobra mechanic. Went to AIT in Fort Useless (For Eustis) Virginia and then went to Hunter Army Airfield as my first assignment (2/9 Air Cav). Got to fly front seat in a Cobra a few times, but not often because pilots needed flight time as well and they're only two seats. However, we went to Fort Irwin California for desert training one time and I was able to go on a flight and pull the trigger and fire off some inert 2.75" rockets. That was pretty incredible seeing the rockets flying out in front of you. The Cobra was pretty much the baddest helicopter on the planet in its time. I still think they're cool looking.

[@jC-kc4si]

How was the fit inside the cockpit? I saw a Cobra at an airshow and it seemed that anyone near 6 foot tall could not fit inside.

[@rogfromthegarage8158]

@@jC-kc4si I'm 6 foot and fit in no problem. Cockpit is not cramped at all. I do remember that if I touched my fingertips together in front of me and extend my elbows then my elbows touch both sides of the canopy.

[@S1lverspike]

Gotta have the utmost respect for these men. Fought it a war and were hated when they came home. Many of these chopper pilots didn’t come home.

[@brandonharvey775]

I love the cobra it saved my ass a few times in Afghanistan it is also just as capable as the AH-64 in a smaller package it has served all American soldiers well it will be in service for many more years to come The length of time it's been in service is a testament to it's design and ruggedness I love to watch it come in on a attack run

[@JazzJaRa]

i always loved the Cobra especially the old version with the edgy canopy like the AH-1F. It looked so amazing.

[@aaronlopez4645]

A little late to the party, but I still believe that the Cobra and the Phantom are the most beautiful aircraft built in the last 50 yrs! Thanks Matsimus.😅

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

The Cobra was a remarkable innovation at the time. The fact it is still relevant indicates just how good the design is. Now just mount the Long Bow system on it!

[@williamflood8296]

I have seen everything but a AH-1G in these clips. I have 1150 combat hours flying one. Good aircraft.

[@jeffcamp481]

I remember the feeling as an infantryman on FTX humping along, and out of nowhere the cobras would come. Your heart sank to your stomach knowing that if you were their foe you would be dead! Thank God we were on the same team! They would sit in a clearing in the woods and the OB-1 would locate the target and the cobra sprung up and where on you like the new stink you had in your trousers! Like I said, thank God they are ours!

[@densealloy]

The viper is badass. 80% commonality with the Yankee Huey. Lowbrow and sidewinder capable. Folding, space saving on ship. 1/3 cost to Apache. I know Hellfires are mostly used now, but I remember having called in CAS and having to to crawl out from the TOW wires since we had 3 cobras firing right over our position. Very nimble and just awesome. Although they could use some longer legs but....

[@willymac5036]

100% Agree. Without question the most destruction I have ever seen in my life was when I was in Iraq back in 2003, with 2 AH-1W Super Cobras overhead providing CAS. They rained down dozens of 70mm rockets and unleashed hell with that gun. One thing is for sure, if an AH-1W is hunting you, it WILL find you.

[@SgtBones]

Us older folk, oh man, I feel so old now! While stationed in Fulda Germany in the 80's with the Blackhorse I got to sit front seat on a Cobra on a maintenance flight, that was a blast! We had them flying the east west german border on a daily basis, and there was one that had the last three digits of "666" on the serial number that went down on the border like 6 times, even a cross glued in the boom didn't help!....and after Fulda was closed down and they shipped the birds home, ol 666 fell off the crane and landed in the drink next to the wharf! Some great footage of them live firing at Graf, I sat under them in my Bradley giving them target info and watching them blow the range to hell and back!

[@oldreliable40]

hey sgt bones when I was at bad kiss engen in the mid 80's the 2nd squadron an unit landed at the small lz in a German snowstorm!!! it was outstanding!!!

[@oldreliable40]

an unit sorry.

[@oldreliable40]

avation

[@SgtBones]

There were some pretty good pilots at Sicles Airbase, so that doesn't surprise me one bit. Most pilots had a lot of time on stick before getting stationed in Germany, some were even Nam vets getting close to retirement. But ALL of them were mission first crazy bastards!

[@pplett8238]

What a cool story

[@MRptwrench]

As a Marine vet in a Marine/Army family, I regularly have to explain that the US Army has a huge budget. I always have been proud that my Marine brothers and sisters have done more with less. The AH-1 Cobra variants are my #1 argument. The fact that a Vietnam era flying machine still can influence the modern battlefield is incredible to me. 100% opinion: every CWO or Warrant Officer I saw walking from beneath the blades of his Cobra or Viper all appeared as gods. Not quite the same as the aviators I've viewed walking from their fixed wing aircraft, or even the fellow rotary-wing Marines. Yes, you read that correct. The AH-1 Cobra and it's variants granted God-like powers to mere mortals.

Hell, I prefer to think of us as arsonists in uniform.

[@Jason-rt8nb]

I was an anti air Marine. We did a few exercises with cobras in Yuma and North Carolina. The damn things love to just hug the earth, those big blades just don't give a damn about tree branches. They got so low to the ground you could reach up and touch the damn thing! Pretty eerie being hunted by one, like it was just gunna pop over the tree line at any time.

[@nicolasbazzano2028]

I am an old guy, served as a Cold Warrior in the USMC from 85-91, but worked as an Avionics tech on the A4M Skyhawk only. For me, the Cobra is and always will be THE attack helicopter of the United States, while no matter how long it serves, the Apache will just be that new fangled army toy to me.

[@vaunfestus9768]

Was a 67 Yankee on the AH-1 in the 90s in the national guard.great helicopter

[@vaunfestus9768]

Ours where sold to Mexican Army

[@JacobA6464]

GOOOOOOOD MORNIIIIING VIETNAAAAAAAAM!

[@jollygoodyo]

Banzaiiiii

[@EchezonaDibia]

Ok. Now I miss that actor

[@Maurizio4672]

i vietconghi

[@at-90ree13]

*FORTUNATE SON INTENSIFIES*

[@Air6Cav]

My favorite of all the aircraft I’ve flown, including high-performance jets. In later years, I had the privilege of being friends with Mr. Mike Folse, the one man that single-handedly designed the AH-1/G in just 4 hours at his drafting table. Seven months later, it was in flight test then directly to the War in Vietnam !🇺🇸🚁

[@sirostauffer7462]

Seriously i love this gunship it just looks SWEET

[@taylorc2542]

It just looks right. The best looking Cobra is the whiskey (4BW) that was never built. The zulu looks a little awkward with all the new bumps. Should have never built the Apache and put more money into this.

[@manbunnmcfanypakjustacoolg4965]

Like a muscle car.

[@jason1164]

Love seeing the slow cycling action of the main gun, these really are amazing machines.

[@dieselrotor]

The original "Bell Cobra" is My all time favorite I grew up with. The rounded bubble canopy and all.

[@kentrinfret2979]

Saw my first AH-1 Cobra in 1977 Korea. Was very impressed. 40 years later, I still am.👍

[@johnbickle8457]

I was one of the last people to maintain the AH1F in the US ARMY. I was a 68JW5 (Aircraft Armament and Missile Systems repairer with a certification on the AH1 and the OH58D) The Marine Super Cobra AH1W/Z are the ultimate manifestation, i wish i could have serviced those at least once. The last time i touched an AH1F was at Camp Humphreys in S. Korea 1994. When i was reassigned to the 10th Mountain Division at FT. DRUM NY, they had already decomissioned theirs and i began dealing with the OH58D. The story of the AH1 is a very cool one in that Bell Helicopters developed and built it with no congressional funding at all! They used feedback from the soldiers in Vietnam and their field service reps to design an escort gunship, as you said, to help protect the air assault forces and clear LZs. The one meter wide fuselage made it nearly impossible to target and hit at ranges over 400 meters (the AH1 was already shooting at you from up to 5000M btw) One of the big down sides of the F model was that it could not get off the ground with a full load of armament and fuel. The USMC had the right idea with the dual engine platform. I do miss the M197, what a beast. we had to disassemble and reassemble it in under 15 minutes to pass the cert test for it in school. The M197 was very versatile in that we could bum ammunition from the Air Force, Navy, or Marines as it was the same gun as the M61 20mm Vulcan but with only three barrels and bolts. In that configuration the firing rate was dropped to just 750 rnds/min but the magazine only held 750 rounds so it worked out pretty well. still 60 seconds of sustained fire from a 20mm WILL get your point across. We ran our snakes with two 19 shot 2.75" rocket pods inboard, two 4rnd TOW launchers outboard, and the M197. We had laser range finders and FLIR on our models too (better than the older model. While the AH64 is technologically superior they had issues that the Cobra did not, such as poorly designed particle seperators (this really kicked the apache in the ass in Desert Storm) but the Hellfire was superior to the tow in many ways accept one...If you could see the target, you could hit it with a TOW missile.

[@andrews_lego_tanks_and_more]

I love the Cobra, has to be my favorite chopper ever made.

[@Kstrader23]

It was designed to be very hard to hit face on. I have read early cobras had a width of only 3 feet in spots. Extremely difficult to hit. This narrow design is one of the reasons US Marines still use this bird. They use less space aboard ships. A fantastic design that has proven itself effective and ahead of its time when it was introduced.

[@Nabo42]

My dad worked on Hueys, Blackhawks, Apaches and Cobras. He preferred the Cobra.

[@seanhumphrey3167]

Loved the video. Thank you. I was an engineer, and loved the sound of cobras overhead.

[@HarrisonCSmith]

Such a beauty. I have die cast model of a supercobra. I remember painting it gray and writing viper on it with fine sharpy in 2011. Such a great helicopter and I love the Uh-1 as well. The whole Huey family is legendary.

[@mojohns44]

Growing up in the US Army I greatly appreciated the Cobra as one of the reasons my father survived three tours of Nam. I went into the Navy and always admired the sleek aggressive stance of the Sea Cobra the Marines brought along. The last model I encountered was the very silent 1-Whiskey out over my base near Camp Pendleton. I see no reason for the Cobra not to continue for decades to come as it is still upgradeable and still an effective, low cost platform with a big punch out on the line.

[@skypilot257]

“Don’t shoot at the skinny helicopters”. Old Vietnamese proverb.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

This really is the Porsche 911 of attack helicopters !

[@americanoutdoorsman_1133]

My dad told me about the Cobras in Vietnam and how they saved them many times! They were the NVA and VC’s worst nightmare!!!!

[@drrocketman7794]

Yes, it was really good to hear about the venerable AH-1 series...great aircraft but sadly forgotten...like the Hawker Hurricane...everyone remembers the Spitfire but hardly anyone has heard of the Hurricane.

[@gaylebordeaux7632]

In late 1967, I was at a fire base ( 3rd bridge / 25th I’d ) it was on a saddle, I looked out and could see two Huey Gunships. The closer they got thought they going to shot me….they came in and hovered about 75’ away, then notice the gun on on the front, which most did not have. It was a 3 barreled gating gun, with a shiny round box and holy crap it was moving around and up and down. It was bad ass, then looking at the pilots, the driver had some weird shit on his helmet, the gun moved with his head. I had no idea that I was looking into the future……oh man fun times. I had my free air show, giving me a thing to think as an old man such a great memory.

[@skypilot257]

I flew Army Cobras for 6 years. AH1G and Mod S. Loved shooting rockets and TOW.

[@_Matsimus_]

Thank you for your service!! Must have been amazing working in these things!!

[@wogelson]

The most beautiful attack helicopter 🥰

[@SandifromMichigan]

I was a WOC at Mineral Wells Tx. Fort Wolters when A Bell Helicopters test pilot landed the first Cobra in the PX parking lot near the NCO/ Officers club to show it off to the troops .It was the most beautiful thing this 18 year old Candidate had ever seen ....

[@deniseb3897]

This was a great , comprehensive story of the development of the Huey Cobra. I was born in 1960, so I was fairly young during the Vietnam conflict. But the first time I saw a Cobra I was like "whoa, that is cool!" When I looked into the capabilities of it I was very impressed. But I never knew anywhere near as much as this video provided me. I was stuck in my chair and replayed many parts of it so as to get the information straight in my head. I had no idea the flexibility of weapons that it is capable of carrying. I loved the part where they were so needed in the field when they first came out that they sent the pieces on the aircraft carrier and built them on the way to Vietnam. Even having video of them being assembled! The later development of the Super Cobra and the Viper were two more things that I didn't know about the history of the AH-1 Cobra. Thank you for a very entertaining and informative video about an aircraft that I have admired for decades. The Apache is a great platform for the times, but it will never look as sexy as a Cobra! Thanks again. I just subscribed.

[@robbiesdad1]

On, my very last day,with my unit. One of the pilots took me up in a Cobra ( I was with an Attack Helicopter unit) still remember to this day, and still remember the pilot. One of the best days of my life. The same officer we took on a patrol with during a FX I was a 60 gunner for our unit. When we attack another army unit I let him use my M60, I still remember the look of complete joy, he had on his face, when he was firing my m60.

[@rustyaxelrod]

That G model canopy was a thing of beauty. Another little known variant were referred to as Surrogate trainer, no weapons and featured the Apache’s PNVS and HDU during the Army’s transition from one aircraft to the other.

[@giladtselniker8420]

Interseting fact. In a mission in lebanon, an israeli f4 phantom wss shot down over enemy area which was filled with terrorists of Hezbollah, pilot and navigator had ejected and have been hiding from the terrorists. After alerting the idf command that the plane was shot down, they launched a ah1 to the rescue other than a blackhawk or stallion, because the airmen were down in the middle of two mountains, and only the cobra was nimble enough and narrow enough to fit in. The pilot was hanging down from the skids the whole way to israel. Navigator was never found, he was captured and never released. His name is Ron arad. Great video!

[@giladtselniker8420]

That occurred in 1986, and no one knows if Ron is alive, or when did he die, abd how. There were some life signs from his capture

[@giladtselniker8420]

kentucky fried thats the least accurate thing I have ever heard.

[@themodernmusketeer877]

The Cobra is a BADASS helicopter. As a Marine in Iraq, I was always happy to see these overhead ready to give us grunts a little help if we needed it

[@YoRHaUnit2Babe]

the raw visibility the Pilots have in the cockpit is such a good addition.

[@kasraeskandari9351]

i can't believe you missed telling about their operational history in Iran air force and the amazing scores they made under Iranian pilots. the first helicopter vs helicopter battle happened in 8 years of Iran-Iraq war and it was a very good story for you to tell in this episode.

[@Tigershark_3082]

In my opinion, the Cobra and Apaches are easily the closest that we can get to a modern day airwolf.

[@MD-on9fi]

Burke Krohn Airwolf was a Bell 222 with a body kit added for the television show. Bell 222's look pretty sweet in their standard configuration as well.

[@devo1785]

Got to sit in the cockpit of one of these aboard a carrier during fleet week as a kid. They are as sleek and awesome as you think they are!

[@JohnDoe-jq5wy]

There are Vietnam era HUES that are continuing service with the USA military. Thank you for your presentation, superb!!!

[@JohnDoe-jq5wy]

Oh contraier, I have oneon info. Still flying with U. S. A. F. today.

[@SheepDawgOscarMike]

During my time in the Marine Corps with 3rd LAR BN at 29 Palms, we trained with them all the time. Awesome agile fast deadly and highly rugged and dependable aircraft. It’s THE first helicopter gunship and still highly effective. They took what the army had and made it better by leaps and bounds. :)

[@carbonpoly]

It is amazing to me they built then on the aircraft carrier. In my opinion, Adds a WHOLE new level of bravery to these Vietnam cobra pilots!

I think they corrected that statement. It was already built but they had to take off the rotors and tail section and anything they could to be able to store them effectively. They already been tested flown before they made it to the boat.

[@SlickPlays]

"oh, it aint me"

[@_Matsimus_]

Slick Plays “what you talking bout Willis!!”

[@enigma3383]

I love military helicopters because they all look great

[@mr_beezlebub3985]

The Marine Corps really are one of the most impressive military branches

[@Plastikdoom]

Those beautiful checkerboards on the side of them, that’s my old squadron, H/MLA-167. Skid kids are the greatest things since sliced bread. I worked on the AH-1W’s and UH-1N’s. Miss the sound and sight of those beautiful killing machines. And Cobras give better CAS, than apaches.

[@brooklynrobotworks9866]

Thank you. Man, I miss my old mount, an AH-1S ECAS tail 78-23084. Those were the days...

[@sstolt64]

I was a armament tech (68J10) on these from 1982-86, fond memories of loading these in the Yakima desert on a hot pad, we were shot at by one of our cobras during a night fire when the gunner became confused, we were using the 20mm gatling gun at the time.

[@earlguillory5168]

Yup! I was a 68J (19985-1994) and I remember being one of the "red-headed step children" of the aviation branch (Waay to many months at Ft Eustis just to get stuck in some AVIM unit playing spades in a SPAM) You must have had some cocky 1LT or a WO1 with a chip on their shoulder. I ran into a lot of them! But we did get to work on the coolest aircraft in Army inventory! Long live The Crow!

[@andrewcutler222]

I was a FAC in a Marine Corps Grunt CO. in Nam in 1969. The Snake was Great to save our Buts. I and my Buds love this Bird. Semper Fi.

[@allenbarnes7202]

I was a weapons system repairman on the cobra AH in the 80's

[@henryleschen5141]

Well documented and clear commentary describing other manufacturer Hughes Helicopters is interesting.

[@redtsar]

My dad loves the Huey, the sound of it, and that’s why I love it too, the sound is just ughh

[@LB-oz9hv]

Still best looking gunship ever built!

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

I know we were glad to have the Cobras along in my time in the Corps, 1976-79. Always capable for whatever was needed.

[@drbendover7467]

just goes to show when building a tried and battle-tested chopper right its worth keeping in service and updated

[@philbaldwin802]

Great video and you did the Cobra quite well. In Vietnam, the Cobra could light one mile of jungle.

[@LetterRedMedia]

My favorite Helicopter since I was a very young boy! :D

[@DarthEarp]

This video sounds like you had a designer of the Cobra holding a gun to your head telling you to call all of Bell's heli's beautiful.

[@stephensmith3708]

God bless the Marines by keeping these hand me down machine in action! Oohrah and Sempr Fi!

[@Chris-bg8mk]

Great closing shot!

[@zignotzag]

She's a beaut, Clark. I would bet that a grunt on the ground taking fire wouldn't mind seeing either one of these or an Apache flying overhead on its way to lighten its load.

[@robbiesdad1]

I served with the 101St, I was attached to an Attack Helicopter unit just after the Vietnam war, we had the AH1 G model, and we were upgraded to the AH1 S model, they were incredible Aircraft .

[@johnreynolds6291]

I Love that Helicopter. AH-1W For Life.

[@firefightergoggie]

Magnificent sounding machine!

[@ExUSSailor]

Every "attack helicopter" currently in service owes it's existence to the Cobra. It was the first, and, given that it's still in service 50 years later, it's a damn good design.

[@jeffcamp481]

By far the sexiest looking attack helicopter in history. She is sleek, shapely, fast, agile and yes a hot looking lady! If you don’t respect this lady, she will make your day go bad real fast, she is a killer! First time I seen her as a little boy, I loved this girl, as time went on she matured and transformed into something even more formidable! This girl has an amazing legacy, but we must remember that legacy is one of a partnership of man and machine. And that legacy would not be and is as much the legacy of the brave pilots that could tame this old girl! I thank every one of them and their ground crews for their service!

[@davidsauer6286]

I was in Sikorsky 53s...we had 2 cobras flying shotgun in Lam Son 719...ever grateful for the cobra.

[@daveverwey6854]

Matsimus, great synopsis of the Cobra’s service history! The air frame and machinery commonalities with the Huey will have greatly simplified coordination of the logistics support in the USMC. With the hostilities in Eastern Europe and the survivability / effectiveness of CAS being re-evaluated, exploration the Cobra’s continued anti-armour/helicopter role might be interesting. That capability gap exists amongst the CAF, and I wonder if integrating the Cobra Viper into the RCAF inventory is a viable solution. Especially if there’s compatibility with the Griffen logistics chain! Bring the big guns to bear it always a comfort to any mud-roller!

[@rickmaldoo4205]

My favorite attack heli in American inventory mostly aesthetically, it's just so badass.

[@mandalorian_guy]

I heard stories in the sandbox about how the Iraqi's hated these the most out of all the allied aircraft during Desert Storm because their small profile is very hard to hit when it's looking staight at you.

[@thetruthhurts4054]

Atlas butt hurt much eh? A 10 is a beast with that 30mm gau cannon

[@mandalorian_guy]

My unit got CAS protection from AH-1's but I never got to see them fire. The A-10 on the other hand was amazing to watch. Watching one destroy an enemy position makes you realize how insignificant a squad of Marines are to a battlefield.

[@thetruthhurts4054]

Atlas ah I just reread your comment my bad apologies guy.

[@westwing23]

@@mandalorian_guy Cobras and abrams are powerful, but if they don't have good intel then they are big vunerable targets waiting to be destroyed. Squad of marines are to give intel and protect the helis and tanks from small arms/rockets/AA guns.. the heli and tanks provided by good intel can take care of the rest.

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

what is that thing barley 1 foot across? it's very thin from that angle XD and when going away from you XD

[@tinman1843]

Awesome video. I love the Cobras. Thanks.

[@DonksGrooves]

The reason they were assembled on the aircraft carrier was because of the potential for corrosion from sea salt during shipping. They did the same thing for Oh-58Ds in Gulf I. That's why they are wrapped in all that plastic and have so much coverage. Its to prevent them from being destroyed or degraded in shipping. It has nothing to do with the speed of their manufacture or an attempt to speed it up.

[@aaronseet2738]

Older folks will remember...... *Blue Thunder*

[@mr.gunzaku437]

This is my absolute favorite American attack helicopter. Love this badass baby!!!🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🥰🥰🥰🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@deleted5338]

A family friend was shot down in one of those 300 lost Cobras in Vietnam by heavy ground fire. He took the role of bait for the Huey’s. The LZ was right next to some type of enemy encampments. When he shot into the forest, the entire forest shot back. He was able to flatten the rotor trim, then successfully flare before he hit the ground, but the gunner was killed. He heard and saw dozens of enemies all around him when he crawled out. A Huey landed to pick him up, took off, and was also shot down. His back is screwed up for life, but he is living a great life. Don’t know anyone that was shot down twice and lived to tell.

[@JasonB2025]

Cobra's design was way ahead of its time imo.

[@bradleyattersley8031]

For once a youtuber who finally listened to my video recomendation.LOL thanks matt 👍

[@tommytom4893]

I was an 6531 Ordnance kid till just a few years ago. These were my birds, my baby girls. The love that pilots and Ordies have for the Zulus is only matched by the hatred that the Flightliners and Avi guys cling to lol.

[@graeme3023]

I remember seeing one of these firing 2.75" rockets in Basra... looked very impressive. I don't recall seeing any in Afghan though.... just Apaches... but I'm sure there were some as we had United States Marines with us in 2008 ams I believe you said that the Marines use them.

[@clydebalcom8252]

Beautiful helicopters. They just get sexier and deadlier.

[@DrForrester87]

I had a friend in the Marines and he worked on Cobras. He had come back from a tour in Iraq and did not know about the coming of the Viper, so I told him what upgrades they'd been planning on for this and the upgraded Huey and the moment I mentioned both were going to have four-bladed main rotors, his face scrunched up in a way I'd never seen before. I was sort of surprised he didn't know about it, though. Still, he switched to a couple stories about flight line snafus pretty fast because he didn't have a lot of time to visit. First story was about how someone had left a wrench in a Super Cobra's engine so when it started up the next morning, it shot the wrench out of the exhaust and into the fuselage of the Cobra behind it. Then one morning, a Huey was coming in and everyone just sort of stopped and watched it approach because the pilot was bringing it in way too fast. My friend told me all the maintenance guys were upset as he came in because they all knew what was about to happen and that they'd spend all day and night fixing it. The guy apparently hit hard enough that he bent the shaft for the tail rotor among other things.

[@henriyoung3895]

Thanks Mat for your service n awesome videos.

[@georgee.williams7524]

I worked in this remarkable aircraft whenever the opportunity presented itself I couldn’t resist flying in one

[@BadPractices]

Another excellent video Matsimus.

[@_Matsimus_]

antibordom thank you!!

[@krispybacon5038]

That last shot was great.

[@aseibel926]

Nice vid! My grandfather was the chief engineer on the original version designed and built for vietnam