The story
Bell built the Model 209 fast: the engine, transmission and rotor of a UH-1 Huey under a new fuselage just 36 inches wide, with the gunner in front and the pilot above and behind. It first flew on 7 September 1965 and reached the US Army in June 1967, escorting troop-carrying Hueys in Vietnam. The Army retired its last Cobras in 2001. Single-engine Cobras still serve with Japan, South Korea, Pakistan and Jordan, among others, though Japan has decided to replace its fleet with drones and South Korea plans to retire its Cobras by 2031. In the US, restored Cobras fly at airshows with heritage groups.
Bell engineer Mike Mikel recalled that the Cobra came out 36 inches wide because the door of the room the designers were working in was just over 36 inches. Head-on, that narrow profile made it a hard target.
Quick answers
How do you identify a AH-1 Cobra?
Knife-thin head-on: a stepped tandem canopy, stub wings for rockets, skids, a gun turret under the chin and a two-blade rotor. One engine exhaust behind the rotor; the twin-engine SuperCobra (SUCO) has two. Restored US examples usually wear Army olive drab.
What does a AH-1 Cobra sound like?
The two-blade whop of a Huey, because it shares the Huey's rotor system, with a single turbine whine underneath.
How fast is the AH-1 Cobra?
Top speed is 149 kts (AH-1G).
How many people does the AH-1 Cobra carry?
Typical configuration: Gunner in front, pilot behind (tandem).
How far can the AH-1 Cobra fly?
Range is about 310 nmi (AH-1G).
How big is the AH-1 Cobra?
It is 53 ft 0 in (rotors turning, AH-1G) long and 44 ft 0 in across the rotor.
When did the AH-1 Cobra first fly?
Its first flight was in 1965.
How many AH-1 Cobras have been built?
1,116 AH-1Gs, plus later single-engine models built.
How rare is a AH-1 Cobra in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first AH-1 Cobra catch is worth 250 points.
