"Jim Beaver" wrote in message
...

"Ed" wrote in message
...

"Jim Beaver" wrote in message
...
An online article suggests, without citation or reference, that the U.S.
Marine Corps nicknamed its Apache helicopter (through three models) as
"The
Duke," presumably in honor of actor John Wayne.

I cannot find corroboration for this statement in web searches. Has
anyone
here with either first-hand or citable evidence to support it ever heard
this story?

Jim Beaver


Not trying to be ignorant here, but if this is the AH64 Apache, isn't the
Army the only user, not the Marines??

That's one of the reasons I'm trying to confirm the statement in the
article. Despite being an ex-Marine, I have no idea as to the answer.
(When I left the Marines, the Huey was pretty new.)

Jim Beaver


I worked briefly at the Apache facory in Mesa AZ rewiring the A model into
Longbows or D model, I had opportunities to chat with people who had been
with the program from the start. This included the Chief Test pilot who
made a point of telling everyone how he let Sen Barry Goldwater handle the
flight controls while the competition (the Commanche?) wouldn't let the
senator handle the controls. Supposedly this was why the Apache won the
contract. He wound up ****ing someone off, got fired and then sued and got
his "job" back however while they had to pay him as a chief test pilot they
didn't have to let him work as one so they made him a line supervisor in the
factory who was my boss for an even briefer time.

What I heard was that they had done everything on paper to navalise the
AH-64 and then made an offer to the Marines but that was as far as it went,
PAPER. My understanding was as far as navalisation goes it was easier to
stick with the Cobra and upgrade the weapons and avionics than to make an an
Apache that could withstand long periods in a salt water environment. I'm
guessing but the blades were probably the biggest hang up. You'd have to
mod them to fold and make sure they could handle a salt water environment.

There are 8 or so Apaches with tie-down rings welded to the bottom of the
fuselage. This was done for the invasion of Granada in 1983.

Can't say their weren't Marine prototypes built but based on what I heard I
doubt it.