AH-64D (Longbow) Apache

[xnodunitx 0]

I seriously can't wait to have a crack at flying those Apaches when they're done! Seeing as there are technically only four countries flying the AH-64D (as far as I know, United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Israel? Correct me if I'm wrong) so I think it's a great idea to portray all the unique features of the individual countries' Apaches!

As to your question about the FCR, no, at the moment we do not have any Longbow configuration Apaches though any one of them can be fitted with an FCR at any time. Well, as soon as we decide to spend the ~3,500,000 Euros for any one individual FCR unit.

Our Apaches depend upon other Longbows to acquire targets for them (British or American Longbow Apaches) so our Apaches can support theirs. Ours have slightly more sensitive sensors mounted and are sometimes even used by police forces to track criminals when police choppers have lost track.

The thing is, factory created two types of AH-64D roll off the Boeing construction line, the Longbow AH-64D and the regular AH-64D. The regular AH-64D does not have the engine upgrades or the FCR, but is otherwise on par with the Longbow. The Dutch AH-64D without the FCR, however, does have the engine upgrades and even the FCR mount. It is really quite confusing. Our Apaches are, in essence, Longbow Apaches - only, well, they don't have the 'Longbow' bit. In the pictures of Dutch Apaches, note the sensor display mount on top of the rotor head. This allows an FCR to be mounted and is part of the sensory upgrade. Again, as far as I know (and that is not nearly as much as you know about Apaches) this is unique to the Dutch aircraft.

Also, the wingtip mounted sensors are a very nice touch for the Dutch Apaches. I have to be honest here and tell you I've personally never seen them mounted so I'm not sure if they're unique to Netherlands Apaches, but they are a very nice touch!

Note that those sensors are not always mounted and will (probably depending on the mission) be substituted for dual-Stinger launchers, so they're not fixed permanently in place. That's all I know about them, as I've personally never seen the sensors or how they operate. I presume they're part of the sensory upgrade Dutch Apaches received over the factory ones to make them a valuable asset to British and American Longbows.

Your work really blows me away. The attention to small details is amazing... even the rotor grips are done true-to-life and look exactly how they should! Keep up the great work.

Thats what I'm hoping to achieve,wanting to make things as real as possible on my side of the project [modelling and texturing,Franze handles the rest].

It is possible that the sensor pods are Netherlands specialty,I have seen a few images of Dutch AH-64D's without them as well,quite a few really... And although it may not be entirerly realistic to have an FCR on the Dutch longbow [can't really blame ya at that cost],its only a setobjecttexture code so chances are there will be on regardless

There was one more [minor] difference I saw in the Dutch Longbow as opposed to all others,there is a small section under the port EFAB [with the two footholes] that has a few "bumps",but this doesn't appear to be present for the Dutch Longbow.

The goal for the longbow is to have it as detailed as allowingly possible,meaning that while I was detail,I don't really want to bump it up to 10k,there were some ideas originally that were taken out due to how many times they are used,chances are if Franze makes a "simple" version of the updated one,then it will have even more details.

The fun part is texturing it,since I'd like to get the rivet details however I cannot use one texture sheet at the present as one pixel doesn't quite work well for a rivet,[without a normal map] and I have a bit of fear that the second O2 may screw up a textures mapping coordinates,so even while I want to make a texture for the AH-64's,if the mapping was screwed up that would cause alot of trouble. There may still be a bit of room for some minor detailing,but chances are the vast detailing will be for the HD model [because in all honesty,I'm wantin more but for a standard gameplay model it won't work too well] . Currently the fun part is working on sounds,though I suppose I should model nationality differences right now just so I'll have em when the time comes up.

I'll keep ya updated.

[Guest RKSL-Rock]

Didnt they say its possible to make Ir signatures for the units in armed assault?... im sure placebo said that somewhere....

I havent seen that anywhere, but if someone finds it i'd love to see it confirmed. I've spent the last few weeks going over the biki and the ArmA configs but i havent found anything to suggest its possible.

[franze 196]

I read the thread and I think I got a summary of my experience developing AH-64A/D for FP.

That is, lots of cursing and swearing over the limits I couldn't get around from the FP engine.

[dm 9]

I read the thread and I think I got a summary of my experience developing AH-64A/D for FP.

That is, lots of cursing and swearing over the limits I couldn't get around from the FP engine.

Welcome to the club, cookies and drinks are on the table to your left

[USSRsniper 0]

Didnt they say its possible to make Ir signatures for the units in armed assault?... im sure placebo said that somewhere....

Read same thing too, I think it was somekind of Interview or something......

I dont see why it would be not possible, with HDR and shaders this shouldld be possible and even easier to make then in OFP...... If some people almost managed to make IR for OFP, but it was long time ago and project just disappeared.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

I read the thread and I think I got a summary of my experience developing AH-64A/D for FP.

That is, lots of cursing and swearing over the limits I couldn't get around from the FP engine.

Welcome to the club, cookies and drinks are on the table to your left

Don't mind if I help myself.

Hopefully ArmA will significantly lower the frustration level.

[RedStorm 0]

Shameless 24 hour and 53 minutes bump!

Keep us posted on that model, skin and sound work you're doing there, xnodunitx! It's looking absolutely amazing!

[xnodunitx 0]

Nothing much to update you with currently that is visible,I'm working on sounds right now,before people said they were kind of dull..so I'm working on replacing them with better sounds,though the hellfire one is staying,sorry people but I haven't found another one for an AGM-114 and I don't expect to considering their cost.

[Tankbuster 1733]

First of all we'd need the AH-64D Longbow Apache, the second would be the AH-64D Apache.

I didn't know the D was two versions. I thought the D was the Longbow.

Did the naval variant ever see the light of day?

I wonder how we might be able to model the target 'handing-off' system. I don't know it's real designation, but as I'm sure the OP knows it's when one asset (not necesarily a 64, sometimes not even a helo) illuminates a target with a designator and that data can be handed off to other aircraft, allowing firing from beyond visual range.

[xnodunitx 0]

It is true,you can take an AH-64A and make it into a D but the Longbow term is applied because of the "Lonbow Radar" but its correct terms is "Fire Control Radar" or "FCR" for short.

The naval AH-64 was never actually made,it went through three phases,first one didn't carry the usual naval weaponry and the landing gear was too thin,so it would toss over. Second variant had a more bulky appearence,similar to the D,and the last one had very little in common appearence wise,they changed damn near everything,yet the navy never took it.

[ArMoGaDoN 0]

Hopefully we'll se an Apache and a Hind to play with soon, eh?

As mentioned earlier in this thread something needs to allow much better targeting (yes it's often fatal and feels dumb using TAB like this all the time) including targeting of non-red tanks would be useful.  I used to play Comanche/ Comance Gold a lot years ago - that had a similar TAB system, but also another mode 'priority' targeting - which tageted the closest or most threatening targets first - a shilka a bit further away than a T80 would get the shilka targeted first, then T80 if you pressed again.  Again, this is really oversimplifying things - but it DID work well enough to use in combat.

Anyone working on the Apache - a mod or addon to change options for the hellfire flight profile (as an addon?)

would be cool.

An after-thought:  I don't think this can be done: (but you never know someone might see a way to do it...)

Is it possible to create an addon that integrates with other addons?  Could it happen (BIS?) - if so then a modular addon-system that would be customisable and fitted to other addons to give, say, better targeting or flight profiling to your chosen helicopter - like get a MkII targeting addon, and set it to work with the Apache you normally fly - or fit an upgraded guidance system to your hellfires .... could this happen sometime?  Can it happen now, but nobody knows how / has done it yet?

It's beyond my limited knowledge at the moment for sure.

Food for thought.

WarWolf

Thanks for the link Raedor...vv

[raedor 8]

Mapfact already released an Apache: Linky.

[ArmaVidz 0]

I've got the Apache AH-64"A" has anyone seen/heard if there is a "D" variant yet?

This is "the" mod I'm waiting for...drooling as I type actually...

[RedStorm 0]

Still waiting in anticipation! Any news?

[RedStorm 0]

Bump!

[W0lle 1042]

Bump!

Stop digging out old topics just because you want to get new infos. Contact the mapfact team on their website or by PM instead.

You're long enough around to know the rules and not bumping old threads.

+1 WL and a free weekend vacation from the forums.

[bigdog632 0]

Also imagine how nice it would look having the AH-1N we have now fly in formation with the Longbow Apache

ok dont wanna be an ass but i believe its the AH-1Z in arma witht he 4 blade config and winglet things

i like the idea of a functioning longbow apache though or even a functioning kiowa warrior hiding behind a hill with the mast sight targeting stuff

[UNN 0]

Edit:

Sorry, did not relaise this was such an old post.