On 30 September 1975, the Hughes YAH-64 prototype made its first flight at Palomar Airport in California, with chief test pilot Robert Ferry and Raleigh “Bud” Fletcher at the controls. It was Hughes’ entry in the US Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter programme, which called for a dedicated tank-killer to replace the AH-1 Cobra, with more firepower, better survivability and more range.
Bell’s rival YAH-63 flew the following day, but the Army chose the Hughes design in 1976. The AH-64 was named Apache in late 1981 and entered US Army service in April 1986, by which time McDonnell Douglas had taken over Hughes Helicopters. The AH-64D Longbow, with its mast-mounted radar and upgraded systems, was delivered in March 1997. More than 2,400 Apaches had been built by 2020, and the type is still in production.
This AH-64D was photographed at IWM Duxford, 51 years on from that first flight.
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