The American Aircraft International Penetrator was a

military helicopter A military helicopter is a helicopter that is either specifically built or converted for use by military forces. A military helicopter's mission is a function of its design or conversion. The most common use of military helicopters is transport ...

prototype conceived in 1990 as a

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conversion of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, aimed at ground insertion, close support and

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roles.

Design and development

A single prototype was built in 1991 but the manufacturer never won any contracts for production. It was first designed by the American Aircraft Corporation (AAC) and was marketed by a separate company, American Aircraft International (AAI). The stated goal of the project was to convert existing

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-era UH-1 airframes to upgrade them with modern armor and weapons systems, particularly targeting third-world militaries with aging fleets. This conversion could be performed at a fraction of the cost, much faster than ordering new

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

. The Penetrator required a crew of four (pilot, forward weapons officer, and two rear-facing weapons operators) and could carry six to eight additional passengers.

Operational history

The prototype aircraft was overhauled by Robert Laura and flying as of 2004.

References

United States military helicopters 1990s United States helicopters {{aero-stub, date=July 2014