How Much Weight Can An Apache Helicopter Lift?

The origins of military helicopters go back to the 1940s when the U.S. Army appointed aviator Igor Sikorsky to build a more advanced version of the VS-300, his first model. This new aircraft, known as the VS-316 and later called the XR-4, first flew in 1942. By 1943, various military branches placed orders for the R-4, as it was now called, making it the first mass-produced helicopter. The R-4 paved the way for the large-scale adoption of these aircrafts in the armed forces, including the AH-64 Apache, the most advanced American military helicopter. Serving as an attack platform, reconnaissance, and air support for ground troops, the Apache can carry a substantial payload of up to 4,400 lbs.

The precursor to the AH-64 Apache, the YAH-64, won a 1970s competition from the U.S. Army Advanced Attack Helicopter program, which aimed at replacing the iconic AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Built by Hughes Helicopters, the engineering and design of the prototype aircraft were based on the learnings derived from the Vietnam War. It competed with the Bell YAH-63, but in the end, the design elements of the YAH-64, including its four-blade rotor system and landing gear design, eventually won.

Today, the Apache is a large aircraft, measuring over 58 feet long and 16.40 feet high. Its rotor has a diameter of 47.9 feet and weighs 10.4 tons. As the primary attack helicopter of the U.S. Army, the Apache is armed with some of the most destructive conventional weaponry, including a 30 mm chain gun, 2.75-inch rockets, and a maximum of 16 HELLFIRE missiles. To carry the weight of the aircraft and its sizable armaments, the helicopter is equipped with two T700-701D engines from General Electric, with the modern version producing 2,000 shaft horsepower each. 

Because of its role as a combat helicopter, the AH-64 Apache's lifting capacity pales in comparison to the massive Mil Mi-26, the largest and most powerful helicopter. It, however, excels in several other capacities and ranks as the most feared helicopter in the world because of its combat capabilities and deadly arsenal. This fighting prowess was seen during the 1991 Gulf War, where the Apache destroyed 278 Iraqi tanks in addition to numerous other enemy vehicles, which combined to over 500 kills, making it the most successful combat helicopter to date.

The reason for its combat effectiveness lies with the Apache's ability to engage multiple targets. Its sophisticated Longbow radar and targeting systems enable it to track and designate as many as 16 targets at once and monitor up to 256 targets. Crewed by a pilot and a co-pilot gunner in a tandem seating arrangement, Apache pilots use an Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System (IHADSS), which uses infrared sensors in the cockpit to follow the pilot's line of sight, allowing the aircraft's 30 mm cannon to be aimed using just head movement. 

Now manufactured by Boeing, over 2,700 AH-64 Apaches have been built, and alongside the United States, they currently operate in the armed forces of 14 countries. Since its first delivery to the U.S. Army in 1984, there have been five iterations of the Apache. The latest model of the Apache is the AH-64E Guardian, which supersedes the AH-64D Longbow, and is equipped with more powerful engines, a better transmission, and greater connectivity with drone control. Production of the current version is projected to carry on until 2028, with ongoing deliveries to the United Kingdom and Morocco as of 2025.