Bell 309 KingCobra
Bell Textron · United States · first flew 1971 · fighter
The Bell 309 KingCobra was a private-venture advanced attack helicopter developed by Bell as a growth derivative of the AH-1 HueyCobra, competing for US Army advanced attack helicopter contracts in the early 1970s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 18.06 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Enlarged private-venture development of the AH-1 HueyCobra attack helicopter
- Slim tandem two-seat attack helicopter with stub wings
- Competed for US Army AAFSS and AAH programmes; lost to AH-64 Apache
Recognisable as an enlarged AH-1 Cobra with a wider fuselage, larger stub wings, and a more powerful engine — longer and more angular than the standard Cobra.
Specifications
- The Bell 309 KingCobra has a length of 18.06 m (59 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 4 m (13 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 315 km/h (196 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Bell developed the 309 at its own expense to compete in US Army attack helicopter competitions. Two variants were tested — one powered by a Lycoming T55 and one by a GE T64. Despite superior performance to the AH-1, it lost the AAH competition to the Hughes YAH-64 (AH-64 Apache) in 1976.
Variants
Two prototypes were built with different engines: the 309/1 with Lycoming T55, and the 309/2 with General Electric T64.
Where you'll see it
Never entered production or operational service; both prototypes were used for US Army evaluation trials.
Related aircraft
- Bell 214ST
- Bell YOH-4
- Bell 205
- Bell 400 TwinRanger
- Embraer EMB 326 Xavante
- IAI Nesher
- IAI Nesher T
- MiG-21bis
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.