Tiger
Eurocopter / Airbus Helicopters · France / Germany · first flew 1991 · helicopter
The Eurocopter Tiger is a slim Franco-German attack helicopter with a stepped tandem cockpit and stub weapons wings, built around a hingeless composite rotor.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tandem stepped cockpit with two separate canopies on a narrow fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tandem stepped cockpit with two separate canopies on a narrow fuselage
- Mast-mounted sight or chin-mounted electro-optical turret for targeting
- Stub wings carrying weapons pylons with engines set high beside the rotor mast
The narrow body, two stepped canopies and stub wings with pylons mark it as an attack helicopter, while the mast or nose sight and high-mounted engines distinguish it from the Apache.
Specifications
- The Tiger has a length of 14.08 m (46 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13 m (43 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 315 km/h (196 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Born as a Cold War Franco-German anti-tank project, the Tiger first flew in April 1991 and was redesigned after the Soviet collapse into a multirole attack helicopter, entering service in 2003.
Variants
Versions include the French HAP escort, the German UHT anti-tank, the upgraded Franco-Spanish HAD and the Australian ARH, with a Mk III mid-life upgrade in development.
Where you'll see it
It serves France, Germany, Spain and Australia and has seen combat in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali. It is not a UK type; the British Army instead operates the Apache in the attack role.
Related aircraft
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