AH-64 Apache Longbow User Manual

AH-64D Apache Longbow User Manual

Product:	AH-64 Apache Longbow v1.1.1 by The Omega Concern
Modeler, Scripter, etc:	April Heaney
Support Address:	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Product Revision Date:	2011-02-15
Manual Revision Date:	2011-02-15

Crymson Serenity and three other friends with Apaches were having a little playtime, and have made a great video of it. Thanks, Crymson!

Legal disclaimer: The Omega Concern is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by Hughes Helicopters, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, General Electric, Alliant Techsystems, Lockheed Martin or any other company involved in the production of the AH-64 series of helicopters. All trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. We're just crazy fans of one of the most impressive aircraft in the air today, and this is our little homage to the whirlybird that makes us say, "Woot! \o/"

Thank you and congratulations on your purchase of The Omega Concern’s AH-64 Apache Longbow. Please read this manual before crashing your new attack helicopter.

The Omega Concern is dedicated to producing quality work at affordable prices, and we support everything we sell. April Heaney is the creator and your Technical Contact for this product, and can assist you with any problems with your product. All of our products are designed with the balance of impact on sim performance and ease of use in mind. If you find one of our products to be causing lag, behaving in unexpected ways, or otherwise being a pest, we need to know so we can correct it. Also if you find the user interface to be confusing or otherwise difficult to use, please let us know.

There is a technical support passphrase somewhere in this manual, which you must use when first contacting your Technical Contact about this product. We do this because other people (not you!) don't bother reading the manual which contains the answers to their questions, thus taking our time and attention away from thoughtful questions not answered in the manual, such as yours. As always, emailing the support address above is preferable to IMs and notecards, both of which often get lost in the shuffle when IMs get capped or April is offline for a couple of days.

You are eligible for all upgrades on this version, right up until version 2.0. Also, your feedback is valued! If there's something you love, hate, or just think would be better if it were just a little different, we want to know. Your input directly influences the course of development and future features of Omega products. Your support passphrase is "When I'm 64."

Special OCS-only features
Information of importance to those using the Omega Combat System (OCS) is marked in this manual with an OCS logo, such as this one:

Unpacking and Setup
1. Package Contents
  The Apache comes as a boxed item. You will need to rez this box, and select "Open" and copy the contents of it into your own inventory.
  You will now have a new folder in your inventory named "AH-64D Apache Longbow 1.1.1 (Boxed)" (or similar) which will look something like the following:
2. Rezzing the Apache
  
  To rez the Apache, simply drag it from the folder in your inventory to an appropriate and open space from which to take off. Keep in mind that the aircraft is built to a real-world scale and has a main rotor span and length of over 14 meters. You will be prompted to allow two attachments to attach to your avatar. Click "Yes" to these permission dialogs. These are parts of the aircraft to get around the fact that physical vehicles in the Second Life^® world are currently limited to 32 primitive objects, and the Apache in total has approximately seven times that. These parts will attach to your avatar when you start the Apache and detach when you stop or get out of it. This "handoff" process is designed to be as seamless as possible, though in practice under some conditions such as high simulator lag this may not be quite as seamless as one would like.
  
  The attachments for the body and chain gun will automagically detach when the helicopter is stopped or if you happen to stand up. However, due to limitations within Second Life, they will simply land in your inventory. Feel free to delete them after they are detached. It will in no way affect the operation of your Apache.
3. The M142 IHADSS Helmet
  
  The IHADSS (Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System) helmet is included with your Apache. It provides one point of OCS armor protection. The visor can be raised or lowered by clicking on the helmet.
Pilot and Co-Pilot/Gunner Roles
1. Pilot
  
  The pilot's job is obviously to fly the aircraft and maintain watch over the aircraft's systems, communicating with the CPG to set up the aircraft for the effective use of the weapon systems. The pilot should, as well as being able to fly the aircraft, know the procedures for retaining control or bringing the aircraft down in a survivable manner in the event of complete turbine or tail rotor failure.
2. CPG (Co-Pilot/Gunner)
  
  The CPG's role is primarily to operate the weapon systems and inform the pilot of needed directional and position changes to set up and operate the craft's weapons to their most potent. The CPG should be aware of the capabilities and limitations of the weapon systems and under what situations they and their various modes should be employed.
3. Crew Operations in OCS Mode
  
  In the event of the death of the pilot, the flight controls will be handed off to the gunner, who will lose control over the weapons systems. A CPG in such a situation is advised to leave the current area of operation for a safer one.
  
  As of version 1.1, the pilot may take control of both flight and weapon functions in OCS mode, regardless of the presence of a co-pilot/gunner.

Flight

Basic Concepts of Rotary Wing Aircraft (i.e. Helicopters)

Flight of a helicopter is governed by the pitch or angle of its rotor blades, which are literally the helicopter's wings. This is why they are referred to as rotary wing aircraft, as opposed to airplanes, which are referred to as fixed-wing aircraft. For climbing and descending, the pitch of all the blades is changed simultaneously and to the same degree. Increasing the pitch results in higher lift and the aircraft ascends vertically, and decreasing reduces lift and the aircraft descends vertically. This control over the pitch of all the blades is called the collective pitch, which the pilot has control over with the collective control stick.

To move laterally forward, back, left or right, the pitch of the blades is changed, but only at certain points as the blades move along their cycle. This is called the cyclic pitch and is controlled by the pilot by means of the cyclic control stick.

Let's imagine a helicopter flight. With the rotors up to speed and our aircraft sitting on the ground, the blades are in flat pitch and we are ready to start.

We increase the collective pitch, giving the aircraft lift along its vertical axis, and it rises off from the ground, and we find a comfortable altitude and hover.

Deciding to fly forward, we push the cyclic forward and each blade increases in pitch over the tail of the aircraft, which causes the nose of the helicopter to tip downward as it pitches forward. The result is that the aircraft's lift is still primarily along its local vertical axis, meaning a portion of the lift vector is in a forward direction. As this force is greater than the air resistance against it (for now) the aircraft travels in that direction. Also, as a portion of the lift is now not directly vertically against the pull of gravity, the helicopter will begin to gradually lose altitude as it moves forward. This can be compensated for with additional collective.

Helicopters are by definition unstable aircraft, and flying one (even reasonably-well simulated ones) is a constant balancing act. However, it's this inherent instability that allows a helicopter to be so highly maneuverable and versatile.

Getting in and out

Getting into the Apache may seem to be a tricky thing due to the presence of the canopy and pylon attachment, which one may be tempted to try to sit upon. The simplest way to get in is to right-click on the main rotor or the radome on top of the aircraft and select "Fly." This applies to the CPG as well, who must get into the helicopter after the pilot has.

Getting back out of the aircraft may be accomplished by simply hitting the "Stand up" button, but this is not advised because one has a tendency to get stuck between the body of the aircraft and the rotor. Much preferable is to use the "EGRS" button on the HUD, which is explained further below.
Attaching the HUD/MFD

When you get into the Apache, if you do not already have it attached, it will give you an object which is the HUD/MFD (Head-up Display/Multi-Function Display). Locate this object in your inventory and select "Wear." It will attach to the "Bottom" screen attachment point, and if you are in the aircraft, it will come into view in the lower-left area of your screen. When you get back out of the Apache, it will hide itself from view. To detach, simply do so from your inventory.
Instruments

The HUD/MFD presents a whole lot of information in a very small space. For those without real-world flight experience, taking some time to familiarize one's self with the basic flight instruments is a worthy investment. For the flying cowboys and cowgirls with real flight time in their logbooks or the hardcore simulator buff, familiarizing yourself with the particular way other system information is presented here is also a worthwhile pursuit.

The example pictures here are of the HUD/MFD in day mode. In night mode, it will look exactly the same, but will be lit in red.
1. Airspeed
  The airspeed is indicated in knots, and not kilometers per hour, miles per hour or even the ubiquitous meters per second.
  
  Conversion Chart for Knots
  
  Knots km/h MPH m/s
  
  1 1.9 1.2 0.5
  
  3 5.6 3.5 1.5
  
  6 11.1 6.9 3.1
  
  9 16.7 10.4 4.6
  
  12 22.2 13.8 6.1
  
  15 27.8 17.3 7.7
  
  18 33.3 20.7 9.2
  
  21 38.9 24.2 10.7
2. Hover Envelope Indicator
  
  The Apache can engage and hold a hover automatically if its speed is less than 6 knots. This indicator will show green when within this limit, or red when the aircraft's speed (horizontal or vertical) is too high for the auto-hover mode to be engaged.
3. Attitude Indicator
  
  This is a graphical representation of the aircraft's pitch and roll relative to horizontal.
4. Altitude
  
  Altitude is displayed in feet above ground level (AGL) with the longer hand indicating tens of feet and the smaller hand indicating hundreds of feet.
  
  When in OCS mode, the aircraft is limited to an operational ceiling of 100 meters AGL.
5. Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)
  
  The GPWS is a two-stage warning system to alert the pilot of an impending ground impact when the aircraft is above 6 knots. If the Apache's current flight path will result in a ground impact within 10 seconds, this will show yellow and sound an alert. If an impact will happen within 5 seconds, this will show red and sound a distinctive, and much louder alert.
6. Vertical Speed
  This indicates vertical speed in hundreds of feet per minute.
7. Missile Warning Indicator
  
  Should an infra-red seeking missile be launched in the region, this indicator will light up red and sound an alert. While this is not an indication that your aircraft has been locked on, countermeasures should be deployed by an aircrew which may be exposed to missile fire.
The AVI page

The AVI (Avionics) page displays information for and allows operation of functions related to flying the aircraft including turbine control and status, auto-hover, and landing spotlight. It also gives control over the pilot's camera view, the dust effects, and whether to eject an unwanted co-pilot.
1. Turbine displays
  
  Information about the #1 (Port) and #2 (Starboard) turbines is displayed as a colored bar and digital readout. The readout indicates the percentage of engine power that is available to the rotor. These will generally be constant, except in the case of damage or failure. Lowered output and rarely, failure can happen anytime. The odds of both turbines failing while the aircraft is not taking fire is very low, but pilots are advised to practice autorotations to increase survivability for the crew regardless.
2. Rotor display
  
  This indicates the inertia present in the rotor system. This, not the turbine power available, is an indicator of how much lift the aircraft has available at any given time. A fully-loaded Apache in a hover is in fact very close to its torque limits, whereas one in motion has more lift available to use to climb. Also, in descents, the rotor will gain inertia, which is important during autorotation. A helicopter at altitude and moving forward has much more potential energy available than does one which is low to the ground and in a hover, and therefore will generally have more options in terms of potential emergency landing sites.
3. TURB
  
  This switch will start and stop both turbines. The included gesture "AH-64 Turbine [F10]" will do the same. The gesture is provided as a fast means of killing the turbines and thus the torque in the system, which is the only way to maintain control and autorotate the helicopter to the ground if the tail rotor fails.
4. HOVR
  
  This switch engages and disengages the auto-hover mode. While in auto-hover the aircraft can freely yaw, but pitch and roll will be limited as will vertical movement. Aggressive control inputs or strong winds while in hover may cause the aircraft to disengage auto-hover mode, which will sound an alarm to alert the pilot.
5. SPOT
  
  Turns on and off the spotlight/landing light.
6. CAM
  
  Allows the pilot to move through the external camera views.
7. DUST
  
  Toggles the ground dust effects on or off.
8. EGRS
  
  This is the Egress switch. After the aircraft has stopped, this will light up green, indicating it's safe to get out of the vehicle. Press it, and you will be moved to outside of the cockpit.
9. EJCT
  
  For the pilot who has gained an unwanted co-pilot, this switch will remove them from the craft. The CPG seat cannot be sat in while the aircraft is in flight, but should someone decide to get into it while the Apache is on the ground, this function allows the pilot to remove them.
10. WEAP
  
  Switches the MFD to the Weapon page.

Flight Controls

The flight controls should be familiar, but do change function slightly if the pilot is in or out of mouselook.

Key	Function
W or Up Arrow	Cyclic forward
S or Down Arrow	Cyclic backward
A or Left Arrow	Cyclic left
D or Right Arrow	Cyclic right
Shift + A or Shift + Left Arrow	Rudder left (Only out of mouselook)
Shift + D or Shift + Right Arrow	Rudder right (Only out of mouselook)
E or Page Up	Increase collective
C or Page Down	Decrease collective

Starting the Turbines

Press the TURB switch, or use the F11 gesture. You will hear the turbines start, and the rotors will spin up to speed. Coming up to full power takes approximately 20 seconds. The aircraft may lift or skid at this time, so apply some down force (C key or Page Down) to prevent this. While you can get off the ground if you need to in a shorter period of time, the aircraft will not have full torque available.
Lift off

Once the rotor speed is above 90%, press and briefly hold the E or Page Up key to increase the collective and lift the craft from the ground.
Flying

Flying the Apache is a task that requires vigilance and a light touch. Tapping is generally all that's required to direct the aircraft, with occasional brief holds to bring about more significant attitudes. Pressing and holding for more than a very short time can and will result in rolling the helicopter over completely, which is typically the end of the flight.
1. Wind and Turbulence
  
  The helicopter is affected by simulator wind and simulates turbulence based on the speed of the relative wind and the proximity of the helicopter to the ground. The closer to the ground one is, the more pronounced turbulence effects will be.
2. Ground Effect
  
  When close to the ground, generally within half of the rotor diameter, air forced downwards produces an area of high pressure below the rotor disc and reduces the downwards velocity of the air above the rotor disc, resulting in higher lift when the aircraft is near the ground.
3. Adjusting Handling
  
  You can adjust the responsiveness of the Apache by clicking the rotor or radome of the helicopter itself, which will present you with a menu allowing you to select low, normal or high control sensitivity.
Landing

To land the Apache without causing damage to the aircraft and/or the crew requires a horizontal speed under 6 knots and vertical speed under 500 feet per minute. Landing on flat areas is much easier than landing on hills, though the latter can be done by a skilled pilot familiar with the aircraft.
Taking Damage

The Apache is a fully OCS damage-enabled vehicle, offering a degree of armor protection to the crew, and able to sustain damage which will degrade the performance of the aircraft until it can no longer stay in the air. Both turbines can fail, as can the tail rotor due to weapon fire or in some cases impact with terrain or other solid objects. Complete loss of the aircraft's hit points (HP) will generally result in complete loss of control, explosion, and/or fire. These events tend to be fatal for the aircrew.
Turbine Damage and Failures

Each turbine may sustain damage from weapons or simply as a result of mechanical degradation and failure. Degraded performance will be indicated by a turbine that, when at full power, is showing less than 100% available torque. This is normal and is generally nothing to be alarmed about.

A turbine failure will be accompanied by the status indicator showing red on the MFD, torque dropping to zero, and an alarm in the cockpit. The Apache can be flown on a single turbine, though performance will be considerably reduced.

In the event both turbines fail, the pilot will need to perform an autorotation to safely bring the aircraft down without injury to the crew.
Tail Rotor Failures

The tail rotor can fail from weapon fire, or impact with land or objects. As the tail rotor's function is to counteract the torque produced by the turbines and main rotor, loss of it will result in loss of control of the aircraft due to spin, which will also result in loss of lift. The correct procedure for dealing with a tail rotor failure is to shut the turbines off, allowing the main rotor to freewheel, and perform an autorotation, as without power being delivered to the main rotor, no significant torque is present in the system and the pilot can maintain control of the helicopter.

Autorotation

Autorotation is a condition where the main rotor is allowed to spin faster than the engine driving it. All helicopters are fitted with a free wheeling unit between the engine and the main rotor. If the turbines fail the main rotor will still have a considerable amount of inertia and will still turn - for a limited time. The pilot will be able to control the descent speed and main rotor RPM with the collective control stick. The main rotor RPM can be increased and maintained by reducing the collective pitch, i.e. descending. Forward movement will also help maintain the rotor RPM.

As we are dealing with an attack helicopter, odds are very high that you will spend most of your time flying or hovering at very low altitudes. Therefore, chances are you will be performing hovering autorotations most frequently, so the first four points below may not apply to your situation at the time.

The basic autorotation procedure is as follows:

1. Entry - Reduce collective, causing the helicopter to descend and maintain rotor RPM. Do not let the nose drop during the entry. Whatever attitude the helicopter is in, enter the autorotation in that attitude. After the autorotation is established make any attitude adjustments required for proper airspeed.

2. Glide - Keeping an eye on the rotor RPM, establish a descending glide.

3. Landing Area - In practical terms, this should be done before an autorotation is even necessary, as a good pilot is always considering contingency plans in the event of problems. A preferred landing site is flat, level and with no obstructions such as buildings. Obviously, such a site isn't always available, but is highly preferred.

4. Flare - As the landing site is approached, initiate the flare by using aft cyclic. (Pitching the nose up) The purpose of the flare is to reduce vertical and horizontal speed and set up for a soft landing.

5. Landing - The touchdown is typically accomplished by putting the aircraft into a level attitude and raising collective to bleed off vertical speed just above the ground. This is the entire autorotation procedure for a hovering autorotation, also. It is important to not attain a hover above the surface, as you will find yourself simply hovering and bleeding off rotor RPM, which does you no good at all.

Weapons
1. The WEAP page
  
  The WEAP (Weapons) page is where the Apache's weapons systems are controlled, and where information relevant to their operation is displayed to the gunner. The colour symbology for the status of the weapons is as such:
  
  Grey
  Operational, but not armed.
  
  Green
  Operational and armed.
  
  Orange
  For AGM-114L Hellfires: Missile at this rail position is queued for launch.
  
  Yellow
  Armament is depleted.
  
  For all weapon modes, the CP/G must select themselves as the weapon operator by clicking the "GNNR" button on the MFD, if the display is not already showing green. This will give the CP/G control over the Apache's systems. In the event of pilot death in flight, the CP/G will lose weapon control and be automatically given the flight controls. While in flight, all weapons will re-arm after five minutes without firing.
  1. SAFE
    
    Safe mode indicates that all weapon systems are disarmed, and the system is not tracking nor targeting.
  2. Chain Gun
    
    The M230 30mm chain gun is mounted below the nose, and when armed will track the gunner's mouselook, aiming the weapon in the direction in which he or she is looking. The mount allows the gun to swivel 90 degrees to the left or right, and a maximum elevation of 15 degrees, and maximum depression of 45 degrees. The gun carries 1200 rounds of HEDP (High-explosive, dual purpose) ammunition, best used against light fortifications, unarmored vehicles and ground personnel. It is possible to use it against other aircraft, but the limited positive elevation the mount is capable of limits the weapon in this role.
    
    The chain gun is normally fired in two second bursts, with at minimum a two second pause between bursts.
    
    The ammunition in the M230 in addition to having impact and blast forces in OCS, is set to 100% Linden Damage for damage-enabled areas.
  3. AGM-114L HELLFIRE
    
    The Hellfire missile system is the primary tool of the Longbow platform for engaging and destroying enemy armor units. The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire and forget weapon equipped with a millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker. It requires no further guidance after launch and is capable of hitting targets without the aircraft being in line of sight of the target.
    1. LOBL (Lock-On Before Launch)
      
      LOBL mode is a two-step firing process, involving designating a target and launch of the missile. After launch, the crew does not need to continue designation of the target, as the missile will lock and home without external guidance.
      1. Arm the Hellfire system by clicking the "HELF" button on the MFD.
        
        LOBL mode is the default, but if the Hellfires were in another mode, you will need to click the "LOBL" button to select this mode.
        
        Enter mouselook. Find a target, and left-click. You will hear a tone, indicating that the system is attempting to lock. If successful, you will hear another tone, and receive a message indicating that the system has locked onto a target, the name of that target, and the distance.
        
        If you have inadvertently locked onto the wrong target, exit mouselook and click the "DROP" button, which will drop the target, then repeat step 3.
        
        If your target designation is satisfactory, a second left-click will launch the Hellfire from the rails and it will choose an appropriate flight profile based on target range and elevation.
      2. MULT FIRE
        
        MULT FIRE mode is a LOBL mode where the gunner can select multiple targets, adding them to a queue, for up to 8 targets, or as many Hellfires are still on the rails.
        
        Arm the Hellfire system by clicking the "HELF" button on the MFD.
        
        Click the "LOBL" button. If LOBL is already the selected mode, the "MULT FIRE" button will light green, indicating the system is ready to add targets to the queue.
        
        Enter mouselook. Find a target, and left-click. You will hear a tone, indicating that the system is attempting to lock. If successful, you will hear another tone, and receive a message indicating that the system has locked onto a target, the name of that target, and the distance. The Hellfire symbology on the MFD will show the missiles with targeting information in orange.
        
        If you have inadvertently locked onto the wrong target(s), exit mouselook and click the "DROP" button, which will drop all targets, then repeat step 3.
        
        If your target designation is satisfactory, exit mouselook and click the "MULT FIRE" button. Each Hellfire will launch off the rails in sequence and engage its selected target.
    2. LOAL
      
      LOAL Mode is an advanced mode of operation, and one that is not appropriate to use in a "furball" theater environment, that is to say one in which friendly and enemy forces are mixed in a combat area. LOAL has three modes or flight profiles, the use of which is determined by target range and terrain between the aircraft and the intended target. Hellfires in LOAL mode will automatically lock onto vehicular ground targets which are part of the OCS system.
    3. LOAL-DIR
      
      DIR or Direct mode is for targets that are within relatively short range, without terrain masking the target's position.
    4. LOAL-LO
      
      LO or Low mode is meant for intermediate range targets, and can fly high enough to engage many targets which are masked by terrain from the aircraft's line of sight. The obvious advantage to this mode being that the Longbow crew can engage and destroy targets while remaining out of the line of enemy fire. This mode is not useful at short ranges, as the missile is likely to overshoot the intended target.
    5. LOAL-HI
      
      HI or High mode is for long-range targets, and will fly over most any terrain between the aircraft and the target. The caveat for this mode is that targets which are too close will not get detected by the seeker because they will be too far below or possibly even behind the Hellfire when it enters the seeking stage of flight, resulting in an overshoot.
      
      Hellfires which overshoot or lose their lock early in the acquisition phase are considered uncontrolled munitions and such situations should be avoided.
  4. APKWS Rockets
    
    The APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) rockets are area-effect salvo rockets, which can be used in an unguided mode, much like the Hydra rockets they replace, or in a laser-guided mode, with targets being precisely designated by forces on the ground.
    
    In either mode, the CP/G can, to a degree, steer the missiles at launch, allowing them to be directed away from the aircraft's forward axis, for instance to the left or right, or higher or lower to adjust impact range. To do so, the CP/G aims in mouselook away from the forward axis, in the direction he or she wishes the rockets to go. Keep in mind that typically, if your target is at the 1 o'clock position, you should be aiming at about the 2 o'clock position.
  5. GNNR
    
    For all weapon modes, the CP/G must select themselves as the weapon operator by clicking this button if the display is not already showing green.
  6. CAM
    
    Allows the CP/G to change their camera view while out of mouselook.
  7. DROP
    
    This is the target drop button, as used for the Hellfire system as described in section 4.3.
Defense and Risk Mitigation
1. "Nap of the Earth"
  
  The AH-64 was designed to fly and hover extremely low, using terrain to mask its position from potential threats, exposing itself only when necessary to engage targets. Normally, this is the primary means of defense for Apache crews. Flying higher exposes the aircraft to direct fire from the ground, as well as allowing heat-seeking missiles to more easily lock on, which are much more likely to not be able to lock on or to lose lock when the aircraft is very close to terrain.
2. Flares
  
  In the event that your attempts to not attract heat seeking missiles fails, the Apache has flares which are a last-ditch effort to elude the missile which is approaching. Using the included gesture, either the pilot or CP/G can press F12 and release flares. It is advisable to maneuver the aircraft to place it further from the missile than the flares, or most preferably, releasing the flares so that they are between the aircraft and the oncoming missile.
3. Impact with Land and Objects
  
  High speed collisions with objects or land can damage the aircraft, including the possible loss of turbine power or tail rotor separation. As these kinds of collisions are typically at low altitude, autorotating to a safe landing is unlikely, and will often result in the loss of the aircraft and its crew.
4. Here comes the ground - Steps to take in the event of an unexpected end of flight
  
  If you are a member of an aircrew riding a crippled Apache into the ground, there are a few things to keep in mind. Except in cases of severe impacts with the ground, the crew has an excellent chance of surviving the crash and escaping the aircraft.
  1. Fire burns. OCS fire will take hit points off continuously while you are in close proximity. Be ready to exit the aircraft as soon as it stops moving.
  2. Sleds are for kids. Aim for a flat area if at all possible. An Apache tumbling or skidding down a slope can take more damage, possibly resulting in a fire or explosion.
  3. Like fish need helicopters. Water landings are not recommended due to the potential of drowning. You're really better off to crash land into trees.
Troubleshooting
1. The Apache isn't prone to any unusual quirks, as far as we have been able to tell in testing. There are some things to keep in mind, however. First, to rez the body, the plot you are in needs to have a bit over 200 prims free for the total of the three objects which make up the helicopter, the airframe, chain gun and body attachment.
2. If things aren't rezzing for you, check your group tag and make sure it is harmonous with the area you are in. Remember that attachments don't inherit a new group tag if you change yours after things are attached. This trips up a LOT of people.
3. If you seem to be doing no damage in OCS, check that OCS mode is actually on and that you are wearing an OCS HUD. The orange light in the lower right hand corner of the HUD/MFD is there to tell you that OCS is engaged and working.
4. In your client, you may wish to go to Preferences > Input and Camera and set your Camera Transition Time to 0.1. This makes it return to its "home" position faster when coming out of mouselook.
5. If you're totally stumped, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with as detailed description of your problem and the steps to reproduce it, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
6. Do note that you may have other gestures using the same F-keys as the ones included in this package. To locate and correct these conflicts, press control - G in your viewer and click on the"Key" column header to sort by key assignment. The F-keys are merely my suggested key bindings, feel free to reassign them to whatever works for you.
It's The End of the Manual as I Wrote It. (And I Feel Fine)
1. That's all I have to write about the Apache for the time being, as always, our manuals are "living documents" which may be changed or updated at any time. That's why they're on this web server.
2. A big thank you to Ropemasterdom Skellerjup, who can usually break anything I make, and the players in Fulda Gap for being good sports. You guys said you wanted to help beta test. Being a target is very helpful. Also thanks to everyone who showed so much interest and enthusiasm in the project, and laid on so much praise it gets hard to be humble. I do this all for you.
  
  And a special thank you to everyone who sent me their best wishes while I was struggling with real-life drama. You gave me the will to keep fighting, and I love you all. :)
  ~AH

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AH-64 Apache Longbow User Manual