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SPECIAL FORCES HELICOPTER PILOTING Helicopter Specifications:  AH-64 Apache Longbow Pilot controls: 4 Canisters of 14 - 70mm Hydra Rockets Gunner controls: 30mm chain gun 7 - Lockheed Martin/Boeing AGM-114D Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missiles The AH-64 Apache Longbow is large, but much more maneuverable than the Mi-24 Hind. The Apache is powered by twin 1,696hp turboshaft engines. Despite 3,400hp on tap, the Cobra is not as powerful as the Hind. Flying the Apache feels like flying a Cobra that needs to go on a diet. However, It is surprisingly maneuverable! By manipulating the throttle a little bit you can get the Apache to do really amazing things.I would venture to say that I can do things in the Apache that I would not be able to do in the Cobra. Pros: Maneuverability and quickness (Compared to the Hind) Rockets are very effective against infantry Cons: Large Size Relatively underpowered chain gun  Mi-24 Hind Pilot controls: 4 Canisters of 14 - 57mm *Automatic Rockets Gunner controls: 30mm chain gun 7 - AT-6 ATGM's The Mi-24 Hind (famous for its *fake appearance in Rambo (In the movie it is actually a modified SA-330 Puma)) is powered by two 2,200hp engines. Translating to the game, this gives the Hind the ability to gain altitude very fast. . It beats the Apache by about 3 seconds on a cold engine climb to 100ft. One of the aspects of the Hind that will take a while to get used to is the way it flies through the air. It tends to continue forward motion through turns. For example, if you are heading straight and make a quick right-hand turn, you will "slide" as you turn. The helicopter continues its forward motion through the turn. Therefore, as you maneuver the Hind, the sides of buildings are trees should be of concern. Pros: Powerful engines allow this beast to achieve high speeds and high altitudes very quickly Powerful *Automatic Rockets (very effective against infantry) Powerful chain gun Cons: Enormous protruding wings make flying between objects difficult Tends to "slide" through the air (See above) Getting used to flying the helicopters in BF2 SF may take a while. They are larger helicopters than the Cobra and WZ-10, and are more comparable in size to the Mi-28 Havoc. Overall First Impressions: 1) The first thing I noticed while piloting the SF helicopters was the fact that the rockets (being mounted further out on the "wings" or sides of the aircraft) shoot wide. While the Super Cobra's rockets fire almost directly to the middle, the SF helicopters (especially the Hind) fire their rockets more left and right. This means that strafing runs on tanks and APC's will be much more difficult. The Apache's rockets are calibrated much more towards center than the Hind's. Tip: When engaging enemies you will have to realize which side fires next and adjust your aim accordingly. If you are strafing a tank, you will have to decide whether to hit him with your left or right side (unless engaging from the side). 2) The effectiveness of the rockets against infantry. No longer do you need to place a rockets directly on infantry because anything within about 5 feet will take care of them. Tip: Don't wait for your gunner anymore, engage infantry whenever possible. 3) The rockets fired by the pilot of the Mi-24 Hind are automatic instead of semi-automatic. In other words, you can hold down the fire button and release your whole payload. Note: You can probably fire just as fast by continuously clicking in the Apache. 4) The gunner's view when in "TV mode" is much lower than any other choppers. Note: Due to limited visibility in SF maps and their small size, the TV missile has lost some of its effectiveness in SF. Tip: This is the pilot/gunner relationship in the AH-64 Apache Longbow. Here you can see that the middle of the TV screen for the gunner is well below the "gunner view direction" display on the HUD.  Pilot/gunner relationship in the Mi-24 Hind 
5) The chain guns on both helicopters are as large as the cannon on the Mi-28, however they lack its devastating properties against infantry. Gunner's Note:
Anti-tank hit points  
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