3400 HP Apache Block III Improved Drive System

The 3400 horsepower upgrade to the Apache Block III Improved Drive System (AB3 IDS) will have a 20% increase in power over the current Apache Longbow Drive System and offers a 26% increase in power density over the legacy drive system. The Improved Drive System (IDS) upgrade includes the right and left hand engine nose gearboxes, input shafts, main transmission, main rotor drive shaft and drive plate. The AB3 drive system components aft of the main transmission will be the same as the current legacy components except the shaft lengths for the APU and main transmission to forward hanger bearing shaft will be shorter. The Improved Drive System uses newly developed technologies and innovative design approaches, along with lessons learned on the current Apache drive system, to gain improvements in performance, reliability and maintainability. These new technologies allow the design to be a more robust system capable of transmitting increased horsepower, including growth capabilities, with little impact to system weight and packaging within the existing available drive system envelopes.