Since its introduction in 1986, the AH-64 attack helicopter has been one of the most fearsome war machines on the planet. Nicknamed the “Apache” after the fierce Native American warriorsof the 19th century, it carries a range of antitank and antiaircraft missiles. In addition to these, it is __1__ with a 30 mm cannonthat can fire 10 roundsevery second. On the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Apache proved to be one of the United States military’s most valuable __2__.
However, like many fighting machines, the Apache was not designed with crew comfort in mind. The helicopter seats a two-person crew, with the pilot being __3__ behind the gunner. When the seats were designed, the biggest consideration was keeping the crew alive in the event of __4__ or a crash. Unfortunately, this meant making the seats very upright and rigid. The seats also feature protective wings around the shoulders and hips which __5__ movement. And to top it all off, there is very little padding. These design features have resulted in pilots and gunners suffering from a __6__ that they call “Apache back.” In short, sitting in an Apache’s seat for hours on end is extremely __7__.
Luckily for Apache crews, there is hope on the __8__. And surprisingly, it is not coming from the manufacturerof the aircraft but from NASCAR, America’s premier stock car racing organization. Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is a leader in the race car seat industry. The seats it produces are __9__ for having all of the latest safety features while still being comfortable for the driver. In fact, it produces many of the seats used by different NASCAR teams. When military __10__ learned of this, they hired HMS to design a new seat for the Apache. Although a prototype is still in the testing stage, there is optimism that HMS’s new seats will make the Apache less of a pain to fly.
