# Cobra Gunships **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900 "2007-10-16T14:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/1 "2007-10-16T14:11:55Z")
Can the gunner/weapon operator on an AH-1 Cobra operate the flight controls? If the pilot is killed, is the gunner screwed too or can he take the stick? Whether or not he knows how to fly the chopper is another matter. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/2 "2007-10-16T14:18:58Z")
AFAIK, he’s hosed. The gunner is in front, and I don’t think there are duplicate controls in his section. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/3 "2007-10-16T14:31:13Z")
I should have Wiki’ed first. The entry describes the two crew as “Pilot and CPG (co-pilot/gunner)” But the marine corps site simply says “Two officers.” I should do some more digging before I start posting questions. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/4 "2007-10-16T14:35:05Z")
Yes, the Bell AH-1 Cobra has a control stick and cyclic in the gunner’s cockpit. See [http://members.chello.nl/m.waterloo/ah1-panel.html](http://members.chello.nl/m.waterloo/ah1-panel.html) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/5 "2007-10-16T14:38:17Z")
Consider us both enlightened. I had thought the front cockpit was controls-free. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/6 "2007-10-17T03:31:51Z")
I hate to make such an incredible over-generalization, but I think that every non-single seat aircraft in existence is required to have full dual controls. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/7 "2007-10-17T03:52:48Z")
[QUOTE=Hail Ants] I hate to make such an incredible over-generalization, but I think that every non-single seat aircraft in existence is required to have full dual controls. [/QUOTE] Early Beechcraft Bonanzas had a [throw-over yoke](http://www.buddyhollyonline.com/BonanzaBeechcraft/N3851N-panel1.jpg) instead of dual yokes, as seen in this '47. [This one](http://www.wingshare.com/NEW%20PANEL.jpg) is from a '64. ---
**Author:** ![NBYodo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9a28c/32.png) [@NBYodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NBYodo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/8 "2007-10-17T11:34:29Z")
At the very least, a twin-seat A/C that doesn’t have two sets of controls is the F-14. afaik… NB ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cobra-gunships/422900/9 "2007-10-17T18:10:10Z")
As you can see in the picture that is linked above, the front seat has cute little mini controls on either side of the front seat. The cyclic is on the copilots right instead of between his legs as is usual in most helicopters. The collective is an odd little lever just to the left of the copilot. Much shorter than collectives usually are. Sometime back in the Dark Ages I flew several times in the front seat of a Cobra. Never got to fly it so I can’t tell you how different the feel of the controls are or how it effects the copilot.