 The Lockheed AH @-@ 56 Cheyenne was an attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army . It rose from the Army 's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System ( AAFSS ) program to field the service 's first dedicated attack helicopter . Lockheed designed the Cheyenne using a four @-@ blade rigid @-@ rotor system and configured the aircraft as a compound helicopter with low @-@ mounted wings and a tail @-@ mounted thrusting propeller driven by a General Electric T64 turboshaft engine . The Cheyenne was to have a high @-@ speed dash capability to provide armed escort for the Army 's transport helicopters , such as the Bell UH @-@ 1 Iroquois . 
