There&#39;s No Escaping These Pack-Hunting Soviet Assault
ChoppersS  Sure the MI-24 Hind packs a wallop, but it's big,
heavy, and cumbersome to fly. So, to penetrate enemy territory,
Russia designed and built the agile and deadly Black Shark
assault chopper. All it's missing is a frickin' laser.  The
Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" grew out of the Soviet V-80Sh-1
project in the late 1980s as a single-seat attack helicopter.
The unique design—attack choppers usually have a two-man crew, a
pilot and a gunner—is the work of the the Kamov design bureau,
which has produced dozens of rotorcraft designs since the 1920s.
By 1990, the helicopter began production in 1990 and, by 1995,
had entered service in the Russian Army which utilizes it as a
heavily-armed scout helicopter.  Lacking the bulk and weight of
the larger HINDs heavy armor, the Ka-50 relies primarily on its
small stature, agility, and speed to survive enemy encounters.
Measuring 52 feet long and 16 feet tall, the Black Shark weighs
just 21,000 pounds when full