More critical areas of the Apache - the rotor, engines, and cockpit area - are designed to be able to withstand hits from 23mm rounds. In addition to the armoured fuselage, aircraft systems are protected by Kevlar, the light-weight material providing additional protection while keeping the weight down. The twin engines are mounted in pods along either side of the airframe. This separation reduces the chances of a single hit damaging both engines. The cheek-fairings on either side of the forward fuselage reduce cockpit exposure to ground-fire, while providing additional space for avionics equipment.

The crew compartment is covered by a cockpit canopy made up of 7 flat transparent panels. The curved canopies of previous attack helicopters have the disadvantage of glinting problems as the curved surfaces will reflect light in a number of different angles regardless of the attitude of the aircraft. Flat panels do not have this problem. However, the side panels of the canopy are slightly rounded in order to reduce aircraft-induced vibration to the transparencies.

Unlike other types of aircraft, wings can have a debilitating effect aerodynamically on helicopters. This effect can be best seen during autorotation. This procedure requires the rotor to spin freely during an emergency unpowered descent, gathering as much potential energy as it can. This energy will then be utilised by the pilot to generate lift, providing control authority for a controlled landing.. By generating their own lift, the stub wings consume some of the potential lift that would normally be available to the rotor.

The tailwheel is located at the end of the tailboom on an A bracket and is dampened through an exposed strut. It too is designed with the same impact tolerances of the main gear. The fully castoring, self-centering tailwheel reacts to the movements of the taxying Apache, which can be steered on the ground through differential braking or via limited input from the tail rotor.

The rotor mast is attached to the airframe at eight separate points, with the drive-shaft running through it. As a result, flight loads are imposed on the mast as opposed to the drive-shaft, or the transmission. By not relying on these critical components to absorb flight stresses, the Apache's agility is greatly enhanced as is the reliability of the powerplant.

The four-bladed rotor head is fully articulated as opposed to the more traditional teeter-totter arrangement of previous helicopters. As a result, each blade can lead or lag individually, reacting to its own individual conditions. This greatly increases aircraft agility. The individual blades are able to move due to flexible elastomeric bearings wear the blade meets the rotor hub. These appear as large blocks at the rot of each blade.

The leading edge of the rotor is made up of titanium while the trailing edge is covered in a graphite composite material. Internally each blade consists of a glass-fiber honeycomb supported by five tubular spars of stainless steel which divide the blade into sections. Damage to the rotor blade should be confined to the particular section that was hit. For storage or transport, the blades can be easily folded or removed.

Most helicopters require a secondary rotor to counteract the torque of the main rotor. Without such a feature, the helicopter will simply rotate around its axis. The majority of helicopters employ a smaller rotor mounted vertically at the end of a tailboom. The tail rotor of the AH-64 consists of twin two-blade rotors mounted vertically side-by-side to the same hub. The dual rotors cross each other at an angle of 55 degrees which results in a reduction in noise from the tail rotor. Power to the tail rotor is delivered by Bendix-manufactured driveshafts which are capable of one hour of operation following ballistic damage. The gearboxes of this driveshaft are grease lubricated. Mounted at the end of the tailboom is a large horizontal stabiliser. The wing-like surface is capable of 30 degrees of travel and provides stability during hovering maneuvers.

Ease of maintenance was a fundamental concept of the Apache program, and this concept was applied to the maintenance of the powerplant as well. Both engine covers are hinged at the bottom, opening downwards. When the powerplant is being serviced, these open cowlings act as catwalks for the maintenance personnel. The upper panels of the fuselage between the two engine pods also open up to serve as another work platform.

Known as the "Black Hole" IR Suppression System, the principle revolves around directing the engine exhaust through special ducts which combine the efflux with the airstream passing over the aircraft. The airstream thus dissipates the hot exhaust that emerges from the vents evenly, rather than allowing hot spots to appear. Prior to exit, the temperature is further reduced through a unique process developed by Hughes aircraft. Before emerging from the aircraft, the exhaust must pass through a special liner made of a material known as Low Q. This material absorbs the heat from the efflux passing through it, radiating it slowly through the outlets.

The engine exhaust ports are angled outward from the airframe to better direct the output into the airstream. Secondary vents along the upper surface of the outlets help to dissipate the heat by diverting part of the emissions into the flow along the top of the airframe. To further reduce the IR signature of the aircraft, exhaust output is used to draw in fresh air in order to cool both the engines and transmission, the latter's cooling being assisted through oil heat exchangers.

The Back-Up Control System (BUCS) is a single-channel fly-by-wire system. To to engage the back-up system, the pilot must apply enough force to the cyclic control in order to break the shear pins of the Shear-Pin Actuated Decoupler System (SPADS). Once broken, the back-up system is then activated.

The Apache has a range of some 1 024 miles, allowing it to self-deploy across the Atlantic by way of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. Generally, AH-64s are deployed via air-transport aircraft. Prior to being loaded aboard the aircraft, the wings are removed as are the rotors. Two Apaches can be transported aboard a C-141 Starlifter, three aboard a C-17 Globemaster, and six aboard a C-5 Galaxy._