XtraArm takes flight with the LAPD
Oct 9th 2026
Most of what we build at XtraArm ends up clamped to a treestand, a box blind window, or the rack of a side-by-side. Earlier this year we got a call that was a little different. The Los Angeles Police Department approached us with a unique challenge: they needed a more stable shooting-rest system for use from one of their helicopters.
Their airships carry an exterior bench on the skid, and an officer riding that bench has to hold a rifle steady in rotor wash, in motion, and at angles that change by the second. There is no window ledge to lean on and no ground under your feet. A conventional rest has nothing to attach to.
The problem: a moving platform with no place to mount
The bench is a tubular steel frame with rails along its edge. That gave us something to work with, but the mount had to lock to those rails without any permanent modification to the aircraft, hold a rifle through sustained vibration, and still let the officer swing from a steep downward angle to nearly level without re-adjusting anything.
The rail mount and extended XtraArm joint fitted to the bench of N472LA.
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The machined mounting plate, engraved with the LAPD SWAT and XtraArm marks before it left the shop.
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The solution: a rail mount and a longer joint
We developed a mount that attaches directly to the rails of the helicopter’s exterior bench seating. It is machined from the same 6061 aluminum as every XtraArm product and clamps to the rail so the aircraft stays untouched. Each plate is engraved with the department’s SWAT insignia alongside our own.
On top of that mount we incorporated a longer XtraArm joint than we use on our standard rests. The extra length moves the pivot point out from the bench and gives the officer the reach and adjustability needed to cover a wide range of angles while in the air. The articulating head works the same way it does on a hang-on rest: the rifle settles into the attachment, the arm follows the shooter, and the rest carries the weight.
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Fit check on the pad. The arm folds flat against the bench for boarding and swings out once the officer is seated, with the rifle already in the rest. |
In service
The department has since put the system to work extensively and has been extremely happy with its performance. The photos here are from a day of flight checks with the rest mounted on two of their aircraft.
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Built for stability.
Built for versatility. Built by XtraArm. It was an honor to build this system for the LAPD and to see XtraArm trusted in such a unique application. |
What this means for hunters
A helicopter bench is about as hard a mounting problem as we have been handed. The same approach solved it that solves a ladder stand or a truck door: a mount built to the exact dimensions of the platform, an articulating arm that follows the shooter, and an attachment that holds the gun. If it holds steady at altitude, it will hold steady 20 feet up an oak.
We take on custom work when a platform we do not already fit comes along. If you hunt from something unusual, get in touch and we will take a look.