Bell OH-58 Kiowa
Bell Helicopter · United States · first flew 1966 · helicopter
A single-engine light scout and observation helicopter derived from the civilian Bell 206 JetRanger, culminating in the armed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Small rounded JetRanger pod-and-boom fuselage with a long slender tailboom |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Mast-mounted spherical sensor ball atop the rotor on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
- Small rounded JetRanger pod-and-boom fuselage with a long slender tailboom
- Two-bladed teetering main rotor on early models, four-bladed on the OH-58D
The compact JetRanger pod-and-boom shape is the basis. The OH-58D is given away instantly by the spherical mast-mounted sight sitting above the rotor head, plus its four-bladed rotor against the earlier two-bladed teetering type.
Specifications
- The Bell OH-58 Kiowa has a length of 9.8 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.77 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 222 km/h (138 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 (pilot, observer).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Bell's Model 206A won the US Army's light observation helicopter contest and flew in this configuration in January 1966, entering service as the OH-58A in 1969. The design leaned directly on the commercial JetRanger airframe and turbine.
Variants
The OH-58A and re-engined OH-58C led to the definitive OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, which added a four-bladed rotor, the signature mast-mounted sight and armament including Hellfire, Stinger and rockets.
Where you'll see it
A US Army scout from Vietnam through the Gulf War, Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan before retirement around 2014-2017. It saw no British service; the Army Air Corps used the Gazelle in the light-scout role.
Related aircraft
- Bell 205A-1
- Bell UH-1H Iroquois
- Bell AH-1 Cobra
- Bell 207 Sioux Scout
- Bell 206 JetRanger
- Aérospatiale SA 330A Puma
- Aérospatiale SA 341/342 Gazelle
- Agusta-Bell AB 206B-1 JetRanger
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.