Tag Archives: OH-58
Helicopters: from legacy to modern special missions
Helicopters: from legacy to modern special missions – with a world record thrown in for good measure
Bell OH-58D In Formation
On 15 April 2016, 32 Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warriors flew in formation from Fort Bragg, in the US, creating a Guinness World Record for the Largest Helicopter Formation Flight in history. The event was organized by 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the US Army and marked part of the grand finale for the U.S. military fleet in a spectacular swansong for the platform and those who flew in them.
The Kiowa Warrior’s reputation as a capable and rugged aircraft started with the OH-58A, which launched in 1968. It underwent two rounds of modifications and upgrades until the world-record-setting OH-58D flew in 1983, with its upgraded engine and transmission. The single-engine, four-bladed armed reconnaissance helicopter was the first U.S. Army helicopter to have an all-glass cockpit and incorporate a Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS), designed to prevent wire and power line strikes due to its typically low-flying missions. The WSPS proved so successful, it was adapted to virtually every other helicopter in the U.S. fleet.
There were around 2,325 Kiowa Warriors produced up until the delivery of the final new-build platform to the U.S. Army in 1989, with the last of them being retired from active service in the US in 2020.
For Bell, and its customers, the Warrior’s lineage lives on, in the form of the Bell 407M – the first of a fleet of Bell’s Special Missions Aircraft that are based on its esteemed commercial platforms – but with even more multi-mission capabilities. Reconfigurable in just 30 minutes, the 407 is the world’s most cost-effective, multi-role helicopter, building on the proven features from the OH-58 and its 2-million flight hours with more than 750,000 being flown in combat. With capabilities that extend from public safety, HEMS and utility, to armed multirole including light attack, special ops, reconnaissance, command and control and anti-piracy, the Bell 407 is already well-established globally. In the 407’s commercial configuration, it has achieved more than six million flight hours over its 1,100-strong fleet.
The ‘M’ series takes its impressive mission versatility even further, in addition to low sustainment costs, and readily available parts interchangeable with other Bell platforms, all of which combine to keep the platform in the air as much as possible – and quickly.
Such a distinguished pedigree means the Bell 407M and its other SMA counterparts are well placed to meet the needs of Bell customers across the globe, as this next generation of aircraft takes to the skies – no doubt with some more World Records on the horizon too.
Sources:
Largest helicopter formation flight | Guinness World Records
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter – Army Technology (army-technology.com)
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior | Military.com
Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (helis.com)
https://planehistoria.com/the-remarkable-bell-oh-58-kiowa-warrior/
Amber Munday
+971 55 117 6572
Jay Hernandez
+1 817 280-1949
jhernandez09@bellflight.com
Follow Us:
ABOUT BELL
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us. We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours. Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
ABOUT TEXTRON INC.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders.