Bell OH-58
| Bell model 206 / OH-58 Kiowa | |
|---|---|
 OH-58D "Kiowa" over Iraq in 2004 |
|
| Type: | Light reconnaissance and attack helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 10, 1966 |
| Commissioning: |
May 1969 |
| Production time: |
1966 to 1989 |
| Number of pieces: |
approx. 2,200 |
The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a single-engine light reconnaissance, liaison and attack helicopter . It was developed and built by Bell for the United States Army in the 1960s as a reconnaissance helicopter . Since then, the basic model has been continuously developed and built until the end of the 1990s. The United States Army helicopters are still used today with an upgraded variant of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior as combat zone reconnaissance and target assignment helicopters .
Development and commissioning
In 1960, the Army announced a competition to develop a light observation helicopter LOH ( L ight O bservation H elicopter) from. All well-known American helicopter manufacturers submitted designs. Bell Helicopter named its prototype OH-4 / 206A and came with this model in the top three, but lost the competition to the Hughes OH-6 (MD 500).
At Bell, however, the OH-4 was so convinced that it was produced as the Bell 206 B JetRanger for civil customers with only minor changes .
In 1967 Hughes was struggling with seemingly insoluble logistical problems that increased the cost of producing the LOH. However, because the Vietnam War was at its height, the Army urgently needed inexpensive reconnaissance helicopters. The LOH competition was therefore re-announced and Bell's model 206A was declared the winner. The helicopter was immediately used in Vietnam. By the end of the war, over 2000 Bell machines had been delivered.
design
The OH-58 is a light, four-seat, unarmored observation helicopter. In the cockpit, the pilot seated on the right acts as the pilot, with the same controls on the left. The controls on the left can be dismantled to make room. The OH-58A / B / C are equipped with a two-blade rotor, the versions D and F with a four-blade rotor.
variants
CH-136 "Kiowa"
- Canadian name for the OH-58A of the Canadian Air Force. These were later designated as CH-136.
COH-58A "Kiowa"
- See CH-136
OH-58A "Kiowa"
- Basic variant as a reconnaissance aircraft, which was also armed with an M134 Gatling machine gun during the Vietnam War . The remaining machines were upgraded to OH-58C in 1978.
OH-58B "Kiowa"
- Export version of the OH-58A for the Austrian Air Force and the Australian Army and Navy Aviators.
OH-58C "Kiowa"
- Improved variant with a stronger engine and infrared suppression at the engine outlet as well as a flat windscreen to reduce reflections. The cockpit was designed for residual light amplifier glasses, whereby all internal and external instruments and light sources can be dimmed or suppressed. In addition, AN / APR-39 radar warning sensors were installed and AIM-92 can be used.
OH-58D "Kiowa Warrior"
- The variant, known in-house as Model 406, was developed from the Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP). The version is also known as the MH-58D. The improved wave and power transmission for low-level flight were also acoustically dampened by the four-blade rotor. The glass cockpit and the McDonnell Douglas MMS ( Mast Mounted Sight ) mast sight , with which the Kiowa was equipped from 1985, are characteristic. This ball, which is fastened above the main rotor, forms the core of the OH-58's reconnaissance capabilities today. It consists of a daylight television camera, a stabilized FLIR as well as a laser range finder and target designator. The device was installed in series when the Kiowas were upgraded to the OH-58D standard.
- From 1987 onwards, 15 machines were further modified and armed under the program name Prime Chance . The name for these machines was initially TF-118. In addition to the new optical systems, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior also has a new, clearer cockpit with two multifunctional displays and a head-up display for the pilot. New rotors and more powerful motors and gears make it even more powerful. A video recorder was installed to record the camera images, and the airframes received an ARN-118-Tacan navigation device. A radar warning receiver AN / APR-39/44 RWR and an AN / ALQ-144 infrared jammer (against heat-seeking missiles) are available. In order to be able to fly in a contaminated environment, a filter system is installed that supplies the crew with fresh air for the MOPP-IV protective clothing, as the helicopter itself cannot be sealed airtight. The helicopters also have better shielding against electromagnetic interference, such as can be triggered by ship radar.
AH-58D "Kiowa Warrior"
- Improved variant with more weapon options for Task Force 118 (4th Squadron, 17th Cavalry) for Operation "Prime Chance"
Model 406CS "Combat Scout"
- Saudi variant of the OH-58D with a Saab Helitow visor on the cabin roof instead of the mast visor
OH-58F "Kiowa Warrior"
- Planned variant for a modernized OH-58D variant by 2025 with a sensorium in the nose instead of the mast visor. It should also have FADEC and armor, missile approach warning and map display.
Calls
Kiowa Warriors were successfully used as tanker escorts in Operation Prime Chance in the Persian Gulf between 1987 and 1989 and were able to demonstrate successful attacks against ships, missile positions and other targets in the second Gulf War without having to accept losses of their own. Further missions took place within the framework of the Peace Implementation Forces (IFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
successor
Since there were heavy losses in Iraq and the helicopters, some of which are almost 40 years old, are slowly reaching the end of their service life, the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) was put out to tender on December 9, 2004 . Bell Helicopter Textron participated with the Bell 407 , MD Helicopters, however, with a modernized MH-6 Little Bird . On July 29, 2005, the United States Army announced the Bell 407 as the winner of the ARH tender. The helicopter based on the Bell 407 was now called ARH-70A and was to replace the old Kiowa machines from 2008, with the purchase of 368 helicopters planned. On October 16, 2008, however, the Pentagon announced that it would stop the acquisition of the ARH-70. The reason for this was the insufficient performance and the fact that the acquisition costs were exceeded.
EADS is offering the United States Army a successor, the Armed Scout 645 , which is currently in the development and demonstration phase. In the meantime there are attempts to equip the existing helicopters with new glass cockpit instruments; the offer phase is expected for 2011.
In May 2014, the United States Army began downsizing the Kiowa fleet. The decommissioned helicopters are to be offered for sale to other armed forces.
Users
- 56 × OH-58A "Kiowa"
- After the delivery of 12 helicopters, the remaining 44 were built under license as CAC CA-32 and decommissioned in 2000. They have been replaced today by the Eurocopter Tiger ARH.
- 10 × OH-58A / C "Kiowa".
- 70 × COH-58D "Kiowa" (used US Army specimens, including 36 emergency helicopters and 10 school helicopters, the rest as a spare parts store)
- 12 × OH-58B "Kiowa".
- 0 × COH-58A / CH-136 "Kiowa" (74 operated and decommissioned)
- 16 × OH-58D "Kiowa"
- 12 × OH-58B "Kiowa"
- From 1978 onwards, 300 OH-58A were converted to the more powerful version OH-58C (OH-58B were models for export to Austria). The first OH-58B for Austria were delivered to Langenlebarn on June 14th, 1976 (3C-OA to 3C-OF) in boxes, partially assembled .
- 39 × OH-58D "Kiowa"
- 24 × OH-58D "Kiowa"
- were 15 × Bell 406CS "Combat Scout"
- approx. 2000 x OH-58A / C / D
Stationed in Germany and Austria
In addition to the Austrian “Kiowas”, the helicopters were also stationed on a number of US bases in southern Germany such as the Maurice Rose Army Airfield in Frankfurt-Bonames or the Heliport in Büdingen (both pure OH-58 units) and on the CFB Lahr .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | OH-58B (Austria) | OH-58D |
|---|---|---|
| length | 9.80 m | 12.85 m |
| Rotor diameter | 10.77 m | 10.67 m |
| Trunk width | k. A. | 1.97 m |
| height | 2.92 m | 3.93 m |
| External load hook | Max. 550 kg load | k. A. |
| Empty mass | k. A. | 1492 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 1450 kg | 2495 kg |
| Top speed | 222 km / h | 241 km / h (at 1220 m with a load: 204 km / h) |
| Max. Rate of climb | k. A. | 488 m / min |
| Service ceiling | 6400 m | 4570 m |
| Range with standard fuel |
approx. 460 km or 2.5 hours by flight
|
|
| Engine | an Allison 250-C20 shaft turbine with 294 kW (400 PS) | an Allison T 703 AD-700 shaft turbine with 478 kW (650 PS) |
| Fuel consumption | 85-90 l / h | k. A. |
Armament
The weapon configuration is usually chosen so that a team of two helicopters carries a mix of possible weapons. The US Army's 1st Squadron 17th Cavalry is said to have around 15 Kiowa Warriors in a low-observable version. For this purpose, the machines were coated with radar-absorbing materials to reduce the radar cross-section .
- Payload of up to 907 kg on two external load frames
- Air-to-air guided missile
- 2 × ATAS (Air To Air Stinger) double guided missile launchers for 2 × Raytheon AIM-92 "Stinger" RMP Block I each - infrared-controlled for short distances
- Unguided air-to-surface missiles
- 2 × LAU-260 / A rocket tube launch containers for 7 × unguided Hydra air-to-surface rockets each ; Caliber 68 mm / 2.75 inch
- 2 × LAU-68D / A rocket tube launch containers for 7 × unguided FFAR air-to-ground hydra rockets each; Caliber 70 mm
- 2 × LAU-131 / A rocket tube launch containers for 7 × unguided FFAR air-to-ground hydra rockets each; Caliber 70 mm
- Air-to-surface guided missiles ( anti-tank guided missiles )
- 2 × M299 guided missile suspensions for 2 × Boeing Corp / Martin Marietta AGM-114F / N "Hellfire" - laser-controlled
- External gun barrel
- 2 × M-27 weapon systems each consisting of 1 × 7.62 mm Gatling machine gun General Electric M134 with 2000 rounds of ammunition each
- 2 × 12.7 mm Browning M296 machine guns with 500 rounds of ammunition each
- 2 × three-barreled 12.7 mm Gatling machine gun General Dynamics GECAL 50 ( GAU-19 / A) with 2000 rounds of ammunition each (cadence: 2000 or 4000 rounds / min; range up to 1000 m)
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jane's Defense Weekly , Oct. 22, 2008, p. 5.
- ^ EADS North America, accessed April 10, 2010 ( Memento of May 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Flightglobal, accessed April 10, 2010
- ↑ Jon Hemmerdinger: US Army begins grounding Kiowas, seeks buyers. In: Flightglobal.com. May 7, 2014, accessed on May 12, 2014 (English): "The US Army has started grounding some of its Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa Warriors and is now seeking buyers for the aircraft, including possible foreign customers."
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento from May 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Australian military aviation Orbat
- ^ Inigo Guevara: Dominican Republic since 1945 . Air Combat Information Group (acig.org). September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ↑ Hellenic Army finalises OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter deal, Janes, May 9, 2018
- ↑ The Military Balance 2018, p. 342
- ↑ Janes, December 5, 2016 ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ↑ Doppeladler.com
- ^ Republic of China Army Aviation . TaiwanAirPower.org . Archived from the original on October 31, 2006. Retrieved on May 11, 2012.
- ↑ Tunisia begins receiving Kiowa Warrior helos, Janes, February 6, 2017 ( Memento of February 6, 2017 in the Internet Archive )