Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior

[Redbullhondamx]

this first came out in the mid years of nam but didnt get all the cool updated until the gulf war

[33goego33]

00:33 eyes

[armtdawg]

I served with the pilot in this video, Mr Watson.

[raulrusboy]

lol @ it being designed around the MMS...  The Kiowa existed for decades before that thing was added to it....

[Ariza284]

@raulrusboy The D model, specifically, was designed around the MMS. Early D models were older 58's that were stripped down and then rebuilt. I flew D models in the late 80's for the Third Infantry.

[OneHoof]

It is pronounced Kiowa... just like the state of Iowa... Same spelling, just put a "K" in front of it. Both come from the Native American's pronunciation. This announcer probably mispronounces cyclic stick too. Too bad they can't find narrators who actually know something about helicopters for these shows. LOL

[5959512]

that sounds kind of boring how often do they get to engage the enemy

[AlexB4455]

@5959512 um dude you would still be flying a expensive helicopter and getting paid for it I would not be complaining and combat would just be a really sexy bonus

[ArrowOfFortune]

@5959512 they are on the front lines they get fired at often

[leoj186]

the oh 58d is a modification of of the oh-58c developeded in the 80;s

[r2d23678]

US military don't use this helicopter anymore, am I correct?

[Romad33]

@r2d23678 they most certainly do

[lolli805]

They dont use the "Littlebird" as it is called anymore. Only spec ops use it anymore.

[raulrusboy]

@lolli805 and that makes me =( ... I would way rather fly an OH/AH/MH-6 than an AH-64... And I've heard you have to go through selection for SOAR before you find out what aircraft you'll fly, so you could end up in a blackhawk or chinook instead...

[ssy75]

@r2d23678 Yes it is still used, this was the airframe I worked on most in Iraq. They are constantly upgrading them, they are really good birds.

[nathaniel1995able]

Who would have thought you could turn a Bell 206 (Very common in America) into this? I didn't!

[Kingoffholland]

that giant sweer on the top looks like a freakin face from the movie 9 xD

[BalticaBeer]

I'm fan of Bell helicopters.

[KV3CTOR]

I'm in the Army as a Aeronautical Engineer. I work on these bad boys. Don't underestimate it this little guy may not look intimidating but it is pretty powerful and the most diverse chopper the Army has. It can do a lot that any other chopper in the military can't. It's got more high tech stuff than the Apache.

[vodkasvictim]

I don't see anything here a modified little bird couldn't do... or a predator drone... I wonder why they built this thing...

[bronco8585]

@vodkasvictim: Screw predator drones. Can't accomplish half of what a piloted aircraft can. Kiowas are awesome aircraft.

[vodkasvictim]

@bronco8585

I'm not saying it's not good, but as far as I can tell a little bird could do the same jobs.

Not only that, but a predator could do a lot of the work and stay over target longer.

[bronco8585]

@vodkasvictim True, I am not sure which you're talking about by sayin the little bird. I thought the Kiowa was the little bird... But the predators are ONLY good because they are expendable... I'd like to be a pilot IN the cockpit of an aircraft, not in a control room with a computer screen and joystick... I could do that at home on FSX... Plus, there isn't as much situational awareness and the pilot can't make as effective decisions, split-second. They are just not as effective I don't think...

[vodkasvictim]

@bronco8585

They have their similarities, being as they were both designed around the same time for roughly the same job.

I know it's a cliche to do this, but please look at both choppers on wikipedia.

Expendability is one of the drones 2 major advantages - the other being flight time (pilots interchangable)

I agree with u; it doesn't have the spirit of flight, but it does save pilots to use drones.

Drones are more effective against insurgents than choppers, choppers more survivable in WW3

:-)

[bronco8585]

@vodkasvictim Ok I will compromise, but we still need piloted aircraft with an actual cockpit and pilot! :-)

I still don't know what you mean by 'little bird' I thought the Kiowa was the Army's little bird... Are you talking about the Hughes 500 Army model??

[vodkasvictim]

@bronco8585

You're right; it's stil necessary to have pilots in the aircraft in many roles.

By little bird I mean OH6 and MH6. As far as I know the Hughes MD500 is the same airframe but with rockets instead.

[nymerie]

I'm in love ^^

[maydayfire]

good for vietnam, vad for the middles east. no trees in the lands there

[privatevilla]

excellent for afghanistan, plenty of trees

[nymerie]

there are more trees and mountains in the middle east that you could imagine, moron!!!

[lanz0r4tehwin]

Theres a part of Afghanistan called the "Green Zone" what's where all the water running down the hillsides reaches that area, and combined that with the Arabic sun and you get a metric fuck-tonne of vegetation