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Bell OH-58 Kiowa

🇺🇸 United States ·first flew 2013· observation and reconnaissance helicopter

🚁 helicopter turboshaft ✓ still flying
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. OH-58D 1: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  2. 2. AH-64A Apache advanced attack and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters of the 101st Airborne Division stand ready at a forward operating base during Operation Desert Storm. - DPLA - a2c75825eac68d1eac450c8079f64ed0: Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994· Public domain
  3. 3. Austria (Österreich), Zeltweg (Flughafen Hinterstoisser), AirPower 2013, OH-58 Kiowa, 0190: Szalay Gábor István, Magyarország (Hungary), Budapest-04· CC BY 3.0
  4. 4. Cobra and Kiowa DF-ST-86-10445: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  5. 5. Flickr - The U.S. Army - Kiowa Warriors flight: The U.S. Army Sgt. 1st. Class Eric Pahon/Task Force Poseidon / 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Officer· Public domain
  6. 6. Ntsp-oh58-N170FR-070205-01cr: Alan Radecki· CC BY 2.5
  7. 7. OH-58A Kiowa US Army in flight: U.S. Army· Public domain
  8. 8. OH-58B Austria (25026599986): Rob Schleiffert from Holland· CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9. OH-58D 2: SSgt Shane A. Cuomo, US Army· Public domain
  10. 10. OH-58D Final Farewell Flight 160415-A-UG106-017: Sgt. Daniel Schroeder· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Bell OH-58 Kiowa, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Wikimedia Commons· Public domain

what is it?

The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single-rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A JetRanger civilian helicopter. The OH-58 was originally developed in the early 1960s as the D-250 for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH).

How to recognise it: 1 turboshaft engine · 10.7 m main rotor

base stats

  • speed 240 km/htop speed
  • range 260 kmwithout refuelling
  • size 2,495 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 2,200made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 13 years ago, in 2013.
  • Top speed is 1.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Rotor of 10.7 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight
2013-04-26
introduced
1967
retired
2020
status
still flying
number built
2,200
role
observation and reconnaissance helicopter
origin
🇺🇸 United States
makers
Bell Textron
engines
1× Rolls-Royce T703-AD-700A
crew
2
length
12.9 m
rotor diameter
10.7 m
height
3.9 m
max take-off weight
2,495 kg
top speed
240 km/h
cruise speed
204 km/h
range
260 km
ceiling
4,575 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family

↑ Bell 206parent

Sources: Wikidata Q694356, Wikipedia: Bell OH-58 Kiowa (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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