From Vintage Whirl to Cutting-Edge Missions: The Evolution of Helicopters

On 15 April 2016, 32 Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warriors soared in formation from Fort Bragg, in the United States, establishing a Guinness World Record for the Largest Helicopter Formation Flight ever. The occasion was orchestrated by 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army and served as a remarkable conclusion for the U.S. military fleet in a breathtaking farewell for the platform and its aviators.

The Kiowa Warrior’s reputation as an effective and resilient aircraft began with the OH-58A, which debuted in 1968. It underwent two phases of enhancements and modifications until the world-record achieving OH-58D took to the skies in 1983, featuring its improved engine and transmission. This single-engine, four-bladed armed reconnaissance helicopter was the inaugural U.S. Army chopper equipped with an all-glass cockpit and introduced a Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS), designed to avert wire and power line collisions during its typically low-altitude missions. The WSPS proved remarkably successful, leading to its adaptation in nearly every other helicopter within the U.S. arsenal.

Approximately 2,325 Kiowa Warriors were manufactured until the last new model was delivered to the U.S. Army in 1989, with the final units being retired from active service in the U.S. in 2020.

For Bell and its clients, the lineage of the Warrior continues, represented by the Bell 407M – the first in a series of Bell’s Special Missions Aircraft that are based on its renowned commercial platforms – now with enhanced multi-mission capabilities. Configurable in just 30 minutes, the 407 stands as the world’s most economical, multi-role helicopter, leveraging the proven attributes of the OH-58 and its two million flight hours, with over 750,000 logged in combat. With operational capabilities spanning public safety, HEMS, and utility, to armed multi-role functions including light attack, special operations, reconnaissance, command and control, and anti-piracy, the Bell 407 has already secured a strong foothold in global markets. In its commercial version, it has surpassed six million flight hours across its 1,100-strong fleet.

The ‘M’ series expands its remarkable mission versatility even further, enhancing low sustainment costs, and ensuring easily obtainable parts that are compatible with other Bell models, combining to keep the platform in the air as much as possible – and swiftly.

Such an impressive lineage positions the Bell 407M and its other Special Mission Aircraft counterparts ideally to fulfill the demands of Bell clients around the world, as this next generation of helicopters takes flight – undoubtedly with more World Records on the horizon as well.