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The OH-58D was an upgrade of the OH-58C scout helicopter for the US Army that had a 4-bladed rotor system and a Mast-Mounted sight that looks like a Basketball on top of the rotor. The OH-58C had been used by the US Army from around the time of the Viet Nam War in the 1970's and is a military version of the Bell Helicopter Model 206. Then Bell won a contract to design and build a modern scout. They designed their first 4-bladed rotor with a composite yoke that would give the helicopter more stability. On top of the rotor they mounted a Mast-Mounted sight that included TV and Infra-Red. The OH-58D was unarmed and worked in tandem with the AH-64 helicopter gun ship that had just entered Army inventory. The OH-58D could hide behind trees or a hill and only have the Sight exposed. It could spot a target and "paint" it with a laser designator. The AH-64 would fire a Hellfire laser-guided missile from behind the hill and the missile would find the laser beam and track to the target. The earlier OH-58C was a 2-bladed helicopter with a "teetering" rotor. It is easy to spot the OH-58D by the 4 blades. However, the helicopter can be parked or transported on a cargo plane with the blades folded back. But the large Sight on top of the mast is easy to recognize (but the Army has also mounted a similar sight on some AH-64 and named the "Longbows".) Then in 1989, Iran began to cause problem in the Persian Gulf. The US Navy went into the Gulf to restore order but were being attacked by small gunboats that could launch missiles or torpedoes. The US Navy tried to use lightly armed Hughes scout helicopters (flown by the Army) but these were not effective. The Army requested Bell upgrade the OH-58D to arm it with some kind of missile. The entire "back seat" of the OH-58D is filled with electronics. Bell made some changes and ran a fast program to test the OH-58D with one(1) hellfire missile mounted on a side rail. This would allow the OH-58D to search and destroy enemy gunboats. The helicopter's performance was degraded a little with the additional weight and drag. The OH-58D is being replaced in the Army by the RA-66 (I believe that is correct designation).
What else can I help you with?
What is a purple helicopter?
A purple helicopter is a helicopter of the color purple. Really?
Which is correct an helicopter or a helicopter?
Everybody I know says A helicopter.
Who flies a helicopter in the army?
A helicopter pilot flies a helicopter in the army.
Why is there a fantail in a helicopter?
For the helicopter body to be in balance and direction to steer the helicopter.
How do you get on the helicopter on Counterfeit Island?
There is no helicopter.
Who drives the helicopter?
Helicopter pilots do
Where do helicopter pilot work?
In their helicopter.
What is a Chinook helicopter used for?
The Chinook helicopter is an American twin-engine helicopter. The helicopter is used by military forces. The Chinook helicopter is mainly used for troop transportation, artillery movement, and resupply on the battlefield.
What are the rules to the helicopter game?
There are different helicopter games, but the gist of all of them is to fly a helicopter and not to crash. Some of the games have obstacles that the helicopter has to be flown around.
What you call a helicopter driver?
The operator of a helicopter is the "pilot", or if more specificity is required, "helicopter pilot".
Where can you find the histori of the helicopter?
in a helicopter musem
How do you make a helicopter in Minecraft?
with helicopter mod
