Bell 412 vs Bell OH-58 Kiowa: Specs Compared

Bell 412 — licensed reference photograph

AHelicopters

Bell 412

Multipurpose utility helicopter

Credit

Sardaka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

Bell OH-58 Kiowa — licensed reference photograph

BHelicopters

Bell OH-58 Kiowa

Observation and reconnaissance helicopter

Credit

U.S. Army · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Bell 412Bell 412EP · including rotors

17.09 m

Length source ↗

Bell OH-58 KiowaOH-58D · Length

12.85 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

19 of 34 rows sourced on both sides

17.09mBell 412EP · including rotors

12.85mOH-58D · Length

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

17.09 m

Bell 412EP · including rotors

Single source

56 ft 1 in (17.09 m) including rotors^[source]

12.85 m

OH-58D · Length

Single source

42 ft 2 in (12.85 m)^[source]

14.02mBell 412EP · Main rotor diameter

10.67mOH-58D · Main rotor diameter

Rotor diameterScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

14.02 m

Bell 412EP · Main rotor diameter

Single source

46 ft 0 in (14.02 m)^[source]

10.67 m

OH-58D · Main rotor diameter

Single source

35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)^[source]

4.57mBell 412EP · Height

3.93mOH-58D · Height

HeightScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

4.57 m

Bell 412EP · Height

Single source

15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)^[source]

3.93 m

OH-58D · Height

Single source

12 ft 10 in (3.93 m)^[source]

5.4t

2.5tGross; OH-58D · Gross weight

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

3,079 kg

Empty; Bell 412EP · Empty weight

Single source

5,398 kg

Maximum take-off; Bell 412EP · Max takeoff weight

Single source

6,789 lb (3,079 kg)^[source]

11,900 lb (5,398 kg)^[source]

1,737 kg

Empty; OH-58D · Empty weight

Single source

2,495 kg

Gross; OH-58D · Gross weight

Single source

3,829 lb (1,737 kg)^[source]

5,500 lb (2,495 kg)^[source]

one-two pilots

2OH-58D · pilots

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

one-two pilots^[source]

2 people

OH-58D · pilots

Single source

2 pilots^[source]

two- man^[source]Kiowa Warrior

260km/hMaximum; Bell 412EP · Maximum speed

240km/hMaximum; OH-58D · Maximum speed

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

226 km/h

Cruise; Bell 412EP · Cruise speed

Single source

260 km/h

Maximum; Bell 412EP · Maximum speed

Single source

140 kn (160 mph, 260 km/h)^[source]

122 kn (140 mph, 226 km/h)^[source]

204 km/h

Cruise; OH-58D · Cruise speed

Single source

240 km/h

Maximum; OH-58D · Maximum speed

Single source

149 mph (240 km/h, 129 kn)^[source]

127 mph (204 km/h, 110 kn)^[source]

980kmBell 412EP · Range

260kmOH-58D · Range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

980 km

Bell 412EP · Range

Single source

529 nmi (609 mi, 980 km)^[source]

260 km

OH-58D · Range

Single source

161 mi (260 km, 140 nmi)^[source]

930kW

485kW

PowerScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

930 kW

Bell 412EP · 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3D Twin-Pac or PT6T-3DF Twin-Pac coupled turboshaft engine - each, 1,250 shp (

Single source

1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3D Twin-Pac or PT6T-3DF Twin-Pac coupled turboshaft engine - each, 1,250 shp (930 kW)^[source]

485 kW

OH-58D · 1 × Rolls-Royce T703-AD-700A turboshaft

Single source

1 × Rolls-Royce T703-AD-700A turboshaft , 650 hp (485 kW)^[source]

6,100mBell 412EP · Service ceiling

4,575mOH-58D · Service ceiling

Service ceilingScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

6,100 m

Bell 412EP · Service ceiling

Single source

20,000 ft (6,100 m)^[source]

4,575 m

OH-58D · Service ceiling

Single source

15,000 ft (4,575 m)^[source]

6.9m/sBell 412EP · 1,350 ft/min (

—

Rate of climb

All recorded figures & sources

6.9 m/s

Bell 412EP · 1,350 ft/min (

Single source

1,350 ft/min (6.9 m/s)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Bell 412 and Bell OH-58 Kiowa configuration
Specification	Bell 412	Bell OH-58 Kiowa
Type	Multipurpose utility helicopter^[source]	Observation and reconnaissance helicopter^[source]
National origin	United States / Canada^[source]	United States^[source]
Manufacturer	Bell Helicopter^[source]	Bell Helicopter^[source]
Primary users	Japan Ground Self Defence Force See Operators for others^[source]	United States Army (historical) Republic of China Army Royal Saudi Land Forces Hellenic Army^[source]
Number built	1,300+^[source]	2,325 plus 58 206B-1^[source]
Manufactured	1979–present^[source]	1966–1989^[source]
Introduction date	1981 ( 1981 )^[source]	May 1969^[source]
First flight	August 1979 ( 1979-08 )^[source]	Bell 206A: 10 January 1966 OH-58D: 6 October 1983 OH-58F: 26 April 2013^[source]
Developed from	Bell 212^[source]	Bell 206^[source]
Variant	Bell CH-146 Griffon^[source]	—
Capacity	up to 13 passengers, maximum external load of almost 6,614 lb (3,000 kg)^[source]	—
Fuselage length	43 ft (13 m)^[source]	—
Blade sections	root: Boeing VR-7; tip: Wortmann FX 71-H-080^[source]	—
Main rotor area	1,662 sq ft (154.4 m 2 )^[source]	962.11 sq ft (89.42 m 2 )^[source]
Power/mass	0.2663 hp/lb (0.4378 kW/kg)^[source]	—
Status	—	In service^[source]
Retired	—	2020 (U.S. Army)^[source]
Endurance	—	Two hours^[source]
Hardpoints	—	Two pylons , with provisions to carry combinations of: Rockets: 1x LAU-68 rocket launcher with seven 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 or APKWS rockets Missiles: 2x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles Other: 1x .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3P (or M296) heavy machine gun^[source]
Rockets	—	1x LAU-68 rocket launcher with seven 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 or APKWS rockets^[source]
Missiles	—	2x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles^[source]
Other	—	1x .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3P (or M296) heavy machine gun^[source]
Engine	—	single-engine^[source]Kiowa Warrior

FORCETALLY

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Bell 412

Bell OH-58 Kiowa

Type

Multipurpose utility helicopter^[source]

Observation and reconnaissance helicopter^[source]

National origin

United States / Canada^[source]

United States^[source]

Manufacturer

Bell Helicopter^[source]

Primary users

Japan Ground Self Defence Force See Operators for others^[source]

United States Army (historical) Republic of China Army Royal Saudi Land Forces Hellenic Army^[source]

Number built

1,300+^[source]

2,325 plus 58 206B-1^[source]

Manufactured

1979–present^[source]

1966–1989^[source]

Introduction date

1981 ( 1981 )^[source]

May 1969^[source]

First flight

August 1979 ( 1979-08 )^[source]

Bell 206A: 10 January 1966 OH-58D: 6 October 1983 OH-58F: 26 April 2013^[source]

Developed from

Bell 212^[source]

Bell 206^[source]

Variant

Bell CH-146 Griffon^[source]

—

Capacity

up to 13 passengers, maximum external load of almost 6,614 lb (3,000 kg)^[source]

—

Fuselage length

43 ft (13 m)^[source]

—

Blade sections

root: Boeing VR-7; tip: Wortmann FX 71-H-080^[source]

—

Main rotor area

1,662 sq ft (154.4 m 2 )^[source]

962.11 sq ft (89.42 m 2 )^[source]

Power/mass

0.2663 hp/lb (0.4378 kW/kg)^[source]

—

Status

—

In service^[source]

Retired

—

2020 (U.S. Army)^[source]

Endurance

—

Two hours^[source]

Hardpoints

—

Two pylons , with provisions to carry combinations of: Rockets: 1x LAU-68 rocket launcher with seven 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 or APKWS rockets Missiles: 2x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles Other: 1x .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3P (or M296) heavy machine gun^[source]

Rockets

—

1x LAU-68 rocket launcher with seven 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra 70 or APKWS rockets^[source]

Missiles

—

2x AGM-114 Hellfire missiles^[source]

Other

—

1x .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3P (or M296) heavy machine gun^[source]

Engine

—

single-engine^[source]Kiowa Warrior