OH-58D landing skids

Modeling Subjects Helicopters
1

I’ve noticed there are two types of landing skids on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helos. Can anyone tell me what’s the deal with that?

thanks for any help!

2

The original type are the conventional curved-down cross-tubes. The later style have upward-curving cross-tubes with vertical skid support posts. The later style are designed for air-portability, as the vertical posts allow the aircraft to be lowered about 1.5 feet for loading onto cargo aircraft.

Follow the link to a pic of folded and dropped OH-58Ds.

http://regiment.home.mindspring.com/folded.jpg

3

Rotorhead,

Nice picture. I assume the mast mounted “sights” ball is hanging from the rotor head by special “shipping” bracket.

4

Actually, it’s not ‘hanging’ from the rotorhead, there is a bracket-frame bolted up against the starboard side of the fuselage.