Bell 427

Description: The OH-58 Kiowa is a combat scout and reconnaissance helicopter derived from Bell 406 commercial aircraft and intended for use by the US Army aviation units. Following the Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP), Bell and the US Army developed the OH-58D Kiowa unarmed helicopter which features. Around 500 existing OH-58A/C models were planned to be retrofitted into OH-58D configuration, but this figure was finally slashed with less than 200 OH-58s upgraded to -D configuration. In the 1990s Bell Helicopter also developed a commercial utility helicopter variant based upon the OH-58 airframe, the Bell 407 and Bell 427 aircraft.

Bell 427 is a further evolution from Bell 407 helicopter, which is based on OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, focusing on improving speed, comfort and reliability. Overall, Bell 427 offers greater performance than its predecessor and reduced workload for the pilot. A more spacious cabin with more powerful PW207D engines have been integrated into 427 model. This helicopter has been certified to the most stringent FAR/JAR Part 27 safety standards through crashworthy seats and energy attenuating skid landing gear. VIP/Corporate transport, homeland security and utility are the primary roles that can be assumed by 427 models.