OH58 kiowa canopy wipers

  This is the only aircraft I have ever encountered that has an airbag system. In photo of the cockpit you can see something that looks like padding along the forward door post. Those are actually the side airbags. The others, as shown in the lower photo, are mounted in the glareshield. And the original question about the wipers, these guys are correct that there are none. I work on these aircraft daily, so if anyone has any questions, I would be glad to help. Sorry, I am not allowed to take pictures.

Wow, even your butt gets an airbag!

Here's a couple of photos I took of an OH-58D at Ft Campbell earleier this summer:

 

 I thought that this was interesting…

I was also amazed at how much gear was crammed into the aft cabin. No room for seats or anything back there.

... thanks a lot, i really appreciate all the ieas ang infos... now i know... Godbless..

Plexiglass and a semi hard surface dragging across it with trapped grit or sand would craze a windshield so fast it isn't funny!  We just keep them polished good and with a little forward airspeed it shed the rain easily. 

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

Much the same reason many other helicopters and general aviation aircraft don't have them, the rotor or prop wash cleans the windshield effectively. Though it does help to have a clean and well polished plexi! Of course bugs do present a problem, they seem to have super glue in their butts. Once they strike the plexi nothing washes them away except for some elbow grease and plexi cleaner.

 

Lot's of elbow grease!

Much the same reason many other helicopters and general aviation aircraft don't have them, the rotor or prop wash cleans the windshield effectively. Though it does help to have a clean and well polished plexi! Of course bugs do present a problem, they seem to have super glue in their butts. Once they strike the plexi nothing washes them away except for some elbow grease and plexi cleaner.

The Kiowa doesn't have wipers.  The angle and slope of the canopy, along with the rotor down-wash, it doesn't require them.