The oft repeated “two weeks” comment from around the sim community usually means that we have no idea when something is coming out. But when its attached to a teaser trailer, we usually take it much more literally. DCS: OH-58D Kiowa Warrior looks set to launch in early June.
Teaser trailer
Polychop Simulations have released a teaser trailer for the DCS: OH-58D Kiowa Warrior with 30 seconds of action packed footage and a message at the end: two weeks. The confluence of DCS World releases appears set to take on an additional module with the DCS: OH-58D now set for release in the first week in June.
This puts this long in development helicopter in the mix with DCS: Kola a couple of weeks ago, DCS: F-4E Phantom (today), and DCS: CH-47F and DCS: Afghanistan in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, the wrapper is likely about to come off from content creators as well with former Kiowa pilot and DCS World YouTube Casmo releasing a new YouTube short showing off the helicopter’s sneaky capabilities with its mast mounted sensor system.
More to come on this soon!
Stormbirds 
Nice looking chopper, but it will have to wait quite a while. Lots of cash already going down on Kola and Phantom and the Chinook when it releases(?) in a month. Also the PMDG 777. But perhaps more than that is how many brain cells I have left. I’m sure I’d enjoy flying the Kiowa, but I’m not hot and heavy on it and would never learn the systems.
All my chopper brain cells are being saved for the Chinook.
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System-wise Kiowa is much simpler than AH-64, A-10 and most 3rd gen jets as well. It’s how they implement some of the optional “helping” function that’s gonna decide if this MOD is fun to participate a virtual war in, because IRL this is still a 2-pilot fighting machine. Hopefully there’s some good automation for the AI pilot in the other seat because I can’t hover AND press all those pushbottons at the same time…
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We actually know already from some preview videos that their AI hover assist should be quite capable. Hovering and pressing the buttons at the same time is definitely a challenge so I was happy to see that.
Looking forward to putting it through its paces.
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Can someone explain the appeal of these “light” choppers and planes? Kiowa, Gazelle, Bronco, etc. Fly for 30 minutes, fire one or two missiles, destroy a truck and fly away.
Genuine question. Just doesn’t seem very fun compared to let’s say a Ka,50, Hind, A10, which can stop an entire offensive.
Of course “fun” being subjective. Just seems more of a module to “fly around” and enjoy the scenery than blow stuff up – MSFS being much more suitable for that with a bigger variety of maps/scenery than DCS.
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I’ve kind of fallen in love with the little scout choppers. More agile and better able to fit into some tight spaces, I’ve had some terrific flying experiences with the Gazelle and I suspect I will too with the Kiowa.
If you want to go lay waste to the battlefield, Apache or BlackShark is what you want. If you want to scout things out low and fast, maybe do some surveillance, and some light attack then these helicopters have their role.
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Actually the “Fly for 30 minutes, fire one or two missiles, destroy a truck and fly away” is more realistic even for A-10 and AH-64 types IRL. In some DCS SP or campaign missions that I flew A-10 in, I was supposed to stop/detroy an entire armoured convoy of about 10 tanks/IFVs/APCs, which I found very “hollywood-ish”. After a while, I found out it was really the searching, identifying, maneuvering / dodging bits that are both more fun and more immersive.
So no need to say, I’m very happy the full fidelity Kiowa is finally coming out after the last few years of waiting 🙂 I’ve been intrigued ever since watching the Kiowa + Apache intro scene in Jane’s Longbow 2 back in 1996 as a school kid.
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Got it. Thank you both!
I’m glad you’re finding it fun. It’s neat that in our small/tight flight sim community people have varying tastes.
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It’s a great thing! I’m happy to see more logistical options arrive into the sim too. It creates a more vibrant experience, especially in multiplayer, with multiple roles and assets operating in concert.
Kiowa and Apache were sometimes used together in teams so even if you never ever fly the Kiowa it has the potential to enhance the Apache which I think is very cool!
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Hi Dimitri, The simple answer, for me, is, it’s a helo I flew in and enjoyed, the Gazelle in my case. It was also “Cost Effective” which was MOD’s way of saying, “Much cheaper than what we should have bought!” and It was thought that a few Gazelles, would slow down the advancing hoards, to give time for allied armour to appear on the battle field. So yes, it was, load up, get out and hit something, come back, re-arm, do it again.
However, now that they have radar guided anti aircraft guns….survival chances are almost NIL in the Gazelle. We could hope that as it was small enough to hardly show up on radar……they hoped.
I was in Rhodesia when the ‘Terrorists’ showed up with a Shilka!….the Rhodi’s were gobsmacked. The ‘Ter’ even gave a demonstration to the Rhodi Airforce….and they knew how to work it! THe Rhodi’ pilot taking part had almost no chance against it. Just as well the civil war came to halt and it was being handed to us, the Peace keeping force, prior to its full deployment, as had it deployed, it could have been a game changer.
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I’ll be buying it, making a hash of hovering, and bobbing about when trying to hit something, but it’s a cool aircraft and I love helicopters…..always remember, if it starts to go wrong….put it on the ground and phone home….try that with a Phantom!
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Hah! Yeah that’s more likely to work in the Kiowa than the Phantom.
Looking forward to the Kiowa!
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