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Cessna O-2 Skymaster

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TheCessna O-2 Skymaster(nicknamed "Oscar Deuce" ) is a military version of theCessna 337 Super Skymaster,used forforward air control(FAC) andpsychological operations(PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.

O-2 Skymaster
O-2A Skymaster
General information
TypeObservation aircraft
National originUnited States
ManufacturerCessna
StatusLimited service
Primary usersUnited States Air Force(historical)
Number built532
History
ManufacturedMarch 1967 - June 1970
Introduction dateMarch 1967
First flightJanuary 1967
Retired2010 (United States)
Developed fromCessna Skymaster

Design and development

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The O-2 lacks the 337 propeller spinner

In 1966, theUnited States Air Force(USAF) commissionedCessnato build a military variant of theModel 337 Skymasterto supplement theCessna O-1 Bird Dogin the role offorward air control.[1]

Both the civilian and military Skymasters were low-cost twin-engine piston-powered aircraft, with one engine in the nose of the aircraft and a second in the rear of the fuselage. Thepush-pull configurationprovided centerline thrust, allowing simpler operation than the low-wing mounting of most twin-engine light aircraft, and allowed a high wing to be used, providing clear observation below and behind the aircraft.

Modifications made for the military configuration included fore-and-aft seating for a pilot and observer, instead of the six seats of the civilian version; installation of view panels in the doors (for improved ground observation); installation of flame-retardant foam in the wing-mounted fuel tanks (slightly increasing weight, and reducing maximum fuel capacity by 3%); installation of military, rather than civilian, communication and navigation equipment and antennas; removal ofpropeller spinners;increased gross weight (5,400 lb vs. 4,400 lb in civilian version), with component strengthening as required to support the increase; and removal of interior upholstery.

The O-2 first flew in January 1967, and the plane went into production shortly thereafter in March. Performance (especially at cruising altitudes) was degraded due to the added antennas and significant weight increase, but was considered sufficient for the anticipated low-level operation.

Operational history

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United States

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U.S. Air Force

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O-2B Skymaster dropping leaflets over Vietnam

The USAF took delivery of the O-2 Skymaster in March 1967 and the O-2A also entered the U.S. Army's inventory during 1967, from USAF stock. By June 1970, when production stopped, a total of 532 O-2s had been built for the USAF.[1]

During theVietnam War,the O-2A was introduced as a replacement for theO-1 Bird Dog,in theforward air control(FAC) aircraft and served in that role with the20th Tactical Air Support Squadron.The O-2B was equipped with loudspeakers and a leaflet dispenser for use in thepsychological operations(PSYOPS) role.

While it was intended that the Skymaster be replaced in the FAC mission by theOV-10 Bronco,the O-2A continued to be used for night missions after the OV-10's introduction, due to the OV-10's high level of cockpit illumination, rendering night reconnaissance impractical.[2]The O-2 was phased out completely after additional night upgrades to the OV-10.[3][4]

A total of 178 USAF O-2 Skymasters were lost in the Vietnam War, to all causes.[5]

Following the Vietnam War, the O-2 continued to operate with bothU.S. Air ForceandAir National Guardunits into the late 1980s.

U.S. Navy

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Six former USAF O-2A airframes were transferred to theU.S. Navyin 1983 for use as range controllers withAttack Squadron 122(VA-122), the Pacific Fleet Replacement Squadron for theA-7 Corsair IIatNaval Air Station Lemoore,California. These aircraft were later transferred toStrike Fighter Squadron 125(VFA-125), theF/A-18 HornetFRS at NAS Lemoore, in 1986 for use in the same range control role.[6]These O-2A aircraft were eventually replaced byT-34C Turbomentoraircraft transferred from the Naval Air Training Command.

U.S. Army

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Of the six USN aircraft mentioned above, two were transferred to theU.S. Armyin late 1990.[6]USAF O-2As were augmented by the 1990 aircraft transfer from the Navy. Several disassembled USAF O-2s remain in storage atDavis-Monthan AFB,Arizona.[6]Two O-2As were used atLaguna Army Airfield,Arizona as part of testing programs carried out by theYuma Proving Ground.These were retired in October 2010 and sent to a museum.[7]

South Vietnam

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35 USAF O-2 aircraft were later transferred to and operated by the formerRepublic of Vietnam Air Force.[4]

El Salvador

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During theSalvadoran Civil War,theSalvadoran Air Forcereceived a total of 23 O-2As and 2 O-2Bs from the United States, the first arriving in 1981. They were employed to observe the movements ofFMLNformations and direct air strikes against them, playing a major role in forcing the rebel movement to abandon large-scale operations.

Near the end of the war in 1990, the rebels' acquisition ofSA-7missiles resulted in the loss of two O-2As, while another was destroyed by mortar fire, and two more were lost in crashes.[8]

Civilian use

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CAL FIRE

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In the mid-1970s, theCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,or CAL FIRE, found that the contractor-owned air attack aircraft, mostly single-engineCessna 182sandCessna 210s,did not provide the airspeed and safety needed for the department's new air tanker program. In 1974, Senior Air Operations Officer Cotton Mason inspected 40 USAF O-2s atDavis-Monthan Air Force Base.The best 20 were selected and shipped toFresno, California.These aircraft had been FAC aircraft in Vietnam and were shipped back to the United States in containers, and were disassembled and on pallets when they arrived at Fresno. A crew ofCalifornia Conservation Corps(CCC) members under the supervision of a CDF Battalion Chief, who was an FAA Certificated Mechanic with Inspection Authorization (IA), reassembled the aircraft.

They were placed in service in 1976, and served CAL FIRE for more than 20 years, until replaced by a fleet ofOV-10 Broncos.[9]

Variants

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Planform view showing attachment points
O-2A
Version designed for use inforward air controlmissions, with underwing ordnance hard points to holdrockets,gun podsorflares.[1]513 delivered.[4]
O-2B
Version designed forpsychological warfare,equipped withloudspeakersand a leaflet dispenser, and not armed.[1]Thirty-one former civil 337s were converted to O-2Bs.[10]

Operators

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Botswana
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ivory Coast
Haiti
An O-2A of theImperial Iranian Air Force
Iran
Namibia
  • Namibian Air Force– Six O-2A,[11]five of which were delivered on June 26, 1994, for use in the anti-poaching and anti-smuggling role.[14]
El Salvador
Solomon Islands
South Korea
South Vietnam
Thailand
United States
Uruguay
Zimbabwe

Aircraft on display

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Displayed at theMuseum of Aviation (Warner Robins)

Specifications (O-2)

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O-2 Line drawing

Data from[40]

General characteristics

  • Crew:2[41]
  • Length:29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
  • Wingspan:38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
  • Height:9 ft 4 in (2.84 m)
  • Wing area:202.5 sq ft (18.81 m2)
  • Aspect ratio:7.13:1
  • Empty weight:2,848 lb (1,292 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight:5,400 lb (2,449 kg)
  • Powerplant:2 ×Continental IO-360C/D air-cooledflat-sixengines, 210 hp (160 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed:199 mph (320 km/h, 173 kn) at sea level
  • Cruise speed:144 mph (232 km/h, 125 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
  • Range:1,060 mi (1,710 km, 920 nmi)
  • Service ceiling:19,800 ft (6,000 m)
  • Rate of climb:1,180 ft/min (6.0 m/s)

Armament

See also

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Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

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  1. ^abcdef"Cessna O-2A Skymaster".National Museum of the United States Air Force™.Retrieved23 July2024.
  2. ^The OV-10 Bronco Association (March 2002)."What is the Pave Nail system?".Retrieved3 May2010.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^Skutack, Daniel (February 2003)."COVEYs in Southeast Asia"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 8 July 2011.Retrieved3 May2010.
  4. ^abc"Fact Sheets: Cessna O-2A Skymaster, Cessna O-2A Skymaster".Archived fromthe originalon 1 August 2008.
  5. ^Hobson, Chris.Vietnam Air Losses, USAF/USN/USMC/ Fixed-Wing Southeast Asia 1961–1973.2001.ISBN1-85780-115-6
  6. ^abcUnited States Military Aviation Directory, AIRTime Publishing, Norwalk CT, c2000, p. 231,ISBN1-880588-29-3
  7. ^James Gilbert (October 2010)."Retired aircraft soars in Yuma one last time".Army Times Publishing Company.Retrieved14 November2010.
  8. ^Cooper, Tom."El Salvador, 1980–1992".ACIG.org.Retrieved30 January2013.
  9. ^"Public domain material from" CDF Aviation Management History ", CDF official website, retrieved 23 August 2007".Archived fromthe originalon 4 April 2015.Retrieved23 August2007.
  10. ^Andrade 1979, p. 140
  11. ^abcdefghijk"Cessna Skymasters used by non-US Air-Forces"ArchivedMarch 12, 2010, at theWayback Machine,Skymaster.org.uk.Accessed 10 May 2010.
  12. ^"Haiti Air Force".www.aeroflight.co.uk.
  13. ^"21st. Counter Insurgence Squadron O-2A".Archived fromthe originalon 27 July 2012.
  14. ^AIR International,December 1994, p. 323.
  15. ^World Air Forces – Historical Listings Thailand (THL),archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2012,retrieved30 August2012
  16. ^"Aviation Photo #1611364: Cessna O-2A Pelican - USA - Navy".Airliners.net.
  17. ^Porfilio, Gabriel (19 June 2017)."Uruguayan Navy accepts three Cessna O-2As from Chile".IHS Jane's 360.Orlando. Archived fromthe originalon 20 June 2017.Retrieved20 June2017.
  18. ^"Hulburt Field - O-2A Skymaster".Archived fromthe originalon 23 June 2010.
  19. ^"vmap - O-2A Skymaster (Gray)".Vmap.wikispaces.com. 20 November 1967. Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2016.Retrieved20 February2014.
  20. ^Shaw AFBArchived2010-10-05 at theWayback Machine
  21. ^USAF Armament MuseumArchived2010-09-07 at theWayback Machine
  22. ^New York ANG - 105th AG, NewburghArchived2010-07-03 at theWayback Machine
  23. ^USAF History and Traditions MuseumArchived1999-08-31 at theWayback Machine
  24. ^Kelly Field Heritage MuseumArchived2010-07-26 at theWayback Machine
  25. ^Connecticut Air & Space Center
  26. ^Dyess Linear Air ParkArchived1999-08-31 at theWayback Machine
  27. ^Air Mobility Command MuseumArchived2010-12-04 at theWayback Machine
  28. ^Travis Air Force MuseumArchived2010-07-29 at theWayback Machine
  29. ^"Hill Air Force Base - Fact Sheet: SUPER SKYMASTER".Hill.af.mil. Archived fromthe originalon 21 September 2012.Retrieved16 September2012.
  30. ^"Museum of Aviation - Cessna O-2A Skymaster".Archived fromthe originalon 23 September 2010.
  31. ^"Grissom Air Museum - Cessna O-2A Skymaster".Archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2010.
  32. ^Illinois ANG - 182nd AG, PeoriaArchived2010-06-23 at theWayback Machine
  33. ^Pima Air & Space MuseumArchived2010-07-26 at theWayback Machine
  34. ^Castle Air MuseumArchived2006-02-06 at theWayback Machine
  35. ^"USAF Serial Number Search (67-21411)".Retrieved14 February2018.
  36. ^Valiant Air Command MuseumArchived2010-12-04 at theWayback Machine
  37. ^"Help us save a Vietnam Vet!".www.evergreenmuseum.org.Archived fromthe originalon 14 April 2021.Retrieved29 April2020.
  38. ^March Field Air MuseumArchived2010-08-13 at theWayback Machine
  39. ^"American Wings Air Museum".aviationmuseum.eu.16 October 2013.Retrieved17 May2016.
  40. ^Donald & Lake 1996,p. 115
  41. ^Dorr & Bishop 1996,p. 237
  42. ^abcd"T. 0. lL-2A-l - External stores - FAC_Book/0-2_Dash_One".Chancefac.net.Archived fromthe originalon 16 November 2018.

Bibliography

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  • Andrade, John (1979).U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909.Midland Counties Publications.ISBN0-904597-22-9.
  • Donald, David; Lake, Jon, eds. (1996).Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft(Single volume ed.). London: Aerospace Publishing.ISBN1-874023-95-6.
  • Dorr, Robert F.; Bishop, Chris (1996).Vietnam Air War Debrief.London: Aerospace Publishing.ISBN1-874023-78-6.
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