Cessna O-2 Skymaster

O-2 Skymaster
An O-2 Skymaster
Role Observation aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Cessna
First flight January 1967
Introduction March 1967
Retired 2010 (United States)
Status Limited service
Primary users United States Air Force (historical)
Botswana Air Force
Salvadoran Air Force
Produced 1967–1975
Number built 532
Developed from Cessna Skymaster

The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed "Oscar Deuce") is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010.

In 1966 the United States Air Force (USAF) commissioned Cessna to build a military variant to replace the O-1 Bird Dog and the O-2 resulted.

Design and development

As with the civilian version, the Skymaster was a low-cost twin-engine piston-powered aircraft, with one engine in the nose of the aircraft and a second engine in the rear of the fuselage. The push-pull configuration meant a simpler single-engine operating procedure due to centerline thrust compared to the common low-wing mounting of most twin engine light planes, and also allowed for a high wing, providing clear observation below and behind the aircraft.

The first O-2 flew in January 1967 and the plane went into production shortly thereafter.

Operational history

USAF O-2 Skymaster in flight

United States

The USAF took delivery of the O2 Skymaster in March 1967 and the O-2A also entered the U.S. Army's inventory during 1967, from USAF stock. By 1970, a total of 532 O-2s had been built, in two variants, for the USAF.

During the Vietnam War, the O-2A was introduced as a replacement for the O-1 Bird Dog, in the forward air control (FAC) aircraft and served in the role with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron. The O-2B was equipped with loudspeakers and a leaflet dispenser for use in the psychological operations (PSYOPS) role.

While it was intended that the Skymaster be replaced in the FAC mission by the OV-10 Bronco, but the O-2A continued night missions after the OV-10's introduction, due to the OV-10's high level of cockpit illumination, rendering night reconnaissance impractical.[1] The O-2 was phased out completely after additional night upgrades to the OV-10.[2][3]

A total of 178 USAF O-2 Skymasters were lost in the Vietnam War, to all causes.[4]

Following the Vietnam War, the O-2 continued to operate with both U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard units well into the late 1980s.

Six former USAF O-2A airframes were also transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1983 for use as range controllers with Attack Squadron 122 (VA-122), the Pacific Fleet Replacement Squadron for the A-7 Corsair II at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. These same aircraft were later transferred to Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125), the F/A-18 Hornet FRS at NAS Lemoore, in 1986 for use in the same range control role.[5]

Of the six USN aircraft mentioned above, two were transferred to the U.S. Army in late 1990.[5] USAF O-2As were augmented by the 1990 aircraft transfer from the U.S. Navy. Several disassembled USAF O-2s remain in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.[5] Two O-2As were used at Laguna Army Airfield, Arizona as part of testing programs carried out by the Yuma Proving Ground. These were retired in October 2010 and sent to a museum.[1]

South Vietnam

Several USAF O-2 aircraft were later transferred to and operated by the former VNAF South Vietnamese Air Force.[3]

El Salvador

During the Salvadoran Civil War the Salvadoran Air Force received a total of 23 O-2As and 2 O-2Bs from the United States, the first arriving in 1981. The O-2s were employed to observe the movements of FMLN formations 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 of SA-7 missiles resulted in the loss of two O-2As, while another was destroyed by mortar fire, and two more were lost in crashes.[6]

Civilian use

CAL FIRE

In the mid 1970s, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, found that the contractor-owned air attack aircraft, mostly single-engine Cessna 182s and Cessna 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 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The best 20 were selected and shipped to Fresno, 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 of California 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 successfully served CAL FIRE for more than 20 years, until replaced by a fleet of OV-10 Broncos.[7]

Variants

An O-2B Skymaster dropping leaflets over Vietnam
O-2A
Version designed for use in forward air control missions, features ordnance hard points underneath the wings to hold rockets, gun pods or flares. 513 were delivered.[3]
O-2B
Version designed for psychological warfare, and was equipped with loudspeakers and a leaflet dispenser, but otherwise carried no weapons. Thirty-one former civil 337s were converted to O-2Bs.[8]

Operators

Cessna O-2 on the ground in New Jersey, 2008
 Botswana
 Costa Rica
 Dominican Republic
 Ivory Coast
 Haiti
 Namibia
 El Salvador
 Solomon Islands
 South Korea
 South Vietnam
 United States
 Zimbabwe

Specifications (O-2)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Aircraft on display

Notable appearances in media

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. 1 2 The OV-10 Bronco Association (March 2002). "What is the Pave Nail system?". Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Skutack, Daniel (February 2003). "COVEY's in Southeast Asia" (PDF). Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Fact Sheets : Cessna O-2A Skymaster : Cessna O-2A Skymaster
  4. ↑ Hobson, Chris. Vietnam Air Losses, USAF/USN/USMC/ Fixed-Wing Southeast Asia 1961-1973. 2001. ISBN 1-85780-115-6
  5. 1 2 3 The United States Military Aviation Directory, AIRTime Publishing, Norwalk, CT, c2000, p. 231, ISBN 1-880588-29-3
  6. ↑ Cooper, Tom. "El Salvador, 1980-1992". ACIG.org. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  7. ↑ This section contains public domain material taken from "CDF Aviation Management History", CDF official website, retrieved August 23, 2007
  8. ↑ Andrade 1979, page 140
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Cessna Skymasters used by non-US Air-Forces", Skymaster.org.uk. Accessed May 10, 2010.
  10. ↑ Haiti Air Force
  11. ↑ 21st. Counter Insurgence Squadron O-2A
  12. ↑ AIR International, December 1994, page 323.
  13. ↑ US Navy O-2 Pelican
  14. 1 2 3 4 "T". Chancefac.net. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  15. ↑ United States Air Force Museum
  16. ↑ National Museum of the US Air Force - Cessna O-2A Skymaster
  17. ↑ Hulburt Field - O-2A Skymaster
  18. ↑ "vmap - O-2A Skymaster (Gray)". Vmap.wikispaces.com. 1967-11-20. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  19. ↑ Shaw AFB
  20. ↑ USAF Armament Museum
  21. ↑ New York ANG - 105th AG, Newburgh
  22. ↑ USAF History and Traditions Museum
  23. ↑ Kelly Field Heritage Museum
  24. ↑ Dyess Linear Air Park
  25. ↑ Air Mobility Command Museum
  26. ↑ Travis Air Force Museum
  27. ↑ "Hill Air Force Base - Fact Sheet (Printable) : "SUPER SKYMASTER"". Hill.af.mil. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
  28. ↑ Museum of Aviation - Cessna O-2A "Skymaster"
  29. ↑ Grissom Air Museum - Cessna O-2A Super Skymaster
  30. ↑ Illinois ANG - 182nd AG, Peoria
  31. ↑ Pima Air & Space Museum
  32. ↑ Castle Air Museum
  33. ↑ Chanute Display Center
  34. ↑ Valiant Air Command Museum
  35. ↑ March Field Air Museum

Bibliography

  • Andrade, John (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9. 

External links

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