YOV-10A 152879_33660-12
The first prototype North American YOV-10A Bronco, BuNo 152879, at the Garrett AiResearch Flight Test hangar in the summer of 1968. The aircraft by this time had received a number of modifications, most notably a 40-foot span wing and uprated T76 engines. The reason for its use by Garrett was to accumulate a lot of hours on the engines so they could anticipate issues that might arise in service as it was just being introduced to squadrons in Vietnam.
Interestingly the 40-foot wing was not a production type wing in that the tailbooms were still the same distance apart as on the original 30-foot wings fitted to the prototypes. On the production models the booms were each 6 inches farther out from the aircraft centerline. It also has the original type horizontal stabilizer but does have improved vertical stabilizer top fairings that are similar but not identical to the production versions.
This is one of several photos taken by Garrett and are the only photos I've seen of 152879 with a 40-foot wing. Oddly, after it left Phoenix it was re-fitted with a 30-foot wing fitted with wingtip extensions bringing the span to 34 feet. This configuration was introduced on several prototypes earlier in the test program as an interim measure while the 40-foot wing was being designed. Not sure why they went "backwards" from the longer wing on 152879 but it was used for a time at PAX and might have had something to do with testing they were using it for. Possibly to get more speed out of it.
If anyone happens to come across other photos of this aircraft with the 40-foot wing as in this photo, I would love to see them!
YOV-10A 152879_33660-12
The first prototype North American YOV-10A Bronco, BuNo 152879, at the Garrett AiResearch Flight Test hangar in the summer of 1968. The aircraft by this time had received a number of modifications, most notably a 40-foot span wing and uprated T76 engines. The reason for its use by Garrett was to accumulate a lot of hours on the engines so they could anticipate issues that might arise in service as it was just being introduced to squadrons in Vietnam.
Interestingly the 40-foot wing was not a production type wing in that the tailbooms were still the same distance apart as on the original 30-foot wings fitted to the prototypes. On the production models the booms were each 6 inches farther out from the aircraft centerline. It also has the original type horizontal stabilizer but does have improved vertical stabilizer top fairings that are similar but not identical to the production versions.
This is one of several photos taken by Garrett and are the only photos I've seen of 152879 with a 40-foot wing. Oddly, after it left Phoenix it was re-fitted with a 30-foot wing fitted with wingtip extensions bringing the span to 34 feet. This configuration was introduced on several prototypes earlier in the test program as an interim measure while the 40-foot wing was being designed. Not sure why they went "backwards" from the longer wing on 152879 but it was used for a time at PAX and might have had something to do with testing they were using it for. Possibly to get more speed out of it.
If anyone happens to come across other photos of this aircraft with the 40-foot wing as in this photo, I would love to see them!