BoeingFan7879
Grumman OV-1A Mohawk
In 1957, the U.S. Army identified a new requirement for a lighter but more rugged frontline observation aircraft that could operate from rough airstrips and also have short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Grumman's proposal was granted, and the development of the YAO-1A soon began. The aircraft's maiden flight was on April 14th, 1959. It was a mid-wing monoplane powered by a pair of turboprop engines, with a tail featuring three vertical stabilizers, much like the previous Lockheed Constellation. The pilot and the observer sat side-by-side in a cockpit with bulged side windows, providing excellent downward visibility.
Three production variants were ordered: the AO-1A, built exclusively for either daytime or nighttime reconnaissance missions; the AO-1B, built with a Sideways Looking Radar (SLAR) pod slung under the right side of the fuselage; and finally, the AO-1C, explicitly designed for infra-red reconnaissance. These designations were later changed to OV-1A, B, and C respectively. An OV-10 “Bronco” version was later developed, and the capabilities of both the OV-1B and C versions were combined. More than 375 OV-1 Mohawks were built over nearly a decade and used extensively throughout the Vietnam War. The aircraft was not designed to carry any armaments, but many were later modified in the field to carry rockets, mortars, rotating-barrel machine guns, and even small missiles. Depending on the mission, they would also use iron bombs or napalm canisters on some occasions.
This OV-1A, BuNo 59-2604, was only the 2nd OV-1 ever built and delivered to the U.S. Army in 1960. Details on its Army career are scarce, though it may have served as a JOV-1 testbed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for a short time; it may also have served in Vietnam. It was retired in 1973 and used by NASA to research wing icing, then stored or sold to a private owner. By 1998, it was in the possession of the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas; in 2006, 59-2604 was sold to Planes of Fame (This saved the aircraft, as the Lone Star Flight Museum was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008).
59-2604 carries the high-visibility markings used by the U.S. Army until about halfway through the Vietnam War, though many OV-1s carried these markings until the war's end. Though 59-2604 is only a static display at the moment, it is currently in the process of being restored to flying condition.
Grumman OV-1A Mohawk
In 1957, the U.S. Army identified a new requirement for a lighter but more rugged frontline observation aircraft that could operate from rough airstrips and also have short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Grumman's proposal was granted, and the development of the YAO-1A soon began. The aircraft's maiden flight was on April 14th, 1959. It was a mid-wing monoplane powered by a pair of turboprop engines, with a tail featuring three vertical stabilizers, much like the previous Lockheed Constellation. The pilot and the observer sat side-by-side in a cockpit with bulged side windows, providing excellent downward visibility.
Three production variants were ordered: the AO-1A, built exclusively for either daytime or nighttime reconnaissance missions; the AO-1B, built with a Sideways Looking Radar (SLAR) pod slung under the right side of the fuselage; and finally, the AO-1C, explicitly designed for infra-red reconnaissance. These designations were later changed to OV-1A, B, and C respectively. An OV-10 “Bronco” version was later developed, and the capabilities of both the OV-1B and C versions were combined. More than 375 OV-1 Mohawks were built over nearly a decade and used extensively throughout the Vietnam War. The aircraft was not designed to carry any armaments, but many were later modified in the field to carry rockets, mortars, rotating-barrel machine guns, and even small missiles. Depending on the mission, they would also use iron bombs or napalm canisters on some occasions.
This OV-1A, BuNo 59-2604, was only the 2nd OV-1 ever built and delivered to the U.S. Army in 1960. Details on its Army career are scarce, though it may have served as a JOV-1 testbed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for a short time; it may also have served in Vietnam. It was retired in 1973 and used by NASA to research wing icing, then stored or sold to a private owner. By 1998, it was in the possession of the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas; in 2006, 59-2604 was sold to Planes of Fame (This saved the aircraft, as the Lone Star Flight Museum was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008).
59-2604 carries the high-visibility markings used by the U.S. Army until about halfway through the Vietnam War, though many OV-1s carried these markings until the war's end. Though 59-2604 is only a static display at the moment, it is currently in the process of being restored to flying condition.