Eglin AFB in Okaloosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
O-2 Skymaster
The twin engine O-2 aircraft was designed and built by the Cessna Aircraft Corp. The prototype was first flown in February 1961 and production began in 1962. Cessna built 1,722 of these aircraft for both military and civilian use.
The O-2A was equipped for Forward Air Controller missions such as Visual Reconnaissance, Target Identification, Ground - Air Coordination and Damage Assessment. The moderate performance and light ordnance carried occasionally made these missions quite dangerous.
The O-2B was similar to the O-2A but were equipped for Psychological Warfare, the O-2B had the capacity to disperse paper leaflets in flight and carried Air-to-Ground Broadcast gear consisting of loudspeakers mounted under the wings. The O-2B was used extensively during the Vietnam War.
This O-2A S/N 68-6864 is painted with the black paint scheme used to fly night missions over sites on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Viet Nam. It was assigned to various units during the war in Southeast Asia from Jan 1968 to Mar 1972.
Specifications
Manufacturer Cessna Aircraft
Thrust Two Continental 10-360 Reciprocating engines rated at 210 hp each
Length 29 ft 9 in
Height 9 ft 4 in
Wingspan 38 ft 2 in
Weight 2,848 lbs Empty / 5,400 lbs Max
Speed (mph) 199 mph Max / 144 mph Cruise
Range 1060 Miles
Ceiling 19,300 ft
Armament Four wing pylons for rocket launchers, flares, or Mini-gun packs
This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: Military.
Location. 30° 27.952′ N, 86° 33.652′ W. Marker is in Eglin AFB, Florida, in Okaloosa County. Memorial can be reached from Pinchot Road (State Road 189) near Museum Drive, on the right when traveling south. Located at the Air Force Armament Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Museum Drive, Eglin AFB FL 32542, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. F-4 Phantom II (here, next to this marker); B-47 Stratojet (a few steps from this marker); MIG-21 Fishbed (a few steps from this marker); GBU-43/B MOAB (a few steps from this marker); Nurses Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); F-104 Starfighter (within shouting distance of this marker); JF-101B Voodoo (within shouting distance of this marker); Combat Wounded Veterans (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eglin AFB.
Also see . . .
1. Air Force Armament Museum. (Submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Cessna O-2 Skymaster on Wikipedia. (Submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 11, 2017. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 239 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.