O-2 Skymaster

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