- Curtiss O-52 Owl
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O-52 The O-52 at National Museum of the United States Air Force Role Reconnaissance Manufacturer Curtiss-Wright Introduction 1940 Primary user United States Army Air Corps Produced 203 Unit cost $31,000 The Curtiss O-52 "Owl" is an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II.
Contents
Design and development
Developed in 1939, the Curtiss O-52 was the last "heavy" observation aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps. The concept of the two-seat observation aircraft, classed as the "O" series aircraft, dated to World War I, and in 1940, the Army Air Corps ordered 203 Curtiss O-52s for observation duties. By 1941, the O-52 was no match for modern combat conditions.
Operational history
Upon delivery, the aircraft was used in military maneuvers with the USAAC, but following America's entry into World War II, the USAAF determined that the aircraft did not possess sufficient performance for "modern" combat operations in oversea areas. As a result, the O-52 was relegated to courier duties within the U.S. and short-range submarine patrol over the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The O-52 was the last "O" type aircraft procured in quantity for the Air Corps. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the "O" designation was discontinued and the "L" series for liaison-type aircraft was adopted instead.
In November 1942, the USSR ordered 30 O-52 Owls through the Lend-Lease program. Twenty-six were shipped and only 19 ever made it to their shores.[1] Of these only 10 were accepted into service. They were used operationally for artillery-fire spotting and general photographic and observation platforms. Some were still flying into the 1950s. The aircraft was generally disliked in Soviet use.
Operators
Survivors
- A surviving O-52 (s/n 40-2763) is on display in the Early Years Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft was obtained from the U.S. Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio in November, 1962.[2]
- O-52 (s/n 40-2746) is at Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, and is "currently undergoing a detail restoration".[3]
- O-52 (s/n 40-2769) is at Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. [4]
Specifications (O-52)
Data from American Warplanes of World War II [5]
General characteristics
- Length: 26 ft 4 in (8.03 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.43 m)
- Height: 9 ft 3 in (2.83 m)
- Wing area: 210.4 ft² (19.55 m²)
- Empty weight: 4,213 lb (1,919 kg)
- Loaded weight: 5,364 lb (2,433 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-51 radial engine, 600 hp (447 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 220 mph (191 knots, 354 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 192 mph (167 knots,309 km/h)
- Range: 700 miles (609 nmi, 1,127 km)
- Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Armament
- Guns: 1 × forward and 1 × rearward firing .30-cal (7.62 mm) machine gun
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Thomas-Morse O-19
- Douglas O-38
- North American O-47
- Westland Lysander
- Fieseler Storch
References
- Notes
- ^ Hardesty 1991, p. 253, Appendixes.
- ^ United States Air Force Museum 1975, p. 28.
- ^ "Curtiss O-52 Owl." Pima Air Museum. Retrieved: 18 January 2011.
- ^ "Curtiss O-52A-1-CW "Owl." Yanks Air Museum. Retrieved: 18 January 2011.
- ^ Donald 1995, p.64.
- Bibliography
- Donald, David. American Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1-874023-72-7.
- United States Air Force Museum Guidebook. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975.
- Hardesty, Von. Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power 1941-1945. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1991. ISBN 0874745101.
External links
Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright Manufacturer
designationsModel letters: C • D • E • F • G • GS • H • J • K • L • M • N • PN • JN • R • S
Model numbers: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 23 • 24 • 26 • 28 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59A/59B • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 79 • 81 • 82 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 90 • 91 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 •
"CW" models: CW-1 • CW-2 • CW-3 • CW-4 • CW-5 • CW-6 • CW-7 • CW-8 • CW-9 • CW-10 • CW-11 • CW-12 • CW-14 • CW-15 • CW-16 • CW-17 • CW-18 • CW-19 • CW-20 • CW-21 • CW-22 • CW-23 • CW-24 • CW-25 • CW-27 • CW-29 • CW-32
By role Experimental: No. 1 • Model C • Tanager
Racing: No. 2 • CR • R2C • R3C
General utility: Model D • Model E • Model F • Robin • Thrush
Maritime patrol: Model H • HS-1L and -2L
Training: Model L • Model JN • Fledgling • AT-4 Hawk • AT-5 Hawk
Fighters: 18 • PW-8 • P-1 • P-2 • P-3 • P-4 • P-5 • P-6 • XP-31 • P-36 • P-40 • XP-46 • XP-53 • YP-60 • XP-62 • XP-71 • XP-87
Naval Fighters: HA • FC • F2C • F3C • F4C • F6C • F7C • F8C • F9C • F10C • F11C • XF12C • F13C • XF14C • XF15C
Airliners: Eagle • Condor II • Kingbird
Naval Scouts/Dive Bombers: CS • GS • S2C • XS3C • S4C • SC • SBC • SB2C • XSB3C • SOC • SO2C • SO3C
Observation: O-1 • O-12 • O-13 • O-16 • O-18 • O-26 • O-39 • O-40 • O-52
Naval Observation: OC • O2C • O3C
Naval Bombers: 24 • BFC • BF2C • XBTC • XBT2C
Ground Attack: A-3 • A-4 • A-5 • A-6 • A-8 • YA-10 • A-12 • YA-14 • A-25 • A-40 • XA-43
Licensed production: NBS-1
USAAC/USAAF observation aircraft Observation O-1 • O-2 • XO-3 • XO-4 • O-5 • O-6 • O-7 • O-8 • O-9 • XO-10 • O-11 • O-12 • O-14 • XO-14 • XO-15 • XO-16 • O-17 • XO-18 • O-19 • YO-20 • XO-21 • O-22 • YO-23 • O-24 • O-25 • Y1O-26 • Y1O-27 • O-28 • O-29 • O-30 • O-31 • O-32 • Y1O-33 • O-34 • O-35 • XO-36 • O-37 • O-38 • O-39 • O-40 • Y1O-41 • O-42 • O-43 • XO-44 • O-45 • O-46 • O-47 • XO-48 • O-49 • YO-50 • YO-51 • O-52 • O-53 • YO-54 • YO-55 • O-56 • O-57 • O-58 • O-59 • O-60 • XO-61 • O-62 • XO-63
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- Curtiss aircraft
- Single-engine aircraft
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