warplanes in action - the o-2 1969

8/2/2019 Warplanes in Action - The O-2 1969

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The manufacturer calls it the Su-per Skymaster. The Air Forcehas tagged it with the simple desig-nation 0-2. What the Viet Cong callsit is unprintable.It is a combat aircraft being used

in Vietnam that resembles the Lock-heed P-38 Lightning of World WarTwo fame and is quietly making a

record of its own in the fight to winthe peace in that war-torn nation.With the twin boom and tail like theLightning. it is powered by push-pulltwin engines.The 0-2 has gone relatively un-mentioned in the reports of the war,but it is ever-present in the skies overSoutheast Asia. The high-pitched

whine of the engines can be heardday and night criss-crossing the jun-gles looking for movement below.There is good reason why the enemyhales to hear the mosquitolike noise:If the forward 'air controller flyingthe 0-2 detects any evidence of theenemy, fighters are called in to destroythe targets. I continued

AIR PROGRESS OCTOBER 1969

BY COL. C. V. GLINES, USAF (RET.) AND MAI. ROBERT C. MIKESH, USAFThe aircraft is as familiar to Stateside pilots as it is to the Viet Cong, for the 0-2, an observation planeflown by forward air controllers in Vietnam, is the military version of the Cessna Super Skymaster,


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The02The unique structural features ofthe 0-2 mark the first time since

1938 that there has been a militaryaircraft built featuring twin boomswith a push-pull twin-engine configu-ration. Fokker in the Netherlandscame forward that year with theModel XXIII twin-engine single-seatfighter. Rear engine cooling and otherproblems hampered development, andthe sole aircraft was destroyed by aGerman air attack on the Fokkerhangar in 1940.

The principal aim in both the Fok-ker design and the Cessna design oftoday is drag reduction, but the tan-dem powerplant arrangement offersseveral other advantages, such as theability to cruise on the power of oneengine without serious yaw and drageffects. The increased protection forthe pilot provided by the fore and aftengines in the Fokker aircraft elimi-nated the need for extensive armorprotection against other fighters; inthe 0-2 this has little effect, since

The new 0-2T (above) hasAllison 250-B 15 turboprop engines,increased wing area and high-lift devices for better short-fieldperformance. Pilot visibility ,is improved by use of bubblecanopy, and the version proposedfor the military-the 0-2TT-has tandem seating.Surviving battle damage was notone of the specifications forthe original civilian model,but the 0-2 (left) has provedto be a rugged fighter.

small-arms fire from below is the ma-jor concern.The need for an airplane with goodtwin-engine characteristics developedout of experience with the aging sin-gle-engine Cessna 0-1 Bird Dog. In-stead of replacing the Bird Dog,however, the 0-2 complements it, andthe older plane is staying in the in-ventory. The specific requirementthat led to the newer plane was thedifficult and rugged terrain that isfound in the northern part of SouthVietnam, designated I Corps by themilitary. The 0-1 had been operatingthere for several years, and whileit is a reliable craft, engine failuresin this mountainous area meant al-most certain doom for the crew. Anew plane, preferably with two en-gines, was badly needed right away.The Department of Defense startedlooking for a production lightplanethat would fill the need until a mili-tary model with all the required capa-bilities could be designed and built.

The Cessna Aircraft Company im-mediately came forward with a pro-posal when the DoD desires wereknown. They had on their assemblylines the 1966 civilian Model 337 Su-per Skymaster. When demonstrationsproved that it could perform well onone engine and presented no prob-lems to the pilot who may have hisattentions intent on activities on theground. the military was very inter-ested. Further tests were arrangedfor pilots who had flown the 0-1 incombat and knew what they neededwhen flying low over the jungles ofSoutheast Asia. They suggested thatsome changes should be made in thecivilian version before the militaryplunked down the taxpayers' money.

The major drawback to the civilianversion was pilot visibility, becausea FACs job is to look down onboth sides of the aircraft. The side-by-side arrangement meant that thepilot could not see very well out theright side. It could mean he might


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miss enemy targets on the ground.Worst of all, it could mean his life.One of the changes suggested was amodified fuselage-narrower and withtandem seating like the 0-1.Cessna engineers were willing tomake this change in design for themilitary, but it meant an unacceptableIS-month delay. To compensate forthe reduced visibility of the off-the-shelf model, transparent fuselages anddoor panels were installed. Otherchanges included heavier skin for thewings, external pylons for holdingrocket tubes, and instrument changesto comply with military standards.Several new features were added asmilitary Super Skymasters starteddown the Cessna production line. Agunsight was installed for sightingrockets to mark the spots on theground where enemy forces are lo-cated. A smoke generator was at-tached to the rear engine to enablethe FAC to show his position to thefighters flying above him. When these

Above: All 02 flies formation with earlier FAC plane, the 0-1 Bird Dog,also built by Cessna.BeIOlI': At Da Nang, an Air Force 0-2 is readied jar a mission,while Marines wait for incoming cargo.


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The02and other minor changes were made,the result was officially designated the0-2A, and 223 of them were de-livered during 1967. One hundred andfifty-four more will be delivered dur-ing 1969.There was another military require-ment that could be filled by the 0-2.The Air Force needed an airplane tobe used in psychological warfare-one that could carry leaflets and aloudspeaker system for broadcasts tothe enemy forces below.The Air Force asked lightplanemanufacturers for a plane that couldbe used for the "psywar" mission im-mediately; again, Cessna respondedby suggesting the Super Skymaster,without the extensive modificationsrequired on the FAC planes. The AirForce agreed and Cessna immediate-ly recalled to its Wichita fac-tory many of the Model 337s thatwere being used as demonstrators.The civilian paint job was strippedoff and replaced with a dull grayfinish. A speaker system was installedin the luggage door with battery-powered tape recorder providing themessage to be broadcast to the ene-my. A slot with a chute was installedin the floor for the propaganda leaf-lets. The end result: the 0-2B. Thirty-one of them were bought and placedin service.To expedite the training of pilotsso that they would be prepared to ac-cept the 0-2's coming off the Cessnalines, several of the unconverted Su-per Skymasters were sent to HollyField, an auxiliary of Eglin Air Force

Military modifications of the twin-boompush-pull Sky master included installationof transparent fuselages and doorpanels for increased visibility, externalpylons for holding rocket tubes, and arear-engine smoke generator to helpU.S. fighters spot the FAC plane.

26 AIR PROGRESS

Base, Florida, to train the FAC andpsywar pilots.The first four 0-2s were deliveredto the 20th Tactical Air SupportSquadron at Da Nang on July 2,1967. A few days later, the first 0-2mission was flown in the Quang NamSector of the I Corps area. Pilots whoflew it missed the visibility of theBird Dog but were extremely pleasedwith the increased performance andease of control.For an Air Force pilot who hasflown only jets during his career, thetricycle-geared 0-2 is an easier planeto transition to than the conventional-geared 0-1. However, while cockpitprocedures are simple, the jet pilotdiscovers a whole new world of fly-ing when he has to become familiarwith magneto switches, mixture set-tings, and propeller pitch controls.It is the consensus of pilots whohave transitioned to the 0-2 that itis a comfortable plane to fly. Thelarge door gives easy access to thecockpit. This is much appreciated bythe FAC, who usually wears a sur-vival vest with multiple pockets bulg-ing with everything from matches torations to an emergency radio. Overthis goes a flack vest, and in some ofthe cooler parts of Vietnam, a flightjacket.The rear engine is started first. Thisis done because the pilot cannot seethe propeller and relies on the soundof the engine for much of his start-ing technique. Gr.ound checks are fewand simple. The nose gear is steer-able with the rudder and the level

attitude created by the tricycle gearmakes ground handling easy.As seems to be traditional withevery military aircraft ever built, thecombat version of the 0-2 is farheavier than the original test modelsbecause of extra military equipment.With a full load of fuel, two externalrocket pods loaded with seven whitephosphorus rockets each, the aircraftwithout crew weighs 4,428 pounds-an excess of 128 pounds over the de-signed gross weight but still withinsafety limits. To allow for a crew,the gross weight allowance has nowbeen upped to 4,850 pounds with noadditional engine power added. Incombat areas, this maximum ISreached frequently. As one pilotsaid. "We've developed a lot of con-fidence in these 310 Continental en-gines. and I have found that if theload will fit into the cabin, the air-plane will still fly."Takeoff runs rarely exceed 1,800feet with a combat load. The extend-ed landing gear reduces the airspeedonly about five knots. However,landing gear doors act as speedbrakes momentarily when opening toreceive the wheels after takeoff, andthis. added to the drag of the rocketpods. can be a critical factor if anengine malfunctions. Therefore, FACpilots do not hurry to get the gear upbut establish a good rate of climb be-fore retracting the gear.The Air Force admits that the lossrate of engines due to mechanicalfailure was -disappointingly high dur-continued on page 65


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The 0-2 continued from page 26ing the first year that the 0-2 wasin service-but this was mostly dueto engine modifications made to meetmilitary specifications. Correctionswere quickly made, and engine reli-ability was greatly improved. Withthese changes, the 0-2 has become adependable aircraft."If an engine fails," an 0-2 pilotsaid, "hopefully it will be the frontengine. Due to the airflow aroundthe fuselage, the front propeller is lessefficient than the rear, though bothare powered by the same type of en-gine."The 0-2 has proven to be a ruggedfighter when it comes to surviving" battle damage-a feature that wasnot considered when the civilian mod-el was designed. While on a typicallow-level mission, the jet fighter isexposed to enemy ground fire for ap-

proximately five to 10 minutes persortie. To compensate, the jets havedefensive armor and speed capabili-ty built in. But FAC aircraft do nothave these characteristics. Since theirmissions are necessarily low-level, theground-fire exposure time rangesfrom three to four hours per sortie inan average five-hour mission.Skin damage due to small arms fireis a common occurrence during FACmissions. Damage ranges from clean,neat holes from single .30-caliber bul-lets to large, jagged holes caused bylarge caliber ack-ack guns. In somecases, portions of wings and tails havebeen shot away. Fortunately, few 0-2s have been shot down directly, butmany have returned with severe dam-age, requiring a complete replacementof major sections. In one instance,the left tail boom was completelysevered, except for the structurallongeron, and both elevator cableswere cut. A hit was also taken in thewing and vertical stabilizer. Despitethis structural damage, the pilot wasable to return to a friendly field, us-ing the elevator trim tab for pitchcontrol.The retractable landing gear on the0-2 has proven very reliable, yet isa system that is susceptible to battledamage. When the gear cannot beextended for landing, gear-up land-ings have been accomplished withonly minor skin damage. By feather-ing the front propeller and position-ing it horizontally, a controlled land-ing on a foamed runway can bemade with ease. Rear propeller tipshave plenty of runway clearance be-cause of the high thrust line.The rear propeller caused someconcern to pilots because there wasfear that a crew member would bechopped to pieces if he ever had tobailout. In the first year of opera-65/oCTOBER 1969

tion, four crew members bailed outsuccessfully at night and landed with-out injury. All were recovered the nextmorning from enemy-infested territory.The Air Force originally intended toarm the 0-2 with the 7.62mm mini-gun so that a FAC could hold the ene-my at bay until the fighters arrive.But fighter response is not always fastenough, so it was decided that, be-cause of the 0-2's lack of pilot protec-tion flying at slow speed and operat-ing at low altitudes would place theFAC at a disadvantage. The enemyknows that the FAC plane is un-armed and will generally not fire forfear of showing his position and riskthe danger of having the heavy fire-power of the fighters called in. Arm-ing the 0-2s would make them aprime target. and military strategistsfelt that the FACs could not long sur-vive flying an aggressor aircraft ofmarginal performance. He would bethe hunted instead of the hunter.The OV-IO Bronco manufacturedby North American Rockwell, isplanned as the follow-on aircraft forthe 0-2, and it is now entering ser-vice in Vietnam. However, the OV-IOwill not completely replace the 0-2,just as the 0-2 does not take the 0-1out of service. The Cessna engineers,encouraged by the 0-2's record incombat, have now come up with the0-2TT (tandem turbine) which theyare proposing for the FAC mission.Powered by two Allison 250-B15 tur-boprop engines, it features tandemseating and a bubble canopy for bet-ter pilot and observer visibility.The new nose section of the 0-2ITplaces both crew members forwardof the wing, which leaves ample roomin the aft fuselage for special nightsighting equipment or additional per-sonnel. STOL characteristics wereadded to the new design by increas-ing the wing area and adding high-lift devices for short-field operation.An extended gear, larger wheels

and tires, and raised propellers pro-vide better ground clearance. The Al-lison engines have 214 more horse-power, but the total engine weight hasbeen reduced by 330 pounds. An op-erating gross weight of 5,000 poundshas been approved with an alternategross weight of 5,750 pounds okayedfor long-range or ferry missions.The 0-2-an airplane designedfor the civilian market and modifiedto meet war needs-is a tribute toAmerican engineering know-how andproves once again that necessity isthe mother of invention.Travel Air continued from page 39ings that make CF-JLW a D4D,rather than a D4000. All of thesefairings are either mirror-smooth

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warplanes in action - the o-2 1969

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