Liaison/Reconnaissance

Stinson “L-5 Sentinel”

Liaison aircraft were used by all of the services in WWII for various tasks, including the evacuation of the wounded to field hospitals. These small aircraft were the predecessors to the medivac helicopter that was developed during Vietnam. The small L Birds had the capability to land and take off from very short landing strips and were most useful along the front lines not only for medical evacuation, but artillery spotting and the movement of messages and people from location to location.

Pictured above is the L-5 flown by Rodney Davis of Indianapolis making his landing at the air show. Rodney will be back this year and on display at the west end of the field.

When flown as an artillery spotter in WWII, it was the most feared aircraft in the sky by enemy troops!

Cessna L-19/O-1“Bird Dog”

The “Bird Dog” was originally ordered by the US Army after WWII to replace the various liaison aircraft that had been used and worn out during that conflict. Cessna delivered 2,486 L-19’s to the Army between 1950 and 1954, of which 60 were diverted to the US Marines. A few saw duties during the Korean conflict, but it was in Vietnam that the O-1, as it was then designated, saw considerable duty. Acquired by the Air Force from the Army, it was used extensively in the early stages of the American involvement as a forward air control aircraft until being replaced by faster aircraft later in the war.

The L-19 shown above is owned by Bill and Debbie Finney of Muncie, IN. They are past participants at the show and are always willing to talk to you about their “Bird Dog”.

Cessna O-2 “Fighting Skymaster”

The O-2 was extensively used as a forward air control aircraft in South East Asia and was the replacement for the Cessna O-1. Derived from the civilian Model 337, the Air Force found an “off the shelf” aircraft that could quickly be made ready for combat and the forward air control function. With its high wing design, which made for excellent observation, and its two engine safely margin, the O-2 was quickly put into combat in Vietnam and became one of the more highly versatile aircraft deployed. The O-2B version was designed and manufactured specifically as a psychological warfare aircraft, being equipped with sound equipment and loudspeakers to broadcast messages to the enemy from the air, along with the ability to drop leaflets in enemy territory. The O-2A has a strengthened spar for hard points for the attachment of smoke rockets used in marking targets, and 600 lbs of radio equipment for communication with the various military units a forward air controller would be dealing with.

The O-2A pictured above is owned by Dennis Labbe of Ft. Myers, FL and is seen here in the landing configuration. This particular aircraft is also a veteran of the Vietnam War and will again be returning to the Indianapolis Air Show in 2009 for its fifth appearance.

North American/Ryan L-17 “Navion”

The Navion was designed by North American Aviation in 1946 as a civilian aircraft, and Ryan Aeronautical Company bought the design and manufacturing rights in 1947. Over 1,100 were produced, which were used extensively during Korea in a wide variety of roles, including cargo transport, liaison, forward air control, and VIP transport.

The L-17 pictured above will be put on static display by Lynda Kilbourne from Newport, KY.


Indy Transponder