Cessna O-1 Bird Dog

Cessna · United States · first flew 1949 · reconnaissance aircraft

The US military’s liaison and artillery-spotting workhorse of Korea and Vietnam — a militarised Cessna taildragger that loitered low and slow over the battlefield.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Taildragger stance and a slim rear fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

High-wing tandem two-seater with big greenhouse windows
Taildragger stance and a slim rear fuselage
Often in drab military paint at warbird gatherings

Looks like a stretched, angular Cessna taildragger with tandem seating and glazing that wraps above and behind the wing. The upright fin and skylight windows separate it from a Super Cub at a glance.

Specifications

The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog has a length of 7.85 m (26 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.97 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Cessna adapted its Model 170 into the tandem-seat L-19 for a 1949 US Army competition, and more than 3,400 were built. Redesignated O-1 in 1962, it spotted artillery in Korea and flew forward air control in Vietnam, marking targets with smoke rockets while dodging ground fire at treetop height.

Variants

L-19/O-1A through O-1G with equipment changes; TL-19D instrument trainer; widely exported to allied air arms.

Where you'll see it

Retired from US service in the 1970s but a fixture on the warbird circuit — hundreds fly in private hands, many in Vietnam-era markings, and several armies kept them into the 1990s.

Related aircraft

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