Douglas O-2
Douglas Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1924 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Douglas O-2 was a 1920s American observation biplane powered by the Liberty engine. It was a conventional but very reliable design that spawned a large family of observation aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.14 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat observation biplane with a Liberty V-12 engine cooled by a tunnel radiator
- Divided main undercarriage with a fixed tailskid
- Strut-braced horizontal tail surface
A conventional biplane with a fixed tailskid undercarriage and a V-12 engine in the nose with a tunnel radiator.
Specifications
- The Douglas O-2 has a length of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.45 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 216 km/h (134 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The family sprang from two XO-2 prototypes, the first powered by a 420 hp Liberty V-1650-1 and test-flown in the autumn of 1924. The second used a 510 hp Packard 1A-1500 engine, which proved unreliable.
Variants
The O-2 was developed into several versions, including 18 night-flying O-2A and six dual-control O-2B command aircraft. A successful mailplane version, the M-2, entered service in 1926.
Where you'll see it
Douglas built 879 of all variants, with 770 going to the US. Chinese Air Force O-2M variants were used in combat against the Chinese Red Army and later against Japanese forces.
Related aircraft
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