Grumman OV-1 Mohawk

Grumman · United States · first flew 1959 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk is a twin-turboprop battlefield observation and reconnaissance aircraft built for the US Army, packed with cameras and sensors.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, straight
E — Engines2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage12.5 m fuselage
T — TailTwin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

The heavily framed, bulged canopy, high wing, twin turboprops and a triple tail are distinctive among Army observation aircraft.

Specifications

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

History

First flown in 1959, the Mohawk was designed for low-level visual and photographic reconnaissance over the battlefield, later gaining side-looking radar and infrared sensor variants for all-weather surveillance.

Variants

Variants included the photo-reconnaissance OV-1A/C, the SLAR-equipped OV-1B, and the infrared-sensor OV-1D.

Where you'll see it

It served extensively with the US Army in Vietnam and continued flying reconnaissance missions into the 1990s before retirement.

Related aircraft

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