Vought OS2U Kingfisher

Vought · United States · first flew 1938 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher is a US Navy single-engine observation floatplane widely used for scouting, gunnery spotting and air-sea rescue during the Second World War.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	single main float under the fuselage plus stabilising wingtip floats
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

cantilever mid-mounted wing with no bracing struts
single main float under the fuselage plus stabilising wingtip floats
large greenhouse canopy over pilot and observer/gunner

Recognisable by its unbraced cantilever mid wing, single main float under the fuselage with small stabilising floats under each wing, and large glazed canopy over the two-man crew.

Specifications

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher has a length of 10.25 m (34 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11 m (36 ft).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

First flown in 1938, it served aboard battleships and cruisers, catapult-launched to scout for the fleet and direct naval gunfire, and was also flown from land bases and by several Allied nations including Britain and Australia.

Variants

Variants included wheeled land-plane versions for training, and export models operated by the UK's Fleet Air Arm (as the Kingfisher I), Australia, and several Latin American air forces.

Where you'll see it

Retired from front-line US Navy service shortly after the Second World War; a small number of preserved and airworthy examples survive today in museums and private collections.

Related aircraft

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