Curtiss O-52 Owl – Photos & Video

ザ カーチスO-52 「フクロウ」 was an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II. Developed in 1939, the Curtiss O-52 was the last “heavy” observation aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps. The concept of the two-seat observation aircraft, classed as the “O” series aircraft, dated to World War I, and in 1940, the Army Air Corps ordered 203 Curtiss O-52s for observation duties. By 1941, the O-52 was no match for modern combat conditions.

ザ カーティスO-52フクロウ was a two-seat observation aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II. It was designed by Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1939 as the last “heavy” observation aircraft for the US Army Air Corps. The O-52 had a metal fuselage and fabric-covered wings, and was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-51 radial engine of 600 hp. It was armed with one forward and one rearward firing .30-caliber machine gun.
O-52は1940年に最初に飛行し、1941年に就役しました。米国内での軍事演習や訓練に使用されましたが、速度が遅く射程が限られているため、海外での戦闘作戦ではすぐに時代遅れになりました。O-52は、パイパーL-4グラスホッパーやスティンソンL-5センチネルなどの軽量で高速な連絡機に置き換えられました。O-52は、真珠湾攻撃後の連絡型航空機の「L」シリーズとしても指定されました。一部のO-52は、レンドリースプログラムの下でソビエト連邦に送られ、東部戦線での砲撃と偵察任務に使用されました。
ザ O-52 was the last observation aircraft procured in quantity by the US Army Air Corps, and marked the end of an era of aerial observation that dated back to World War I. Only a few O-52s survive today, and some are on display at museums such as the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.