Cessna L-19 Bird Dog - Photos & Video

Cessna L-19 Vogelhond
Land	Usa
Role	Observatievliegtuigen
Geproduceerd	14 december 1949
Gebouwd	3431

De Cessna L-19/O-1 Vogelhond was een verbindings- en observatievliegtuig. Het was het eerste volledig metalen vliegtuig met vaste vleugels dat voor en door het Amerikaanse leger werd besteld sinds de Amerikaanse luchtmacht in 1947 van het leger scheidde en zijn eigen tak van dienst werd, de Amerikaanse luchtmacht. De Bird Dog had een lange carrière in het Amerikaanse leger, evenals in andere landen.

Bron: Cessna L-19 Vogelhond op Wikipedia

Cessna L-19 Vogelhond rond te lopen
Fotografen	Cees Hendriks
Lokalisatie	Onbewust
Foto 's	65

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 01

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 02

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 03

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 04

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 05

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 06

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 07

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 08

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog 09

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O-1 Bird Dog Walk Around
Fotograaf	Fotios Rouch
Lokalisatie	Onbewust
Foto 's	26

Zie ook:

Cessna O-1E Bird Dog Walk Around
Fotograaf	Vladimir Yakubov
Lokalisatie	Planes of Fame Vliegshow
Foto 's	52

Cessna O-1E Bird Dog

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The Quintessential Scout

De Cessna L-19 Vogelhond (later redesignated the O-1) was a rugged, all-metal liaison and observation aircraft that became a legend in Korea and Vietnam. Born from a 1950 U.S. Army requirement for a “spotter” plane, it was nicknamed the “Bird Dog” because it could find the enemy and “point” to them for the artillery or fighter-bombers to strike. Though unarmed and unarmored, it was one of the most respected aircraft on the battlefield due to the bravery of the pilots who flew it low and slow over hostile territory.

Attribute	Technical Specification (L-19E / O-1E)
Role	Forward Air Control (FAC) / Observation / Liaison
Bemanning	2 (Pilot and Observer in tandem)
First Flight	December 14, 1949
Krachtbron	1 × Continental O-470-11 horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder
Horsepower	213 hp (159 kW)
Maximum Speed	115 mph (185 km/h)
Service Ceiling	18,500 feet (5,640 m)
Bewapening	Underwing racks for white phosphorus (Willie Pete) smoke rockets

Design for Observation and Survival

The “Greenhouse” View: The L-19 featured a significantly revised cabin compared to its civilian cousin, the Cessna 170. It had slanted side windows and a transparent overhead panel, giving the pilot and observer an almost 360-degree view of the ground and sky.
Low and Slow Capability: The Bird Dog could maintain controlled flight at exceptionally low speeds (below 50 mph). This allowed FAC pilots to orbit a single point for hours, meticulously identifying enemy positions hidden in the jungle.
Rocket Racks: While it didn’t carry bombs, it was often fitted with four wing-mounted racks for 2.75-inch rockets. These weren’t for destruction, but for “marking” the target with colored smoke so that incoming jets knew exactly where to drop their ordnance.
Tough Landing Gear: Using Cessna’s famous “spring steel” landing gear, the Bird Dog could land on muddy roads, rice paddy dikes, or rough forward operating strips that would shatter the landing gear of other aircraft.

Legacy of the Forward Air Controller

The Vietnam War: In Vietnam, the Bird Dog was the primary FAC platform. Pilots would fly low enough to see the enemy’s muzzle flashes, then drop a smoke grenade or fire a rocket to guide in the “Heavy Metal” (F-4 Phantoms or A-1 Skyraiders).
The “Raven” FACs: A group of secret pilots known as the “Ravens” flew unmarked Bird Dogs in Laos, conducting some of the most dangerous and classified missions of the war in civilian clothes.
Major Bung-Ly’s Landing: In a famous 1975 incident, South Vietnamese Major Bung-Ly loaded his wife and five children into a two-seat Bird Dog and landed it on the deck of the USS Halverwege during the evacuation of Saigon—the only time an L-19 ever landed on a carrier.
Civilian Transition: After the war, many Bird Dogs were sold to civilian owners. Their power and STOL performance make them highly prized as “bush planes” and for glider towing.