Cessna O-2A Skymaster – Photos & Video

The Cessna O-2 Skymaster (nicknamed “Oscar Deuce”) is a military version of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster, used for forward air control (FAC) and psychological operations (PSYOPS) by the US military between 1967 and 2010. In 1966 the United States Air Force (USAF) commissioned Cessna to build a military variant to replace the O-1 Bird Dog and the O-2 resulted.

The Cessna O-2A Skymaster is a twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Vietnam War. It was designed as a forward air control (FAC) and observation platform, capable of directing air strikes and providing reconnaissance information. The O-2A Skymaster had a distinctive push-pull configuration, with one engine mounted in the nose and another in the rear of the fuselage. This arrangement reduced drag and improved performance, as well as providing redundancy in case of engine failure.
The O-2A Skymaster was equipped with various sensors and radios, including a loudspeaker and a siren for psychological warfare operations. It could also carry rockets, flares, smoke grenades, and other ordnance for marking targets and defending itself. The O-2A Skymaster was a versatile and reliable aircraft that served in various roles throughout the Vietnam War, such as night interdiction, search and rescue, and special operations. It was also exported to several allied countries, such as South Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. The O-2A Skymaster was retired from the USAF in 2010, after more than four decades of service.