North American O-47 – fotografie a video

Komisia Severoamerický O-47 is an observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane used by the United States Army Air Corps. It had a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear and a three-blade propeller. The O-47 was developed as a replacement for the Thomas-Morse O-19 and Douglas O-38 observation biplanes.

Komisia Severoamerický O-47 was an observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane that served in the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II. It was designed by North American Aviation in the mid-1930s as a replacement for the older biplane observation aircraft. The O-47 had a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a three-blade propeller. It was powered by a Wright R-1820 radial engine that produced 975 horsepower. The O-47 had a crew of three: a pilot, a co-pilot/observer, and a rear gunner. The aircraft was equipped with a fixed forward-firing machine gun in the right wing and a flexible rear-firing machine gun in the cockpit. The O-47 also had windows in the belly to allow downward observation and photography.
The O-47 was initially ordered by the Air Corps in 1937, with 174 units delivered by 1938. Some of them were assigned to National Guard units. In 1938, a modified version, the O-47B, was ordered, with 74 units built. The O-47B had a redesigned engine cowling, an upgraded engine, and improved radio equipment. It also had an extra fuel tank to increase its range. The O-47B was slightly faster and could fly higher than the O-47A.
O-47 bol určený na vykonávanie pozorovacích a prieskumných misií na podporu pozemných jednotiek. Čoskoro sa však stal zastaraným, keď sa objavili novšie a rýchlejšie lietadlá. O-47 bol príliš pomalý a zraniteľný voči nepriateľským stíhačkám a protilietadlovej paľbe. Mal tiež obmedzenú manévrovateľnosť a viditeľnosť. V roku 1941 výcvikové manévre ukázali, že ľahké lietadlá ako Piper L-4 a Stinson L-5 boli vhodnejšie na prevádzku s pozemnými jednotkami, zatiaľ čo stíhačky a bombardéry boli efektívnejšie pre prieskumné a fotografické povinnosti. V dôsledku toho bol O-47 odsunutý na sekundárne úlohy, ako je pobrežná hliadka, protiponorková hliadka a vlečenie cieľa. Niektoré O-47 boli tiež zajaté japonskými silami na Filipínach a použité proti spojencom.
Komisia O-47 was retired from service after World War II. Only a few examples survive today in museums or private collections.