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O-52 Owl

O-52
Curtiss O-52 at National Museum of the United States Air Force
Type	Reconnaissance
Manufacturer	Curtiss
Introduced	1940
Primary user	United States Army Air Corps
Produced	203
Unit cost	$31,000

The Curtiss O-52 "Owl" is an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps before and during World War II.

In 1940, the Air Corps ordered 203 Curtiss O-52s for observation duties. Upon delivery, the aircraft was used in military maneuvers with the U.S.A., but following America's entry into WW II, the AAF determined that the aircraft did not possess sufficient performance for "modern" combat operations in oversea areas. As a result, the O-52 was relegated to courier duties within the U.S.A. and short-range submarine patrol over the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The O-52 was the last "O" type aircraft procured in quantity for the Air Corps. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the "O" designation was cancelled and "L" for liaison type aircraft was adopted to replace it.

In November 1942, the Soviet Union USSR ordered 30 O-52 Owls through the Lend-Lease program. Twenty-six were shipped and only 19 ever made it to their shores.^[1] Of these only 10 were accepted into service. They were used operationally for artillery-fire spotting and general photographic and observation platforms. Some were still flying into the 1950s. The aircraft was generally disliked in Soviet use.

Contents 1 Operators 2 Museum displays 3 Specifications (O-52) 4 See also

Operators

 United States

 Soviet Union

Museum displays

• National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio

Specifications (O-52)

General characteristics

• Length: 26 ft 4¾ in (8 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 9½ in (12.4 m)
• Height: 9 ft 11½ in (3 m)
• Loaded weight: 5,364 lb (2,433 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-1340-51, 600 hp (447 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 215 mph (346 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 169 mph (272 km/h)
• Range: 455 miles (732 km)
• Service ceiling 23,200 ft (7,100 m)

Armament

• 1 × forward and 1 × rearward firing .30-cal (7.62 mm) machine gun

See also

v • d • e USAAC/USAAF observation aircraft Observation O-1  • O-2  • XO-3  • XO-4  • O-5  • O-6  • O-7  • O-8  • O-9  • XO-10  • O-11  • O-12  • O-14  • XO-14  • XO-15  • XO-16  • O-17  • XO-18  • O-19  • YO-20  • XO-21  • O-22  • YO-23  • O-24  • O-25  • Y1O-26  • Y1O-27  • O-28  • O-29  • O-30  • O-31  • O-32  • Y1O-33  • O-34  • O-35  • XO-36  • O-37  • O-38  • O-39  • O-40  • Y1O-41  • O-42  • O-43  • XO-44  • O-45  • O-46  • O-47  • XO-48  • O-49  • YO-50  • YO-51  • O-52  • O-53  • YO-54  • YO-55  • O-56  • O-57  • O-58  • O-59  • O-60  • YO-61  • O-62  • XO-63 Observation Amphibian OA-1  • OA-2  • OA-3  • OA-4  • OA-5  • OA-6  • OA-7  • OA-8  • OA-9  • OA-10  • OA-11  • OA-12  • OA-13  • OA-14  • OA-15  • SA-16

v • d • e Aircraft produced by Curtiss Manufacturer designations No. 1 • No. 2 Model: C • D • E • F • G • H • J • K • L • M • N • JN • R Model: 1 • 2 • 3 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 23 • 26 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59A/59B • 60 • 61 • 63 • 64 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 79 • 81 • 82 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 90 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 By role Experimental: No. 1 • Model C • Tanager Racing: No. 2 • CR • R2C • R3C General utility: Model D • Model E • Model F • Robin • Thrush Maritime patrol: Model H • HS-1L and -2L Training: Model L • Model JN • AT-4 Hawk • AT-5 Hawk Naval Training: NC • N2C Fighters: 18 • PW-8 Hawk • P-1 Hawk • P-2 Hawk • P-3 Hawk • P-4 Hawk • P-5 Hawk • P-6 Hawk • XP-31 • P-36 Hawk • P-40 • XP-46 • XP-53 • YP-60 Naval Fighters: FC • F2C • F3C • F4C • F6C • F7C • F8C • F9C • F10C • F11C • XF12C • F13C • XF14C • F15C Airliners: Eagle • Kingbird Naval Scouts/Dive Bombers: CS • S2C • XS3C • S4C • SC • SBC • SB2C • XSB3C • SOC • SO2C • SO3C Observation: O-1 Falcon • O-12 Falcon • O-13 Falcon • O-16 Falcon • O-18 Falcon • O-26 Falcon • O-39 Falcon • O-52 Owl Naval Observation: OC • O2C • O3C Bombers: B-2 Condor Naval Bombers: BFC • BF2C • BTC • BT2C Ground Attack: A-3 Falcon • A-4 Falcon • A-5 Falcon • A-6 Falcon • A-8 Shrike • YA-10 Shrike • A-12 Shrike • YA-14 Licensed production: NBS-1

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