Cessna O-2 Skymaster

Appearing alongside the O-1 Bird Dog which this aircraft replaced in the USAF service as part of our 75th anniversary static display will be this Cessna O-2 Skymaster. Entering service in 1967, the Skymaster's unusual twin-engine push and pull design provides it with excellent visibility for its forward air control (FAC) and reconnaissance role. In total, the USAF operated 532 Skymasters, losing 178 of them during the Vietnam War. The US also flew an unarmed O-2B variant of the Skymaster equipped with loudspeakers in order to conduct psychological warfare and to drop leaflets behind enemy lines.

Photo Credit: RIAT Volunteer