#skymaster

A C-54 at NAS Kwajalein, 1963

Very proud of the nimbleness/thinness of this whole thing. Glad the design could translate from digital to physical with just a couple structural tweaks.

A 1977 Cessna 337 Skymaster departing Wittman Regional Airport after AirVenture 2022

Douglas C-54A Skymaster DC-4 G-ASEN at Ringway EGCC in 1967

To the military brass in Vietnam, the forward air controller (FAC) pilots were the biggest bunch of miscreants to ever fly a USAF aircraft. To the boots on the ground, they were a guardian angel with eyes up above that could summon air strikes. And to the pilots of the fast movers that hit targets marked by the FACs, they had big brass balls to fly low and slow using the Mark One eyeball to ID targets. ⠀ ⠀ The USAF procurement of the Cessna O-2 Skymaster came out if a need for a more capable forward air control platform in Vietnam than the O-1 Bird Dog. Having twin engines have it a measure of redundancy when flying low over the battlefield in the FAC role, but it also allowed the O-2 more performance in the tropical air in Vietnam as well as being able to carry more weapons. The USAF would procure 532 O-2 Skymasters. In Vietnam, the Skymaster had two nicknames- “Oscar Deuce” and “Duck”. ⠀ ⠀ The first O-2 Skymasters flew with 7.62mm Minigun pods underwing, but aggressive O-2 pilots were taking matters into their own hands attacking targets and O-2 losses climbed. So the gunpods were banned and white phosphorus target marking rockets were carried. But the O-2 pilots, being a scruffy and resourceful bunch, took their M16s with them and fired them out the side windows. Ejected shell casings were dinging the rear prop, damaging the instrument panel and messing with radios. So the M16s got banned. ⠀ ⠀ Not ones to give up, the FAC pilots (as one pilot said, “We’ll FAC anything!”) took to using their service pistols and hand grenades to keep the enemy occupied until the fast movers arrived. ⠀ ⠀ Of the 532 O-2 Skymasters built for the USAF, 82 were lost in combat. Seven O-2 drivers earned the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam. ⠀ ⠀ November Aviation Photo Challenge | @kjdphoto1971 | #1119planes | “Air Force” | Day 26⠀ ⠀ #Avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KAFW #AFW #AllianceAirport #FWAAS2017 #airport #planespotting #Cessna #O2 #Skymaster #USAF #FAC #instagramaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #AvGeeksAero #AvGeekNation #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge (at Fort Worth Alliance Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5VQ14ThOV8/?igshid=5iy13z6rz0fc

Cute but deadly. Interesting design from  OccultArt.

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