Cessna Bird Dog

This is an aircraft model of the Cessna model 321, O-E2.
The Model 321, although based on experience gained with the Cessna L-19/O-1 series, was a completely new design and would be the first liaison aircraft specifically designed from the outset with provision for target marking rockets built in. The Model 321 used the tail assembly and the thirty-six foot wings of the Cessna Model 180 coupled with a new strengthened fuselage. The prototype was built to handle optional powerplants and could be powered by one of two different engines, the 260 hp Continental O-470-2 or a 260 hp supercharged Continental O-470-2 engine.

To meet Marine range requirements the fuel capacity was increased to fifty-two gallons, with the fuel tanks being of the self-sealing type for protection against ground fire. The additional fuel gave the prototype a range of 708 miles. Performance of the Model 321 was inmpressive with a top speed of 185 mph, a cruising speed of 135 mph, and a maximum dive speed of 220 mph. Service ceiling was over 26,000 feet when fitted with the supercharged Continental engine. The empty weight of the prototype was 1,830 pounds, with a gross weight of 2,650 pounds.

Cessna L-19A/0-1A Bird Dog

With the name Cessna, perhaps anyone interested in aviation will think of a number of civil light aircraft, especially cabin monoplanes, spread all over the world.

With regard to the established production of such airplanes, the American company Cessna, founded as early as 1911 by Clyde V. Cessna, never made much of an effort to obtain military orders. Even during World War II, it limited itself to military modification of some of its successful types, such as the AT-17, and subcontracted the construction of Waco CG-4A cargo gliders.

After the end of the war, the Army Air Force needed a replacement for the aging Piper L-4 and Stinson L-5 machines, so in August 1949 it issued a competition for a new light liaison aircraft. According to the specification, it was supposed to be all-metal, able to operate from short, unimproved areas, with a considerable carrying capacity of radio equipment, simple maintenance and a wheeled chassis that could be replaced with floats or skis. The army set the date for demonstrating the new machines for March 1950.

Cessna decided to participate in this competition. However, after the designer's consultations with the individual military units and the Pentagon, which specified the specification in more detail, it became clear that in order to meet the deadline, it will be necessary to take over a part of the component of the new aircraft from the already manufactured types. So the wing for the prototype was used from the 170 and the tail from the 195; the design team fully concentrated only on the hull, chassis and engine installation. The construction of the prototype with the factory designation model 305 began on September 8, 1949, and already on December 8, 1949, the finished machine was taken out of the hangar and prepared for factory flight tests. These were successful, and the Cessna 305, along with competing machines from Piper, Taylorcraft and Temco, took part in Army flight tests lasting six weeks. After winning the competition, Cessna received an order for 418 machines with the military designation L-19A on May 29, 1950.

The army requested the first serial machines already in September 1950, which was not realistic, as the new aircraft did not yet have a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. However, much changed on June 25, 1950, when the North Korean army crossed the 38th parallel, invaded the Republic of South Korea, and the Korean War began. The United States joined the conflict on the side of the UN forces, so the Air Force not only urgently needed the ordered L-19 machines, but also increased the original order. Production went into full swing, and the Cessna L-19 became one of the most widespread and longest-running aircraft in modern military history.

The Cessna L-19A, after the standardization of the designation of US military aircraft 0-1 A, was produced in a number of modifications, differing primarily in radio equipment and the related antenna system. Two L-19s, designated XL-19B and XL-19C, were experimentally equipped with Boeing 502-8 and Continental XT-51-T-1 turboprop engines, respectively. The development was completed with a new redesigned type OE-2, (0-1C) with a completely new fuselage and tail surfaces, then used by the Marine Corps Air Force.
The Cessna L-19 (0-1) served not only in the US Army Air Force, which took 3105 machines, but also in many other countries, for example France, South Korea and Japan, where it was even produced under license by the Fuji company. Due to its widespread use, it took part in a number of different armed conflicts, where it performed the most diverse tasks: from reconnaissance to marking targets for fast fighter-bombers with 2.75" caliber smoke rockets hung on wing hangers. The aircraft were also used to evacuate people. In this respect, probably the most curious was the flight of South Vietnamese Major Boung with his wife and children from Saigon, occupied by North Vietnamese troops, and his landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway.Boung's machine is now on display at the US Naval Air Station Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
However, many other machines are still flying today, many also in civil service.

Cessna L-19 Bird Dog Plane Plans

Technical description:
The Cessna L-19A (0-1 A) was a two-seat, single-engine high-wing aircraft with two-wheel fixed landing gear and spur.

The wing of an all-metal two-beam construction was supported by a pair of profiled struts. The wing cover, including the ailerons and electrically controlled lift flaps that can be folded to 60°, was made of aluminum sheet, strengthened by moldings on the moving surfaces. Fuel tanks were located in the roots of both wing halves, equipped with simple fuel gauges in the ribs of the center plane. A landing light was located in the leading edge of the left half of the wing. Up to four Mk.4B bomb hangers with a load capacity of 113 kg could be hung under the wing.

The hull of an all-metal structure, riveted from bulkheads and stringers, was coated with alclado sheet. The cockpit of the pilot and co-crewman, behind whose seat the radio equipment was located, was accessed by automotive-type doors on the starboard side and fuselage, and generously glazed with large organic glass windows. The side windows could be folded up and attached to the underside of the wings. The steering was dual, but the control stick in the observer's compartment could be easily removed and stored in a simple holder on the side of the cabin.

The tail surfaces were self-supporting, all-metal, with rudders strengthened by moldings.
The landing gear, consisting of a two-wheel spur landing gear, had leaf spring landing gear legs and was equipped with hydraulic brakes. The undercarriage wheels could be fitted with standard or balloon tires. The spur wheel, again on a leaf spring, was rotatably coupled to the rudder. The simple design made it possible to supplement the wheeled chassis with skis.
Power unit. The Cessna L-19 was powered by a 161 kW (219 hp) six-cylinder air-cooled Continental 0-470-11 boxer engine driving a fixed Me Cauley two-blade metal propeller. The 24V DC electrical onboard system was powered by an engine-driven generator and a backup battery located between the foot control pedals.

Due to the wide range of aircraft, the coloring was different. As a rule, the machines of the American army were completely painted with a shiny olive green color (Olive Drab). Serial number and inscription U.S. Army on the rudder was yellow, the same as the other U.S. lettering. Army on the upper right half of the wing and the lower left half of the wing. The insignia were reversed on the wing. Some machines also had an inscription on the sides of the fuselage behind the coat of arms. Aircraft serving in polar or other climatically demanding areas were white with bright red wingtips and the rear of the fuselage, including the tail surfaces. The inscriptions were then black (on the drawing). US Air Force Bird Dogs usually flew all light gray, as did South Vietnamese Air Force aircraft. Many machines featured unit emblems as well as personal insignia, including various "shark mouths" on the engine cover.

Technical data: Span 10.97 m, length 7.85 m, height 2.29 m, empty weight 635 kg, maximum take-off weight 998 kg, maximum speed 235 km/h, reach 6500 m, range 1350 km.