North American OV-10 Bronco

OV-10 Bronco is an artillery guidance and recognition, attack aircraft conceived by the firm North American. It took part between-other in the Guerre of Vietnam and the fight against opiates in Colombia, where it is still in service.

Design

The OV-10 was conceived for answering American program LARA ( Light Armed Reconnaissance Airplane ) of the US Navy. The purpose of this program was acquisition of a counter insurgency plane of fight. Last nine manufacturing American entered in competition. The winner was designated in August 1964, it acted of the NA-300 of North American. It is a twin-boom plane propelled by two turbines AiResearch T76 of 668 cv.

Seven prototypes were built under designation YOV-10A. The first stole on July 16th 1965 and the second in December of the same year. Several modifications were made following in-flight tests, in particular concerning the scale which was increased by 3,05 m, the T76 turbopropellers passed from 668 cv to 725 cv and the nacelles of the engines were distant from 0,15 m in order to reduce the noise in the cockpit. A prototype equipped with an increased aerofoil flew for the first time on August 15th 1966. The seventh prototype was equipped with turbines Pratt & Whitney Canada T74 (PT6A) to carry out comparative tests.

The first production aircraft accomplished its first flight on August 6th 1967.

Armament

The OV-10A has 4 points of carrying of a capacity of 272 kg under ailerons and 5 others of a capacity of 544 kg under the fuselage.

Two machine-guns M60C of 7,62 mm are installed in each of the two ailerons with each one 500 cartridges. The OV-10A of the US Marine Body had the possibility of a AIM-9 Sidewinder under each wing. The armament could be carried either under the fuselage or under the ailerons. It could be made up of:

  • smooth bombs Mk 81, Mk 82, Mk 83
  • smooth bombs (Snakeye) Mk 81, Mk 82
  • incendiary bombs Mk 77 MOD 2 and 4
  • baskets with rockets LAU-3/4, LAU-10/A, LAU-32/A, LAU-59/A, LAU-60/A, LAU-61/A, LAU-68/A, LAU-69/A
  • guns SUU-40/A (Minigun of 7.62 mm), Mk4 MOD 0 (20 mm), GPU-2/A (20 mm)
  • launchers of lighting rockets Mk 24 and Mk 45, SUU-40/A, SUU-44/A
  • smoke bombs Mk 12 MOD 0
  • bombs of exercise
  • cluster bombs CBU-55/B
The maximum mass of armament under fuselage is of 1  633 kg.

The OV-10D had pylons under aerofoil of 272 kg each one. In the place of the points of carryings under the fuselage, it could receive a gun of 20 mm out of turret.

Engagements

Alternatives

  • YOV-10A : Prototype
  • OV-10A : Version of production. It was used for the first time within the US Marine Body in order to carry out armed recognitions, to be used as escort for the helicopters and of advanced air control and by the US Air Force in a role of advanced air control and of supports air rapid while waiting for the arrival of the tactical hunters. On the whole 271 apparatuses were produced, of which six were resold with the royal air force of Morocco.
  • OV-10C : Version of the OV-10A intended for the Royal Thai Air Force.
  • OV-10E : Version of the OV-10A intended for the air force vénézuélienne.
  • OV-10F : Version of the OV-10A intended for the Air force indonésienne.
  • OV-10B : Plane intended for the towing of targets
    • OV-10B (Z) : Alternative equipped with an auxiliary engine General Electric J-85-GE-4 of 1  340 kgp
  • YOV-10D : Prototype equipped with T76 turbines of 1  040 cv
  • OV-10D : Designation what accepted 17 OV-10A of the US Marine Bodies converted in a night role of monitoring. In addition to the system of night vision and to keep the points of carryings under fuselage and the capacities of fuel outsides carrying of the OV-10A, the OV-10D is equipped with improved turbines, pylons under aerofoil being able to carry baskets with rockets, rocket lighting, bombs with freefall or laser guidance and external reservoirs. An infra-red detector (FLIR) AN/AAS-37 does not build Texas Instruments and a laser designator was installed in a turret located in the nose of the plane. This one can be connected to a gun of 20 mm General Electric M97 assembled out of turret under the fuselage in the place of the ailerons of armament of the OV-10A. The equipment is supplemented by a system of research and alarm optional radar APR-39, a chaff launcher ALE-39 and a system of reduction of heat of exhaust fumes. This version was withdrawn from the service in the in March 1994 United States. Seven specimen were resold with the South Korea.

Improvements

  • Colombia: Its OV-10 were improved by Marsh Aviation, as from April 2004. This modification consists of a remotorisation with turbopropellers Honeywell (Garett) T76 modified equipped with four-bladed propellers Hartzell. 10 specimens must be modified followed of 18 others.
  • Filipino: 16 OV-10 were also modified according to the same program and 4 others with semi-2005. Improvement concerning the avionics and the structure are also in hand under the control of Asian Aerospace. This program belongs to the modernization plan of the air force of Philippines.

Users

  • Germany
  • Colombia: OV-10A repurchased in the United States. 12 still in service.
  • the United States of America
    • US Marine Body: 114 OV-10A. All withdrawn from the service
    • United States Air Force: 157 OV-10A. All withdrawn from the service
  • Indonesia: 16 OV-10F. 5 to 6 still in service.
  • Morocco: OV-10A repurchased in the Filipino United States
  • : OV-10A repurchased in the United States. A score still in service.
  • Thailand: 32 OV-10C
  • Venezuela: 16 OV-10E + OV-10A repurchased in the United States. 13 still in service

References

  • Jane' S Hanbooks

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/narock/ov-10a.htm

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