Douglas O-46
| Douglas O-46 | |
|---|---|
 Douglas O-46A at the USAF Museum |
|
| Type: | Reconnaissance plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| Production time: |
1936 to 1937 |
| Number of pieces: |
90 |
The Douglas O-46 was a reconnaissance aircraft of the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) of the 1936th
The O-46A was the last variant in a long line of Douglas reconnaissance aircraft . It fell victim to rapid technical progress. It was designed for reconnaissance flights behind the front line, but by 1939 it was too slow and easily maneuverable by modern enemy fighters. In addition, it was difficult to take off from short, unprepared runways.
At the beginning of World War II , she was very quickly withdrawn from the front lines and converted into a liaison aircraft by the reconnaissance aircraft in 1942 .
history
The first O-46A were delivered to the USAAC in October 1934 with a 675 HP 12-cylinder V-engine Curtiss V- 1570-59 "Conqueror". Later, a new 14-cylinder double radial engine Pratt & Whitney R- 1535-7 "Twin Wasp Junior" with 725 hp was used in the O-46A . From May 1936 to April 1937 a total of 90 O-46A were delivered to the USAAC and the National Guard .
Only eleven machines were relocated overseas. Two machines were destroyed by the Japanese in the attack on Clark Field in the Philippines on December 8, 1941. They took part in aerial battles there, but no particular successes were recorded. In 1942 the machines were withdrawn and used as training and liaison aircraft.
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data from the O-46A |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 10.6 m |
| span | 13.9 m |
| height | 3.18 m |
| Wing area | 30.84 m² |
| Wing extension | 6.3 |
| drive | 1 × 14-cylinder double radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1535 with 725 PS (540 kW) |
| Top speed | 275 km / h |
| Range | 1022 km |
| Service ceiling | 7360 m |
| Empty mass | 2166 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 3011 kg |
| Armament | 2 × 7.62mm Browning machine guns |
Museum plane
See also
literature
- William M. Armstrong: Baltimore in World War II. Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant 2005, ISBN 978-0-7385-4189-1 .
- René J. Francillon: McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. Putnam, London 1979, ISBN 0-370-00050-1 .