Bird Dogs are cool - but this thing is interesting, I wonder what the backstory is.

I saw it in the wild yesterday in Columbus Ohio.

the engine out scenario is a little less intimidating with no asymmetric thrust problems.

It was called the O-2 in the military, used in Vietnam.

. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_O-2_Skymaster

In a forward air controller (FAC) role this plane had better downward visibility than a traditional twin. The pirep’s I’ve heard said it was a real pig flying out of short, rough strips at the increased gross weight.

Replaced by the OV10 Bronco.

Thought the O2's were out of service in the Air Force, but unless I am misinterpreting something this one looks like it is still active.

No rocket pod or bomb, but just saw this one in Marfa, TX

They are out of service Micheal. Don Nieser out of Oklahoma City bought the parts inventory, tools and a bunch of airframes. Don sells everything for service, resto, warbird resto, etc.

I have to assume that the weapons are all disarmed.

https://o2-337parts.com/

https://o2-337parts.com/n5152d

In the nineties I had a J-model V-tail, and next hangar over had an O-2.

I had one engine to his two, and I cruised ten knots faster....

And I thought this might be a thread about the 190/195 Businessliner

Many civilian Oscar-Deuce’s are wearing mil paint, interiors and radios.

An AUXAIR buddy took his to an open house & air show at Selfridge ANGB with the rocket pods installed and inert rockets in the tubes. His inert rockets lacked the yellow(?) bands that denote inert. Ergo, they assumed live rockets inspite of his protest to the contrary. BIG troubles until armorers arrived to inspect and paint yellow(?) bands.

Tip: Whenever called as traffic and the other guy does not see you? Smoke: On! (never fails ... to generate phone calls of an aircraft on fire).

I didn't realize that O-2s could carry and deliver bombs.

Some good flying scenes of these birds in the old Gene Hackman/Danny Glover movie BAT-21.

I thought the ROE in SEA limited them to marking rockets.

Friend of mine has written two semi-autobigraphical books about his tours there flying the 0-2. He assures me the events and people are all correct. The names have been change though.

https://tinyurl.com/Baggy-Zero-Four

https://tinyurl.com/Mike-five-eight

Both are very much page turners and Rocky and I have discussed several times how shocked Cessna would have been about how overweight they flew them.

You would have thought they got them to SEA taken apart and inside some plane who's designation started with "C" but no, they ferried them! Quite the tale.

https://thelexicans.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/how-to-get-an-o2-from-wichita-to-vietnam/

Yeah, and Glover and Defoe were awesome in Flight of the Intruder, too. We need more aircraft movies. Someone call Mr. Harrison Ford maybe he can help!

Well, I disagree. Skycatcher had no bombs, but would shed its doors if needed

Yes, but that's not really the point. The 336/337/02 was never built to be a speedy twin. It's tough, forgiving, short field capable, rough surface capable, great useful load, very forgiving CG, reliable engines, etc.

There’s a great article about those in EAA Sport Aviation this month.

I started out flying in a surplus O-2 doing pipeline inspection. But I don't recall it having VG's or signs on the paint that they were ever there. Odd to see them in the photo above, given how much effort they seemed to have put into making it period-correct.