#cessna aviation

[usafpantom12]

The Army also used O-1’s to spot artillery fire 🔥 and flush enemy positions

@whamdamthankyouNam via X

[usafphantom2]

Latest painting completed tonight.

Cessna O-2 Skymaster, Vietnam 1969.

Oil on canvas 50 x 40cm

@petehill854 via X

[usafphantom8]

Cessna AT-17 Bobcat. In 1941 the RCAF obtained over 800 Bobcats or 'Crane 1' as they were called in Canada.🇨🇦

@ron_eisele via X

[usafpantom12]

«A-37 Dragonfly» Vlastimil Suchy.

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly — American light two-seat attack aircraft, developed on the basis of the T-37 training aircraft in the mid-1960s. It was actively used during the Vietnam War and was in service with a number of Latin American countries.

@Gendolp_ru via X

[usafpantom12]

Also called the Super Tweet. Developed from the T-37 trainer, the Dragonfly was designed for counterinsurgency (COIN). This one is setup in an armed observation/recon model.

@Ryukuanripper via X

[usafpantom12]

When a USAF General Called Them ‘Mexican Banditos’…

A visiting general saw the Ravens at Long Tieng and was appalled by their civilian clothes, cowboy hats, mustaches, and heavily armed appearance.

He called them a ragged band of Mexican banditos.

The pilots didn’t argue.

They posed for this photo.

These were the Forward Air Controllers of America’s most secret war in Laos, Project 404, the Steve Canyon Program. Sheep-dipped pilots flying unmarked O-1 Bird Dogs and T-28 Trojans low and slow over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, marking targets for strikes the world wasn’t supposed to know about.

They operated in the gray with almost zero oversight while Air America dropped propaganda leaflets alongside rice bags. Their full story stayed classified for years.

This photo became legend, the perfect symbol of their maverick spirit.

Tag someone who needs to know the Ravens existed.

Drop your favorite secret war fact or story below.

Save it.

#Ravens #SecretWarLaos #LongTieng #ForwardAirControllers #CovertAviation #OSINT #VietnamWarHistory #Laos #HoChiMinhTrail #AirAmerica #PSYOP #ChristopherRobbins #MaverickPilots #GhostPlaneFiles #AviationHistory

@aircraftjunkie via X

[usafpantom12]

my most recent illustration: The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog was a light observation and liaison aircraft that played an essential role in the Vietnam War from the early 1960s. Its main missions included forward air control (FAC), in which pilots flew at low altitude and speed to locate enemy positions, mark targets with white phosphorus smoke rockets, and direct attack aircraft and bombers; artillery fire correction; visual reconnaissance; radio relay; and convoy escort. Its STOL capabilities, excellent visibility, and ability to remain on station for long periods made it especially valuable in jungle environments and irregular warfare.It was operated primarily by the United States Army and Air Force, the Marine Corps, the South Vietnamese Air Force, and clandestine units. Although it was highly vulnerable to ground fire due to its low speed and lack of armor, its effectiveness in coordinating air and artillery support was irreplaceable until it was gradually replaced by faster aircraft such as the O-2 Skymaster and the OV-10 Bronco. During the conflict, 469 units were lost.

@Hansclaw

[usafpantom12]

When the U.S. military needed a stout and resilient counter-insurgency (COIN) specialist for the Vietnam War, they looked to a trusted trainer. The result? This A-37 Dragonfly.

By upgrading the T-37 Tweet trainer into a combat-ready attacker, Cessna provided the military with a cost-effective and capable solution.

📸 Jim Raeder

#Aviation #Avgeeks #CessnaAircraft #Aviation4U

@EAA via X