Forums


  • The Vought OS2U Kingfisher was an American catapult-launched observation floatplane. It was a compact mid-wing monoplane, with a large central float and small stabilizing floats. Performance was modest, because of its light engine. The OS2U could also operate on fixed, wheeled, taildragger landing gear.

    The OS2U was the main shipboard observation aircraft used by the United States Navy during World War II, and 1,519 of the aircraft were built. It served on battleships and cruisers of the US Navy, with the United States Marine Corps in Marine Scouting Squadron THREE (VMS-3), with the United States Coast Guard at coastal air stations, at sea with the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, and with the Soviet Navy. The Royal Australian Air Force also operated a few Kingfishers from shore bases.

    The Naval Aircraft Factory OS2N was the designation of the OS2U-3 aircraft built by the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The OS2U first flew on 1 March 1938.

    In the late 1930s, Vought engineer Rex B. Beisel was tasked with designing an observation monoplane aircraft for the U.S. Navy suitable for a multitude of tasks including directing battleship fire. In replacing the standard biplane observation aircraft with a more modern monoplane design, Beisel incorporated innovations becoming the first production type to be assembled with spot-welding, a process Vought and the Naval Aircraft Factory jointly developed to create a smooth fuselage that resisted buckling and generated less drag. Beisel also introduced high-lift devices, spoilers and in a unique arrangement, deflector plate flaps and drooping ailerons located on the trailing edge of the wing were deployed to increase the camber of the wing and thus create additional lift.

    For combat missions, the pilot had a .30-caliber machine gun while the radio operator/gunner manned another .30-caliber machine gun (or a pair) on a flexible ring mount. The aircraft could also carry two 100 lb bombs or two 325 lb depth charges. Additionally, the "Kingfisher", as it was designated, served as a trainer in both its seaplane and landplane configurations.

    Beisel?s first prototype flew in 1938, powered by an air-cooled, 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985-4 Wasp radial engine.
    Below XO2SU-1
    1Kingfisherseaplaneontheground

    The first 54 Kingfishers were delivered to the U.S. Navy beginning in August 1940 and six had been assigned to the Pearl Harbor based Battle Force before the end of the same year. Many of the following 158 OS2U-2s were attached to flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, but 53 were assigned to equip the newly established Inshore Patrol Squadrons, based at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. In 1942, nine more Inshore Patrol Squadrons were established, all exclusively equipped with OS2N-1s built by the Naval Aircraft Factory.

    The Kingfisher was widely used as a shipboard, catapult-launched scout plane on U.S. Navy battleships, heavy cruisers and light cruisers during World War II, as well as playing a major role in support of shore bombardments and air-sea rescue. Two examples showing the plane's rescue capabilities include the recovery of World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker and his crew from the Pacific in November 1942 and LT John A. Burns' unique use of the aircraft in April 1944 to taxi airmen rescued from the Truk Lagoon to the submarine USS Tang which was serving rescue duty near the atoll on that date. In all, LT Burns rescued 10 survivors on two trips and was awarded the Navy Cross for his efforts.

    Australia received 18 Kingfishers from a batch of aircraft ordered by the Dutch East Indies that was diverted to Australia in 1942. They were initially used as training aircraft for pilots destined for flying boats, but in 1943, they were used to equip No. 107 Squadron RAAF, which carried out convoy escort duties until disbanded in October 1945. One Kingfisher was used in support of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition in 1947?48.

    Throughout its U.S. Navy service, the OS2U and even its predecessor, the Curtiss SOC Seagull served much longer than planned, as the planned successor, the Curtiss SO3C Seamew, suffered from an insufficiently powerful engine which was a complete failure. The OS2U was only slowly replaced in the latter stages of World War II with the introduction of the Curtiss SC Seahawk, the first examples reaching the U.S. Navy in October 1944.
    Cockpit
    2Kingfisheraircraftontheground
    1Kingfisheraircraftontheground
    1Kingfishersideview
    1KingfisherofObservationSquadronVO1BpicturedinflightoffSanPedroCalifornia
    1KingfisherassignedtoObservationSquadronVO3onboardthebattleshipMississippiBB41
    1KingfisherassignedforusebythestaffoftheCommanderinChiefUSFleetontheground
    OS2UKingfisherstaxiintopositionforlaunchfromasnowyairstationforpatrolsovertheNorthAtlantic
    OS2UKingfisherpicturedafterlandingatanunidentifiedairstationamidsnowdriftsfollowingapatrolovertheNorthAtlanticThesquadronsmascotSlipstre
    OS2UKingfisherinflightsomewhereoverAlaska
    OS2UKingfisheraircraftinflightnearNavalAirStationNASSanDiegoCalifornia
    1KingfisherbasedontheOS2UdesignpicturedattheNavalAircraftFactoryinPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaTheMarineCorpsoperatedmanyOS2Nversionsoft
    3isinthebackground
    OS2UKingfisherNose125andthepilotarevisible
    41flyinginformationin1939BuNos1714and1715arevisible

    Below A series of eleven photographs showing members of the Fifth Special Naval Construction Battalion craning OS2U Kingfishers of Scouting Squadron (VS) 56 onto trucks and transporting them from Andrew Lake to Clam Lagoon at Naval Air Station (NAS) Adak in the Aleutians.
    OS2UKingfishersofScoutingSquadronVS56ontotrucksandtransportingthemfromAndrewLaketoClamLagoonatNavalAirStationNASAdakintheAleutians
    11
    5
    4
    3
    1
    10
    9
    8
    7
    6
    Below View of "The Bug," the OS2U Kingfisher seaplane that rescued Captain Eddie Rickenbaker and others after their airplane crash in the Pacific. This aircraft also survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.
    TheBugtheOS2UKingfisherseaplanethatrescuedCaptainEddieRickenbakerandothersaftertheirairplanecrashinthePacific
    For more information on his rescue LINK - http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/40-3089.html
    ViewofthesternofUSSMissouriBB63showingtwooftheshipsOS2UKingfisherobservationaircraftpositiononcatapults
    PilotsreadytoboardtheirOS2UKingfisherfloatplanes
    5D4floatplaneinhangar
    6inflight
    3Kingfisherfloatplaneinflight
    55ontheground
    2Kingfisherseaplanemakesaroughwaterlanding
    2KingfisherseaplanemakesacatapultshotpossiblyatNavalAirStationNASPensacolaFlorida
    2
    1
    3
    2
    1
    2KingfisherassignedtoScoutingSquadronVS2FirstNavalDistrictbasedatNavalAirStationNASQuonsetPointRhodeIsland20March1941
    1Kingfisherfloatplaneinflight
    Coastguard
    Boats
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanesflyinformation
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanesflyinformationoverafreighterduringanantisubmarinepatrolovertheAtlanticOcean
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanetaxiing
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanedownabridgerampbuiltbytheSeabeesduringestablishmentofabaseatanunidentifiedPacificisland
    OS2UKingfisherfloatplanesflyinformation
    1
    3sinflightformationcirca1941
    2KingfisherunderwayonwateronJuly61941
    2KingfisherwithbeachinggearinstalledparkedonSquadron5rampatNASPensacolaFlonNovember1941
    OS2UKingfisherplaneidentification50beingpulledoutintothewaterbygroundcrewmembersatNASPensacolaFlfortakeoffonJune21941
    OS2UKingfishertakingpartinIVPindividualbattlepracticefollowingatowtarget
    41
    2KingfishertaxisthroughthewaterpossiblyatNavalAirStationNASPensacolaFlorida
    PersonnelsignalanapproachingOS2UKingfisher
    3standsonthewingreadytohookontoacranethatwillpulltheaircraftoutofthewater
    8duringoperationsintheAleutians
    3KingfisherseaplanespotstheaccuracyofshipsgunsasMarineslandingcraftheadforthebeachesatAnguar
    3Kingfisherseaplanepicturedonthewaterwithdepthchargesloadedbeneatheachwing
    8duringoperationsintheAleutians
    8duringoperationsintheAleutians
    3Kingfisherfloatplaneoncatapultlaunch
    89picturedinflight
    2Kingfisherparkedonramp
    1sitsonthecatapultonboardUSSPasadena
    1sitsonthecatapultonboardUSSPasadenaCL65
    1D1iseaseddownanicyramppriortotakingoffonanAtlanticpatrolflight
    OS2UKingfisherstiedupatfingerfloatsatPortAlthorpAlaska
    HeldterritoryafterhisF6FHellcatwassh
    OS2UKingfishertaxistowardstherecoverysledforrecoverybythebattleshipSouthDakota
    VoughtOS2UKingfisher
    OS2UKingfishertaxistowardsashipforrecovery
    OS2UKingfishertaxisthroughheavyseas
    OS2UKingfishertaxisatNavalAirStationNASAlamedaCalifornia
    OS2UKingfishertaxiingtoarampatKiskaintheAleutianIslands
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanespicturedonthedeckofabattleshipinthewatersofKiskaintheAleutianIslands
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanesecuredaboardthebattleshipWestVirginiaBB48withthedestroyerFooteDD511visibleastern
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanepreparestolaunchfromasectionofMarstonmattingforapatroloverthewaterssurroundingtheAleutianIslands
    OS2UKingfisherseaplaneiscranedaboardtheauxiliarycarrierChargerAVG30aformermerchantmanconvertedtoanaircraftcarrier
    OS2UKingfisherseaplaneinflight
    Classlightcruiser
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanecatapultsfromthelightcruiserSantaFe
    OS2UKingfisherseaplanebeinghoistedaboardashipafteramissionoverAttuintheAleutianIslands
    OS2UKingfisherpilotedbyEnsignBruceDuckMcGeorgeonpatroloverHalavoBeachFloridaIslandintheSolomonIslands
    OS2UKingfisherpicturedmomentsformakingawaterlanding
    OS2UKingfisherpicturedjustbeforelandingonthewater
    OS2UKingfisherpicturedbathedinlight
    OS2UKingfisherpicturedafteranerrantlandinginthewatersoffCoastGuardAirStationCGASSalemMassachusetts2June1945
    Missouri
    70
    1
    OS2UKingfishermakingawaterlandingatNavalAirStationNASJacksonvilleFlorida
    Offatanunidentifiedlocation
    OS2UKingfisherispulledashorefollowingcompletionofnightmission
    OS2UKingfisherishoistedaboardthebattleshipNevada
    OS2UKingfisherflownbyLieutenantJDohertyandAviationRadiomanSutherlandpicturedinflightTheaircraftwasassignedtothebattleshipWisconsinBB64
    OS2UKingfisherfloatplanetaxisintheharboratKiskaintheAleutians
    OS2UKingfisherfloatplanepicturedatopacatapultonboardthecruiserUSSMiami
    OS2UKingfisherfloatplaneonshore
    35intheMediterraneanSea
    OS2UKingfisherfloatplaneapproachingtheshore
    InvasionbombardmentofIwoJimaNoteMtSuribachivisiblebeyondthes
    3ontheseaplanerampatAirStationSalem
    AnOS2UKingfishercatapultsfromanunidentifiedship
    AScoutingSquadronVS70OS2UKingfisherpicturedintheprocessofbeingbeachedatKodiakAlask
    479
    2KingfisherloadedonacatapultattheSanFranciscoAirStationin1943
    OS2UKingfishersettingonacatapultaboardanunidentifiedship
    OS2UKingfisherThisimageispartofaphotographalbumdocumentingpartoftheserviceofScoutingSquadronVS70inAlaskaduringWorldWarII
    2Kingfisherseaplaneapproachingthesledtowedalongsideaship
    QuonsetNavalbaseinRhodeIsland
    Below RAAF
    ARoyalAustralianAirForceOS2UKingfisherseaplaneinflight
    RoyalAustralianAirForceOS2UKingfisherseaplaneinflight
    1
    Vought Kingfisher RAAF
    Below RN
    31
    3BeaumarisAnglesey
    VOUGHTKingfisherIFN6561942
    1
    VOUGHTKingfisherIFN668airtoair

    Below in colour
    Colour
    Colour
    Colour
    Colour
    Colour
    2KingfisherreadyfortakeoffatNASPensacolaFlcirca1943Aninstructorissittingonthewinggivingthepilotafinalwordbeforeatrainingflight
    1
    1
    3Kingfisher
    2Kingfisher
    Depot
    Kingfisher
    41
    2 Kingfisher Hoisted Aboard USS Missouri
    OS2U Ready To Launch From Catapult On The USS Mobile
    OS2U Is Lowered Onto Catapult Of US Battleship
    Off
    2 From USS Missouri
    Floatplanes on battleships and cruisers were used during bombardments to radio range and bearing data back to their ships. OS2U's from these capital ships also found their usefulness as rescue aircraft - Kingfishers from USS North Carolina (BB-55) and USS Massachusetts (BB-59) landed in Truk lagoon 1-May-1944 to rescue downed airmen. Lieutenant (jg) John Burns gave the Kingfisher near celebrity-status on this date when he and radioman Aubrey J. Gill landed their Kingfisher under fire. After picking up 7 airmen (including another OS2U crew), Burns' plane was too heavy fly and nearly too unstable to float. After a 5 hour wait, Burns taxied to submarine USS Tang (SS-306) where all 9 were rescued. Tang then sunk the plane with machine gun fire.

    USS Tang link - http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08306.htm

    SPECIFICATIONS

    OS2U-3
    Machinery One Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-2 radial engine rated at 450hp
    Armament 2x7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns, 295kg of bombs
    Crew 2
    Span 9.99 m
    Length 9.99 m
    Height 4.61 m
    Wing Area 24.00 m?
    Weight, Empty 1,870 kg
    Weight, Maximum 2,721 kg
    Speed, Maximum 264 km/h
    Service Ceiling 3,960 m
    Range, Normal 1,296 km

    As usual right click.
    Regards Duggy


     

  • Top quality article again. Thanks for sharing smile
     

Moderator(s): Boelcke, Buhli, cheruskerarmin, Cpt_Farrel, Duggy, Graf, Gumpy, Hayate, HBPencil, HEERDT, Jarink, Jaypack44, Juri_JS, kristorf, mapal, MarcoPegase44, monguse, PatCartier, PIPS, RAF_Loke, Rudi_Jaeger, Tailhook, Tomi_099, US_Grant