| O-46 | |
|---|---|
 Douglas O-46A atNational Museum of the United States Air Force | |
| General information | |
| Type | Observation |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | 90 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1936-1937 |
| Introduction date | 1936 |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Developed from | Douglas O-43 |
TheDouglas O-46 is an observationaircraft used by theUnited States Army Air Corps and thePhilippine Army Air Corps.[1] It entered service in the late 1930s, and saw action in WW2. It became obsolescent later in the war as an observation craft, but was used for liaison, training, and ASW patrols. One airframe has survived as a museum piece into the present day.
TheO-46A, the last of a long line of Douglas observation aircraft, was a victim of progress. It was designed to operate from established airfields behind fairly static battle lines as inWorld War I. However, in 1939, a report was issued on the O-46A which stated that it was too slow and heavy to outrun and outmaneuver enemy fighter aircraft, too heavy to operate from small, wet, unprepared fields, and too large to conceal beneath trees. This report was a forecast of the future, forWorld War II with its rapidly changing battle lines proved the need for light, maneuverable observation aircraft which could operate from unimproved airstrips. Consequently, in 1942, the "O" (observation) designation was changed to "L" (liaison).
The O-46 was a development of the earlierDouglas O-43. The 24th airframe of the O-43A contract was completed as theXO-46 prototype, with a revised wing and an engine switch, from the O-43'sinline engine to aradial engine, thePratt & Whitney R-1535-7. The Air Corps ordered 90 O-46As in 1935. They were built between May 1936 and April 1937.
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At least 11 O-46s saw overseas duty; two were destroyed in the Japanese raid onClark Field in the Philippines on 8 December 1941. TheMaryland Air National Guard operated O-46As off the coast of New Jersey for anti-submarine duty.[2] The remainder were declared obsolete in late 1942 and after that were used primarily in training and utility roles.
A proposed variant with aWright R-1670-3 engine received the designationO-48 but was not built.[3]
The only surviving O-46A (s/n 35-179) is currently in storage in the collection of theNational Museum of the United States Air Force atWright-Patterson AFB nearDayton, Ohio.[4] On 27 November 1942, the aircraft was part of the 81st Air Base Squadron,[5] when it landed downwind atBrooks Field,Harlingen, Texas, ran out of runway and overturned. Written off, it was abandoned in place. More than 20 years later it was discovered by theAntique Airplane Association with trees growing through its wings, and in 1967, it was rescued and hauled toOttumwa, Iowa. Restoration turned out to be beyond the organization's capability, and in September 1970, it was traded to theNational Museum of the United States Air Force for a flyableDouglas C-47 Skytrain. The (then) Air Force Museum had it restored atPurdue University, and placed it on display in 1974, the sole survivor of the 91 O-46s built.[6]
Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920[7]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
