The Cessna 337F Skymaster is high-wing, six-seats, twin-engine utility aircraft in push-pull configuration having one powerplant
mounted as tractor and the other as a pusher, the airscrew for the latter revolving between twin booms carrying the tail surfaces.
The combined tractor and pusher engines produce centerline thrust and a unique sound. The Cessna O-2 Skymaster is a military version
of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster. The Cessna 337 Super Skymaster was a further development of the first Skymaster, the Model 336
Skymaster, that had fixed landing gear and was flown first on 28 February 1961. Deliveries of the Cessna 336 Skymaster started in
May 1963, with 195 having been built by January 1965, when supersed by Model 337. In February 1965, Cessna introduced the Model 337
Super Skymaster, embodying a similar centre-line thrust concept to that introduced by the Model 336. The Model 337 was externally
similar to its predecessor, apart from a fully retractable undercarriage, but was largely a new aircraft with increased wing incidence,
relocated forward engine and an increased tailboom angle. In 1966, the turbocharged T337 was introduced, and in 1973, the pressurized
P337G entered production. Cessna built 2993 Skymasters of all variants (the "Super" prefix was subsequently dropped from the name),
including 114 Cessna 337F Skymasters and 513 military O-2 versions. Production in America ended in 1982, but was continued by Reims
in France, with the FTB337 STOL and the military FTMA Milirole. |
The 1973-built Cessna 337F Super Skymaster s/n 337-0050 was tested as N1804M. On 7 March 1973, the Cessna 337F Super Skymaster was registered OO-BAT in Belgium.
On 14 May 1991, registration OO-BAT was cancelled and the aircraft was registered N4207X in the USA, but stayed in Europe. On 26 April 2006, the N4207X arrived
at Antwerp Airport in Belgium, coming from Charleville Mezieres in France. Since, the Cessna 337F Skymaster N4207X is based at Antwerp Airport. On 4 April 2017,
the Cessna 337F Skymaster N4207X was seen at Flugplatz Leer-Papenburg in Germany. |