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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 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. The Cessna O-2 Skymaster was a military version
of the Cessna 337 Super Skymaster. It was purchased by the U.S. Air Force beginning in 1967 in two versions. The O-2A was used in the
forward air control mission. It was equipped with additional radios and ordnance hard points under the wings for rocket and machine gun
pods. The O-2B was the 337 civilian version modified to carry a large loud speaker on the right side of the fuselage and a leaflet chute
in the belly for psychological warfare operations. 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. Reims produced a total of 94 Skymasters. |
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On 16 May 1967, the Cessna O-2A c/n 337M-0006 was handed over to the United States Air Force as 67-21300. As every single one of the
Cessna O-2 aircraft, the 67-21300 was hand-flown to Vietnam. The 44th Aircraft Delivery Group of the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC)
was running this operation: the delivery flight started at Wichita from where the aircraft started in bunches of four and heading for
Hamilton AFB on the west coast of California. At Hamilton, the Air Force removed all the seats except the left front one. The seats
were shipped to Vietnam by air; in the vacant floor space extra fuel tanks were installed and an oil tank on top of the co-pilot tank;
followed by a small emergency HF radio on top of that. When ready for the delivery flight over the Ocean, the aircraft were flown to
Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon with stops at Hickam Air Force Base at Hawaii; Naval Air Station Midway Island; Wake Island Airfield;
Andersen Air Force Base at Guam and Clark Air Base at Luzon, Philipines. In Vietnam, the 67-21300 was taken on strength with the 504th
Tactical Air Support Group with the headquarter at Binh Thuy Air Base. In October 1967, the O-2A moved to the 23d Tactical Air Support
Squadron at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. In May 1969, the Cessna O-2A moved to Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam, where
she was operated by the 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron, assisting the US, South Vietnamese and Australian forces in preparing for
the invasion of eastern Cambodia in 1970, the so called Cambodian Campaign. In September 1970, the 67-21300 moved to Cam Ranh Bay Base
in Vietnam. In February 1971, the O-2A returned to the US, this time on board of a C-124. Back in the USA, Cessna O-2A 67-21300 was
stationed at NAS Willow Grove, followed by stations in Ontario and Wisconsin. In August 1982, the 67-21300 entered service with the US
Navy at NAS Lemoore, California, where the aircraft was operated as Range Controller with markings NJ-590A until 1986. In September 1990,
Cessna O-2A 67-21300 was struck off strength from the United States Navy at NAS Lemoore, California. In the early 2000's, after she was
sold by the military, the worn down airframe was fully restored to its original military state at Camarillo, California. On 13 April 2007,
the CofA for the Cessna O-2A c/n 337M0006 with the civil registration N590D was issued. On 31 December 2007, the N590D was registered
with Thomas J. Ohalloran, White Plains, NY, and based at Camarillo Airport, California. On 23 May 2013, the N590D was registered with
Aircraft Guaranty Corp Trustee, Onalaska, Texas, an aircraft registration company, specialised in providing Individual Trust Agreements
to non-US citizens to enable them to legally register their aircraft on the American "N" register. However registered with the
AGC Trustee, the Cessna O-2A N590D belongs to the Postbellum Foundation at Teuge Airfield in the Netherlands. On 3 June 2013, after a
delivery flight across the Atlantic that started at Bangor, Main, USA, on 29 May 2013, the N590D arrived at Teuge Airfield in the Netherlands.
Since, the aircraft has its home in the Skydeck Hangar at Teuge Airport. On 2 August 2018, Cessna O-2A N590D was seen on the taxiway at Teuge Airport. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
