The engine was renamed r985an2 or 8 depending on production batch. Os2u kingfisher read this before you begin study the assembly drawings. The vought os2u kingfisher was the standard catapultlaunched observation aircraft for the us navy during the second world war. Os2u kingfisher from classic warship publishing item number. Vought kingfisher os2u us navy aircraft, vintage aircraft. Voughts kingfisher floatplane was slow, but it saved many. I think my fascination of this plane comes from my dad telling me a bunch of stories of his time in the navy watching the kingfisher getting launched off the battleship catapult and being retrieved with the crane. Air arm received 100 machines with float and wheel gear, entering service as kingfisher is. Vought os2u kingfisher images gallery detailing the shipborne reconnaissance scout floatplane below are images of the vought os2u kingfisher shipborne reconnaissance scout floatplane. Originally intended for use by the netherlands east indies. A catapultmounted vought os2u3 kingfisher is poised above crewmen of the battleship uss missouri in 1944. A fantastic price for anyone interested in these workhorses of the us navy scout plane fleet. The first production kingfisher, the os2u 1, was delivered early in 1940 and assigned to the battleship uss colorado.
Alaskan kingfisher with red surround on oversized national insignia wwii equipment used after the war us navy lt steve corneliussen piloting an os2u 3 kingfisher of cruiser scouting squadron 1 with his observer, petty officer paul proffer, as they are catapulted off the cruiser uss detroit in the aleutians, 194344. Vought os2u3 kingfisher is recovered uss baltimore ca68 after she had rescued lieutenant junior grade george m. Vought sikorsky os2u kingfisher paperback january 1, 2009 by kev darling author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. By early 1941, vought had built 159 os2u2s and the navy had stationed these airplanes at naval air stations in pensacola, florida, pearl harbor, hawaii, and alameda, california. In the assembly drawings, some parts will be marked by a star. The kingfisher soon found itself in navy service with 54 os2u 1s ordered. Os2u kingfisher engineering triumph and war hero fisher of men one saves ten men tortoise nips the hare sb2u vindicator atlantic operations. Octopus 172 vought os2u kingfisher internet modeler. These pictures were taken and shared with the web by bill spidle.
This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. The os2u3 was the most numerous variant of the kingfisher with over 970 examples built, and the only version of the kingfisher to be exported. The os2u1, now designated as the kingfisher, was armed with a fixed browning. The os2u occasionally performed airsea rescues, of which the most dramatic was the rescue of several downed aviators from truk lagoon during the hailstone raid.
Alaskan kingfisher with red surround on oversized national insignia wwii equipment used after the war us navy lt steve corneliussen piloting an os2u3 kingfisher of cruiser scouting squadron 1 with his observer, petty officer paul proffer, as they are catapulted. Voughts os2u kingfisher first took flight on march 1 st 1938. Navy vought os2u2 kingfisher seaplane in flight in early 1942. The os2u was the main shipboard observation aircraft used by the united states navy during world war ii. The british at the time named all their planes typhoon, swordfish, hurricane, firefly, etc, etc and they called this plane the kingfisher. Vought os2u kingfisher of vo1 is recovered by uss arizona bb39 on 6 september 1941 80g66109. Navys primary shipbased, scout and observation airplane during world war ii. However, i am unaware of any injectionmolded kingfisher kits in 1. Vought s versatile kingfisher served as a gun spotter, patrol plane, antisubmarine scout, utility transport and trainer, but downed aircrews remembered it best as an angel on floats legendary world war i ace eddie rickenbacker owed his life to a vought os2u kingfisher.
As a potential replacement for the venerable supermarine walrus and the littleused fairey seafox, the os2u kingfisher arrived in britain in may 1942 as kingfisher mk. Because of the limited passenger capacity, a number of rescues were made by lashing survivors to the wings and taxiing on the surface to land or a ship or submarine rendezvous. Dispatched, from the uk, within 48 hours of ordering. A formation of os2u kingfisher aircraft in flight, 1943. This plane was used as direct gunfire during the invasion of peleliu september 1944. Click on a thumbnail image below to see a much larger view.
Mike grant shares with us his mind blowing 172 airfixmpc os2u kingfisher. Naming mess no such thing as os2u kingfisher the plane was a us plane serving in the navy with the designation os2u, os being a mission prefix for observationscout. Nowadays, with the advent of modern tooling and the ever increasing use of computer assisted design and slide moulds, the limits of what can be achieved in scale models has greatly surpassed what was feasible with plastic kits 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. Used to seek out the, rescue downed pilots and spot shots the kingfisher did this job from 1939 until it was fi. Price new from used from paperback, 2009 please retry. Os2u3 kingfisher a48 about to be loaded on board hmas wyatt earp, antarctic flight, commonwealth bay, antarctica, feb. The british kingfisher i was a counterpart of the os2u3. In addition the os2u 3 included more fuel tankage and a better armor arrangement. All results related to vought os2u kingfisher found on 80 scale modeling websites and the scalemates kit.
Nowadays, with the advent of modern tooling and the ever increasing use of computer assisted design and slide moulds, the limits of what can be achieved in scale models has. Beisel also designed the vought f4u corsair fighter see nasm collection. Please expect some creasing to the spine andor minor damage to the cover. Os2u3 kingfisher photo walk around click on thumbnail photo to see a larger picture, then use your browsers back button to return to this page. This is aircraft pictorial 3 os2u kingfisher by dana bell. The most famous incident involving a kingfisher was the rescue of captain eddie rickenbacker, who. While a casual reader would deem this an overlap from the scoutobservation curtiss soc floatplanes in already use in the late 1930s, the designation represented the subtle difference. This was followed by an order for 158 os2u 2s the majority of which were wheeled examples and 1006 os2u 3s. It came in both float and landbased configurations, and served as observer aircraft, antisubmarine aircraft, and rescue aircraft. The os2u was the main shipboard observation seaplane used by the united states navy during world. Any questions, comments, or problems, please email me. Performance was modest, because of its light engine.
Feb 21, 2018 the os2u kingfisher was a product of the vought aircraft firm, appearing initially as the vs. In addition to the us navy the kingfisher found itself in the service of the fleet air arm and the raaf as well as flying for chile, argentina, mexico, uruguay. The os2u 3 was similar to the os2u 2, with modifications to facilitate mass production. Vought os2u kingfisher october 12, 2015 pe matt aircraft, allied aircraft, faa, raaf, usn 0 the os2u kingfisher was designed in the late 1930s as an intended replacement for the biplane curtiss soc seagull, but in the event both aircraft would end up serving together. The design dated to a 1937 request for bids from the u. In december1939, the navy issued a followon contract for 158 improved kingfishers, 45 as seaplanes and 1 as landplane. Os2u1 kingfisher in the prewar markings of vo1, uss arizona. Served with the seaplane training flight, later 3 otu and 107 sqn in may 1943. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Get the vector version of this image original image dimensions. By early 1941, vought had built 159 os2u 2s and the navy had stationed these airplanes at naval air stations in pensacola, florida, pearl harbor, hawaii, and alameda, california. Irreplaceable reference for modelers and aviation fans.
Vought delivered 368 os2u3s in 1941, and an additional 638 were completed in 1942, when production was terminated. Vought os2u kingfisher australia 6 great britain 3 netherlands 1 ussrrussia 1 usa 11 chile 2 if you want share profiles of this aircraft with our visitors mail to webmaster mail to webmaster. In 1937 the navy issued a new specification for an observationscout aircraft to operate from the fleets battleships. I would love to see an fsk version of this rare modeled float plane. The first production kingfisher, the os2u1, was delivered early in 1940 and assigned to the battleship uss colorado. Vought os2u kingfisher shipborne reconnaissance scout. Like all warpaint titles, plenty of pretty pictures support the subject. Vought os2u3 kingfisher national air and space museum. Shown images are of much lower quality, due to resizing. The naval aircraft factory built 300 similar aircraft, designated os2u 1.
The os2u kingfisher was designed in the late 1930s as an intended replacement for the biplane curtiss soc seagull, but in the event both aircraft would end up serving together. Vought os2u 3 kingfisher is recovered uss baltimore ca68 after she had rescued lieutenant junior grade george m. The os2u 3 was the most widely produced version of the kingfisher, numbering over 970 aircraft. Discussion vought os2u kingfisher electric warbirds.
The vought os2u kingfisher was an observation floatplane that first flew in 1938. Vought os2u kingfisher 24 yokosuka e14y glen 7 yokosuka k4y 1 top. Vought delivered 368 os2u 3s in 1941, and an additional 638 were completed in 1942, when production was terminated. Two further and generally similar series, the os2u2 and 3, followed the latter also going into production at the naval aircraft factory as the os2n1. Kitty hawk 2 scale os2u1 kingfisher by larry goodell. The kingfisher is represented in the scale modeling world by very old but generally still available smaller scale 1. For better paint and decal adhesion, wash the plastic parts in a mild detergent solution. After the b17 in which he was flying ditched in the pacific in 1942, rickenbacker and other survivors spent more than three weeks in life rafts. Mar 16, 2018 v vought os2u vodomec was an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane. The vought os2u kingfisher is an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane. Before the introduction of radar the scoutobservation plane was the eyes of the fleet. Internet modeler riich 1200 os2u kingfisher with launcher.
It was designed to be catapultlaunched, but could also operate using fixed or wheeled landing gear, and was generally considered to be underpowered despite it being the primary shipboard observation aircraft of the usn. Vought os2u kingfisher project gutenberg selfpublishing. Performance was modest because of its light engine. The kingfisher soon found itself in navy service with 54 os2u1s ordered. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos by michael benolkin. The naval aircraft factory built 300 similar aircraft, designated os2u1. This 27piece 3dprinted resin update set addresses many of the monogram kits shortcomings, and includes the following replacement improvement parts. Navy observation plane of the war, with excellent construction and visibility.
Spanning just 48 pages, vought os2u kingfisher begins with design, development and initial deployment notes. Os2u kingfisher engineering triumph and war hero fisher of men one saves ten men tortoise nips the hare sb2u vindicator atlantic operations combat at midway phase out f4u corsair operation summary wwii lt. Vought os2u kingfisher with rescued airmen off truk on 1 may 1944 80g227991. Rex beisel, a design engineer at voughtsikorsky aircraft company, crafted the os2u in 1937. The os2u was the main shipboard observation aircraft used by the united states navy during.
The vought os2u kingfisher was an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane. Arrived in australia april 1942 and received at rathmines put into service september 1942. I saw this kit at the 2016 nats in columbia, sc and had to have it. Arrived in australia april 1942 and received at rathmines. Riich 1200 os2u kingfisher with launcher by chris banyairiepl.
Mar 16, 2018 the vought os2u kingfisher was an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane. Os2u 3 kingfisher a48 about to be loaded on board hmas wyatt earp, antarctic flight, commonwealth bay, antarctica, feb. The os2u kingfisher was a product of the vought aircraft firm, appearing initially as the vs. Navy for a twoseat observation aircraft that could be either land or water based and was small enough to operate from a battleship. V vought os2u vodomec was an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane. Text next turns to international kingfisher use then swiftly segues to an airframe and performance brief, before recapping wwii combat service.
This was followed by an order for 158 os2u2s the majority of which were wheeled examples and 1006 os2u3s. Voughtsikorsky aircraft divisions os2u kingfisher was the u. Performance was modest because of its lowpowered engine. The os2u would become one of the most important surfaceship aircraft of the war for the us navy. It is quite frankly one of kitty hawks best offerings to date. Jul 14, 2009 discussion vought os2u kingfisher electric warbirds. Adfserials image gallery voughtsikorsky os2u3 kingfisher. The vought os2u kingfisher was an american catapultlaunched observation floatplane, and was a compact midwing monoplane with a large central float and small stabilizing floats. Over 1500 were built and the kingfisher operated off of cruisers and battleships throughout the war.
This observation floatplane, conceived as a replacement for the curtiss soc seagull biplane floatplane, operated from american navy battleships, cruisers, and even a few destroyers via catapult and from shore bases around the world during world war ii. So, my purpose here will be to step by step the exterior painting and weathering to. It was capable of flying for up to six hours at 70 mph using special flaps and ailerons. Click through the available thumbnails to enlarge the images. These books are great for doing some preassembly research though they are. Os2u 3 kingfisher photo walk around click on thumbnail photo to see a larger picture, then use your browsers back button to return to this page. The vought os2u kingfisher was a catapultlaunched, observation floatplane. Navy service on may 23, 1941 the same week as the royal navys frantic hunt for the german battleship bismarck, in part with observation aircraft. Blueprints ww2 airplanes vought vought os2u3 kingfisher. I purchased it to give me some ideas before building a 148 scale revell os2u.
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