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This OV-10 is being built to the FAI F4C specs...translated that's a "0~1
meter" static event with the usual 3 to 4 flight rounds accompanying it.
I chose the YOV-10D NOGs/NOS
which was the DoD/USMC's prototype for what became the OV-10D & OV-10D+. Long story made short...its a real bad case of whoop ass for ground support & FAC (forward air support). NOGs / NOS can baby sit every square inch of a foot ball field...off at right angles 1/8th to 1/4 of a mile away. I built a built-up structure prototype seven years ago. At present the airframe components are composite and built-up combining elements of the 1st design and composite parts accumulated during the design process. My YOV-10D was created from the five OV-10 3VU's available when I began eight years ago. I enlarged them to the same scale and meaned out all non-uniform elements so I could then narrow the 3VU's to eventually one. There were two of this YOV-10D configuration built, BuNo155395 and BuNo155396. I am replicating is 155395, an airframe NAA used for OV-10 prototyping. Both airframes were identical with the exception that 155395 had been damaged such that it was not as easily flown as 396. Configured with twin booms, common horizontal stab and suspended central fuselage and flown from less than ideal terrain rendered 395 with less appealing piloting attributes. May 28, 1971 both airframes arrived in Vietnam for fire evaluation. Though assigned to VMO-4 during the evaluation, the two rarely traveled together. They arrived at the same time as most other OV-10's were redeployed to Philippians and Stateside. The two were eventually attached to USN VAL- 4 to patrol the Delta Region. All USAF OV-10s were denied attack missions. USAF OV-10s were more lightly armed than USMC & USN OV-10A. The YOV-10D attack capabilities were proven with Spl Ops and helo insertions all along the river. Both 395 and 396 were withdrawn from SEA in August of '71 after expending over 2,000,000 rounds of HE20mm in less than 90 days. Returning to USN China Lake, CA Weapons Center after their unique configuration was recommended as the next evolution in the OV-10 to become the OV-10D a SLEP (service life extension program) occurred for a large number of A models. Though outfit with options to enable use of the 20mm Gatling Gun A's converted to the D standard were minus the rastering 20mm cannon. While in field evaluation the 20mm rastering Gatling Gun would be used more often than not facing forward and the pilot controlling its use instead of the rear seat weapons officer. (MORE CLICK HERE) |