Designed to operate from austere, short runways ashore, the OV-10 was actually quite capable of operating at sea from carriers, without using traditional catapults or arresting gear. It was never operationally deployed this way, but the testing did take place. Later, OV-10s would also conduct suitability trials aboard big deck amphibious ships. Again, it was…
Designed to operate from austere, short runways ashore, the OV-10 was actually quite capable of operating at sea from carriers, without using traditional catapults or arresting gear. It was never operationally deployed this way, but the testing did take place.
Later, OV-10s would also conduct suitability trials aboard big deck amphibious ships. Again, it was never deployed, but it was an option.
Occasionally I run across photos of the OV-10s on the LPHs. One trial had them landing on the USS Boxer, an Essex-class carrier converted to LPH. IIRC, there were also options to operate the OV-1 Mohawks. But since the Marines didn’t buy them, the Navy just transported them “supercargo” on the decks. Sad, because I’m sure the sight of an OV-1, armed with a couple of bombs, launching off a CV would have sent the AF general staff into a fit.
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The AF hated the OV-1 as it was. The Army tried to arm it because they got tired of fighting the AF for CAS, and the AF managed to put it to an end. The AF has maintained an excellent record in screwing thinsg in aviation up with the C-27 too. TacAir needs to be taken from them and given back to the Army. The AF is simply too screwed up.
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Craig covered that somewhere in this series:
http://xbradtc.com/2011/06/20/army-fixed-wing-cas-pt1/
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As a career long parachutist and with a rather lengthy couple of decades worth of civilian sport parachuting under my belt, one unusual thing about the OV-10 is that it could hold 4 (always heard 6) paratroopers in the back end. Approach DZ at low altitude, once over DZ pull up sharply and parachutists in back slide out the back end. Force Recon Marines were primary users and “dogface” paratroopers were always sniffing out a connection with which to get an OV-10 jump. Nope…..never did much to my eternal chagrin.
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The Navy had great success flying the OV-10.
In October 69 Navy squadron VAL-4 flying 13 OV-10s out of the VN Delta flew more combat sortees, killed more enemy troops, and destroyed more targets than all the 7th Fleet strike aircraft.
Click to access 13blackponies.pdf
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XBradTC 
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