OV-1 MOHAWK
The first Mohawk flew for the Army in 1960 as a visual observation aircraft. It was soon pressed into service in Vietnam. Its primary mission was gathering and relaying information on enemy activities. In subsequent years the mission and the aircraft underwent few changes. About 80 of the aircraft were built, and deployed in Vietnam, Germany, Desert Storm and Korea. Mohawk variants included the OV-1A, [visual and photographic], OV-1B [visual, photographic, and side-looking radar], the OV-1C [visual, photographic, and infrared], and the OV-1D.

The OV-1 was designed for aerial reconnaissance. The bulging oversized
glass canopy provided the crew with much more visibility than a standard,
streamlined canopy, to facilitate the OV-1's initial mission in Vietnam,
visual observation of enemy activities. The two place, twin turboprop
aircraft's thick, straight wings were designed to provide maximum lift rather
than speed, with a wing span longer than the fuselage. This lift capability
was needed to carry enough fuel for the missions that often lasted as much
as six hours. Instead of one vertical surface to stabilize the aircraft, the OV-1
has three. Because of the torque created by the twin turboprop engines, a
single vertical stabilizer would have been about 15-feet tall. Dividing the vertical surface into three sections
increased maneuverability and stability, which enhanced the performance of the radar and photographic equipment used to record enemy activities. Operating the surveillance equipment was the primary responsibility of the technical observer- the enlisted member of the Mohawk flight crew.

Specifications

Span 42 ft 0 in (12.8 m)
Length 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
Height 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Wing area 330 sq. ft (30.65 m 2)

10,370 LB (4,704 kg) Empty
13,040 LB (5,915 kg) Loaded (clean)
Weights 15,399 LB (6,985 kg) Loaded with two 150 US Gal (568 1)
external tanks

Two Lycoming T53-L-7 free-turbine turboprops
Power Plant each rated at 1,150 eshp
(1,100 shp plus 124 lb/56.3 kg residual thrust).

Maximum speed 308 mph (496 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,520 m)
Maximum cruise 297 mph (478 km/h)
Service ceiling 30,000 ft (9,150 m)

range 441 miles (710 km) at 230 mph (370 km/h) at 5,000 ft
(1,520 m) (internal fuel)

Take-off 950 ft (290 m) to clear 50 ft (15.2 m)

The sole purpose of this site is to find Army buddies of the 503Rd Aviation BN. CO. "B" Fliegerhorst Kaserne in Germany between the years 1963-1966.