Timeline Flight 15 -- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog

With the approach of Civil Air Patrol's 80th anniversary Dec.1, Maj. Ronald C. Finger of the Minnesota Wing's Crow Wing Composite Squadron worked with Col. Frank Blazich of the Col. Louisa S. Morse Center for Civil Air Patrol History, CAP national historian, on a special project -- to create “Timeline Flight” paintings showcasing some of the wide variety of CAP aircraft flown over the years.

The 21 aircraft selected span the Coastal Patrol days of World War II, the postwar years and finally the aircraft Civil Air Patrol aircrews fly today. This is the 15th. Others will be posted every five days.

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog

• Capacity: two
• Length: 25 feet 10 inches
• Maximum speed: 115 mph
• Cruise speed: 104 mph
• Range: 530 miles
• Service ceiling: 18,500 feet

The Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog is an all-metal fixed-wing liaison and observation aircraft ordered by the U.S. Army in 1947. The name Bird Dog, chosen in a contest among Cessna employees, was chosen for the aircraft's role in finding its prey and orbiting overhead in the manner of a dog used by game bird hunters.

In the early 1970s several U.S. Air Force O-1s, including some used as forward air controllers in the Vietnam War, were turned over to Civil Air Patrol. Later, for reasons of safety and maintenance costs, the Air Force directed CAP to transition to single-engine tricycle-gear aircraft common to general aviation. The one remaining O-1 in CAP inventory is on permanent display in front of CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

N5639V was flown by the Hawaii Wing.

Sikorsky S-39B
Stinson 105-10A Voyager
Beechcraft Staggerwing B-17L 
Waco YKS-6
Fairchild 24-C8F
Grumman G-44A Widgeon
Stinson SR-9C Reliant “Gull Wing”
Piper J3-65 Cub
Culver Cadet LCA
Ercoupe 415-C
Aeronca L-16A
Beechcraft T-34 A
North American AT-6 Texan
Beechcraft -45H Expeditor