US Curtis 052 ''Owl'' Observation Airplane

By Crusader1307

Designed in 1939 and deployed with The US Army Air Corps in 1941, The Curtis ''Owl'' was an Observational and Reconnaissance Aircraft. Although a reliable Observation Craft, The “Owl” was not good in actual combat conditions – as evidenced early in The Pacific Theater of World War II) 200 were produced, with a majority being sold under The Lend-Lease Program to The Soviet Union. Most 0-52s were discontinued by the 1950. The “Owl” was crewed by (2). They were 27-feet long with a wingspan of 41-feet. Powered by a Pratt Radial Engine, The 0-52 could achieve 600-hp and a speed of 220-mph. The operational ceiling was 21,000-feet. The “Owl” had basic self-defense armament of (1) Forward and (1) Rearward Mounted 7.62mm Machine Gun.