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This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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Curtiss O-52 Owl

Mon Jan 16, 2023 10:03 am

Yes, another unloved airplane!

If anyone seeing this has had a look at our efforts on the Douglas B-18/B-23, Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep and North American O-47, you'll know where this is headed.

Sure could use help locating actual wartime images of O-52's at east coast stations such as Hyannis, MA, Langley Field, VA, various sites in North Carolina and farther west at Camp Beauregard and DeRidder Fields, LA. Toughest are the O-52's assigned to the 2nd Observation Squadron, 4th Composite Group at Nichols and Clark Fields, PI and the 4th Observation Squadron in Puerto Rico. The Russian O-52's are poorly understood and the one in Brazil is really, really obscure. Any help would be most welcome indeed.

Re: Curtiss O-52 Owl

Mon Jan 16, 2023 2:53 pm

RB-18B wrote:If anyone seeing this has had a look at our efforts on the Douglas B-18/B-23, Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep and North American O-47, you'll know where this is headed.

̶S̶o̶r̶r̶y̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶s̶a̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶4̶t̶h̶ ̶O̶b̶s̶e̶r̶v̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶S̶q̶u̶a̶d̶r̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶m̶i̶s̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶e̶x̶t̶.̶ ̶W̶h̶o̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶"̶o̶u̶r̶"̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶c̶u̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶.̶

Oh, shoot, now I see you are Mr. Hagedorn! Now the "RB-18B" makes sense too! As in the book you wrote on the B-18. (I'm not sure I would have realized that second point, except I still recall briefly speaking with you about it back at the Aviation Heritage Group conference in 2015.) I remember encountering a copy at Oshkosh back in 2016 and I found the research you did on the origins of the Bolo nickname very fascinating. So you must be working on a book about the O-52 then. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

As an aside, I take it you've already been in contact with Tim Savage about the O-52 project he has for sale? He has an account on WIX and posts every once and a while.

Re: Curtiss O-52 Owl

Mon Jan 16, 2023 2:53 pm

[Double post]

Re: Curtiss O-52 Owl

Mon Jan 16, 2023 5:37 pm

Yes, Tim has been most helpful and I have known him for a long time. I think I have touched most of the obvious sources, but am now at the point where I really need to locate things that O-52 crews who have gone West may have left behind. I have a very strong sense of duty to this form of honor and remembrance. The O-52 was a warbird, too.
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