SEAGULL MODELS ALL NEW 122″ WINGSPAN
CESSNA L-19/O-1A BIRD DOG
AVAILABLE IN (3) VERSIONS:
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WHITE/RED “DEAD EYE” 60cc-85cc SEA385
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OLIVE GREEN/ORANGE “CHICKEN MAN ONE-SIX” 60cc-85cc SEA385CM
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UNCOVERED / ARC 60cc-85cc SEA385UNC
The SEAGULL MODELS 122″ Wingspan L-19 BIRD DOG/CESSNA O-1 model is an exciting replica of the beloved multi-mission single engine aircraft that proudly served from 1950-1974. This amazing little aircraft penetrated enemy lines, called in targets, provided intel/recon, acted as a radio relay, escorted convoys and acted in FAC role and several other duties! Legend Hobby proudly brings you this historic aircraft in an impressive 122-inch wingspan model that is easy to assemble, with its two-piece wing the model can be transported in most large vehicles quiet easily and best of all it flies great! Though not intended to be flown or built by the novice modeler, experienced modelers will find this L-19 BIRD DOG easy to assemble and versatile enough to handle gas, glow and large electric power systems with ease!
Military Service: The United States Department of Defense (DOD) ordered 3,200 L-19s that were built between 1950 and 1959, entering both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps inventories, initially designated as OE-1s in the Marine Corps until all US military aircraft designations were standardized in 1962. The aircraft were used in various utility roles such as artillery spotting, front line communications, medevac and training.
In 1962, the Army L-19 and Marine Corps OE-1 was redesignated the O-1 (Observation) Bird Dog and entered the Vietnam War. During the early 1960s, the Bird Dog was flown by the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF), U.S. Army, and U.S. Marines in South Vietnam and later by clandestine forward air controllers (e.g., Ravens) in Laos and Cambodia. Because of its short takeoff and landing (STOL) and low altitude/low airspeed capabilities, the O-1 also later found its way into U.S. Air Force service as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircraft for vectoring faster fighter and attack aircraft and supporting combat search-and-rescue operations recovering downed aircrews.
During the Vietnam War the Bird Dog was used primarily for reconnaissance, target acquisition, artillery adjustment, radio relay, convoy escort and the forward air control of tactical aircraft, to include bombers operating in a tactical role.
Supplementing the O-1, then gradually replacing it, the USAF switched to the Cessna O-2 Skymaster and North American OV-10 Bronco, while the U.S. Marine Corps took delivery of the OV-10 to replace their aging O-1s. Both were faster twin-engined aircraft, with the OV-10 being a turboprop aircraft, but the U.S. Army retained the Bird Dog throughout the war with up to 11 Reconnaissance Airplane Companies (RACs) deployed to cover all of South Vietnam, the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the southern edge of North Vietnam. Its quieter noise footprint, lower speed, tighter maneuverability, short runway ability and better visibility (even to the rear) kept it highly valued by the ground units it supported and highly feared by enemy units it flew over. The last U.S. Army O-1 Bird Dog was officially retired in 1974.
Many of former O-1 and L-19 aircraft were eventually sold to private owners as recreational aircraft, while others went to museums where they are usually displayed in their military combat markings. Still others found their way to glider clubs in the U.S. as a reliable and powerful vehicle to tow gliders into the air. As with most aircraft used for glider towing, the aircraft had also been outfitted with mirrors mounted to the struts.
Notable Flights: American television personality and actor Ed McMahon was a Marine Corps aviator who piloted an O-1E during the Korean War, flying 85 combat missions and earning six Air Medals during 1953.
On April 29, 1975, the day before the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War, Republic of Vietnam Air Force Major Buang-Ly loaded his wife and five children into a two-seat Cessna O-1 Bird Dog and took off from Con Son Island. After evading enemy ground fire, Major Buang-Ly headed out to sea and spotted the aircraft carrier Midway. With only an hour of fuel remaining, he dropped a note asking that the deck be cleared so he could land. Knowing there was no room for this to happen, Midway’s commanding officer, Captain (later Rear Admiral) Lawrence Chambers ordered $10 million worth of South Vietnamese Bell UH-1 Iroquois (“Huey”) helicopters to be pushed overboard into the South China Sea. The Bird Dog that Major Buang-Ly landed aboard Midway is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
On February 24, 1967, Hilliard A. Wilbanks protected American and South Vietnamese troops on the ground by strafing the Vietcong troops using his M16 rifle. He shot his M-16 from the side window of the Bird Dog. He was shot down by ground fire after the third pass and died on his way to the hospital. He became a Medal Of Honour recipient for his sacrifice.
