The Douglas O-46 was an observation

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

used by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

and the

Philippine Army Air Corps The Philippine Army Air Corps ( fil, Pulutong Himpapawid ng Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas; es, Cuerpo Aéreo del Ejercito Filipino) was created in 1935 as the air component of the Philippine Army. It was the predecessor of the Philippine Air F ...

."Douglas Aircraft Builds the DC-1 and DC-2."
''U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission,'' 2003. Retrieved: 27 September 2007.

Design and development

The O-46A, the last of a long line of Douglas observation aircraft, was a victim of progress. It was designed to operate from established airfields behind fairly static battle lines as in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. However, in 1939, a report was issued on the O-46A which stated that it was too slow and heavy to outrun and outmaneuver enemy fighter aircraft, too heavy to operate from small, wet, unprepared fields, and too large to conceal beneath trees. This report was a forecast of the future, for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with its rapidly changing battle lines proved the need for light, maneuverable observation aircraft which could operate from unimproved airstrips. Consequently, in 1942, the "O" (observation) designation was changed to "L" (liaison). The O-46 was a development of the earlier

Douglas O-43 The Douglas O-43 was a monoplane observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps. Development Five Y1O-31A service-test aircraft were ordered in 1931, and delivered to the USAAC in early 1933 designated Y1O-43. They differed from ...

. The 24th airframe of the O-43A contract was completed as the XO-46 prototype, with a revised wing and an engine switch, from the O-43's inline engine to a

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

, the

Pratt & Whitney R-1535 The Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior was an engine used in American aircraft in the 1930s. The engine was introduced in 1932 as a 14-cylinder version of the 9-cylinder R-985. It was a two-row, air-cooled radial design. Displacement was ; ...

-7. The Air Corps ordered 90 O-46As in 1935. They were built between May 1936 and April 1937.

Operational history

At least 11 O-46s saw overseas duty; two were destroyed in the Japanese raid on

Clark Field Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

in the Philippines on 8 December 1941. The

Maryland Air National Guard The Maryland Air National Guard (MD ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Maryland, United States of America, and a reserve component of the United States Air Force. It is, along with the Maryland Army National Guard, an element of the Maryla ...

operated O-46As off the coast of New Jersey for anti-submarine duty. The remainder were declared obsolete in late 1942 and after that were used primarily in training and utility roles. A proposed variant with a Wright R-1670-3 engine received the designation O-48 but was not built.

Surviving aircraft

The only surviving O-46A (s/n 35-179) is currently in storage in the collection of the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...

Wright-Patterson AFB Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wri ...

near

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. On 27 November 1942, the aircraft was part of the 81st Air Base Squadron, when it landed downwind at Brooks Field,

Harlingen, Texas Harlingen ( ) is a city in Cameron County in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley of the southern part of the U.S. state of Texas, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than and is the second-largest city in ...

, ran out of runway and overturned. Written off, it was abandoned in place. More than 20 years later it was discovered by the

Antique Airplane Association The Antique Airplane Association, Inc. (AAA) is the oldest antique airplane association in the world. The AAA formed in August 1953 by Robert L. Taylor (aviator), Robert L. Taylor,"Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame: Inductees - 1994 - Robert L. Taylor." I ...

with trees growing through its wings, and in 1967, it was rescued and hauled to

Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,529 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census. Located in the state's southeastern section, the city is split into northern and southern halves b ...

. Restoration turned out to be beyond the organization's capability, and in September 1970, it was traded to the

for a flyable

Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...

. The (then) Air Force Museum had it restored at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

, and placed it on display in 1974, the sole survivor of the 91 O-46s built.Westburg, Peter W. and Peter M. Bowers. "The Parasols of Santa Monica". ''Wings'', Volume 4, Number 2, April 1974, pp. 68–69.

Specifications (O-46A)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Armstrong, William M. ''Baltimore in World War II.'' Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2005. . * Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920.'' London: Putnam, 1979. .

External links

Douglas O-46 at Ugolok Neba
(in Russian, with drawings and photos) {{USAAF observation aircraft

Douglas O-46 The Douglas O-46 was an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps.

Parasol-wing aircraft O-46 Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1935