The Aeronca L-16 was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

liaison aircraft built by

Aeronca Aeronca, contracted from Aeronautical Corporation of America, located in Middletown, Ohio, is a US manufacturer of engine components and airframe structures for commercial aviation and the defense industry, and a former aircraft manufacturer. Fr ...

. It saw extensive service during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

. It was essentially a militarized version of the

Aeronca Champion The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...

. From 1955 large numbers were transferred to the

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...

. Derived from the

(Aeronca Model 7 series), the L-16 primarily replaced the similar

Piper L-4 The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...

(a modified

Piper Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is P ...

) in U.S. military service. The L-16 afforded generally better performance, stability, visibility and comfort, while its safety characteristics were a mix of better and worse than the L-4.Aerofiles.com
"Aeronca" page
Aircraft section, retrieved Feb. 22, 2016Davisson, Budd

''EAA/Sport Aviation,'' June 1997,

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

, as reproduced on the author's website, retrieved 2016-02-01Air Training Department, The Artillery School, U.S. Army,
The New Grasshopper—L-16
" (semi-official U.S. Army tutorial written to guide pilots transitioning from the Piper L-4 to the Aeronca L-16) ''The Field Artillery Journal'', Nov-Dec 1947, United States Army

Variants

;L-16A (7BCM Champion) : 509 built, 376 of them produced for the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

,Swanborough and Bowers 1964, p. 33. used in Korea 1950, 85 hp (63 kW)

Continental O-190 The Continental O-190 (Company designations C75 and C85) is a series of engines made by Continental Motors beginning in the 1940s. Of flat-four configuration, the engines produced 75 hp (56 kW) or 85 hp (63 kW) respectively. ...

-1 (C85) engine.Eden and Moeng, 2002. p. 44. ;L-16B (7CCM Champion) :Military version of the Model 7AC used as training aircraft for

, 90 hp (67 kW) Continental O-205-1 (C90) engine.Harding 1997, p. 13 100 were built.Andrade 1979, p. 130

Operators

National Guard of the United States The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

* National Safety Forces

Specifications (L-16B)

References

Bibliography

* * Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph, eds. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. . * * * {{USAF liaison aircraft 1940s United States military utility aircraft Aeronca aircraft High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1944

Variants

Operators

Specifications (L-16B)

See also

References

Bibliography