The OV-10 Bronco: Designed by Marines, Built for COIN Ops

have you ever heard of a special kind of airplane built just for Missions that involve fighting against Guerilla forces well it turns out there is this observation light attack Marvel featured two props that were driven by jet engines with two tails on two booms and was flown by two crew members this aircraft was such a stud they named it after a horse meet the ob10 Bronco slower but more maneuverable than Jets yet faster and more versatile than helicopters this flying horse was a legend to those who served with it but an airplane not many know about until now you see the story of the Bronco isn't just the tale of a now forgotten aircraft it's the tale of resilience of how two marines dreamed up their own perfect aircraft and then had it built it's also the cousin of the A10 warthog and like most basic aircraft which have all their weapons in the front the Bronco was a flying pickup truck that could drop special forces units carry a Gatling gun in the rear and even drop supplies all while acting as an armed forward command post and spotter this airplane was so good the Marines Air Force and navy used it and the Army wished it could have so strap in for a rodeo like ride because because today we're going to take a look at the development of this flying equestrian Marvel its operational history from its days over the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq and why this twin tailed Terror should find a Resurgence to perform counterinsurgencies or coin given today's state of world affairs pilot fog.com picture this it's 1960 and two Marine Corps Majors wh Becket and KP rice are out in the desert brainstorming ideas for a new aircraft they Envision a small lightweight and rugged close air support plane that can be deployed alongside troops on the ground in fact they want the airplane to live in the field with the troops it's going to support this dreamed up aircraft would have long loiter times turbine engines center mounted internal guns and the flexibility to carry various types of ordinance they call their concept VMA and like many great success stories they build a prototype in their garage in 1961 the Air Force realized the need for an aircraft that would be suited to anti-g gorilla operations you see the close support role that was so effective in World War II was somewhat lost with the introduction of fast fighter jets the Air Force envisioned an inexpensive ensive aircraft simple to maintain and easy to fly Becket and rice create a pamphlet showcasing their concept and it becomes a hit now a colonel Becket retires and joins North American aircraft to help bring their idea to life fast forward to 1963 and the light armed reconnaissance aircraft or Lara specification is released now let me tell you the requirements for this spef speci ification is like a wish list on steroids the Lara is supposed to be a twin engine two-seater that can carry cargo paratroopers or stretchers and get this it has to operate from aircraft carriers without needing catapult launches or arrested Landings but wait there's more it also needs to reach speeds of at least 300 knots have short takeoff and Landing capabilities flexible Armament configurations and be able to operate from basic forward bases with minimal maintenance oh and did I mention it has to be convertible to an amphibian talk about a tall order several companies step up to the plate with their proposals including big names like Grumman Goodyear beachcraft Douglas Lockheed Martin they were separate back then and conveyor but in the end it's the North American with their na 300 design and while the na 300 is similar to con's model 48 charger it officially wins the competition in 1964 the aircraft would go on to be designated the Y ov10a this prototype which we will eventually come to know as the ob10 Bronco takes its first flight on July 16th 1965 however conve still feels they have the better airplane so they build a charger aircraft prototype out of protest and get this even though the charger performs similarly and even outshines the Bronco in some areas it unfortunately crashes in October of 1965 this puts an end to any comparisons between the two meanwhile the Bronco first saw action just 3 years later in 1968 in Vietnam and quickly established its reputation for dependability case in point after a 900m flight from the Philippines the first Marine Corps Broncos were flying combat missions Less Than 3 hours after arriving in country and we'll dive deeper into the operational history of this airplane but first let's take a look at what makes the Bronco so useful one of the first things you may notice about this unique airplane is its large canopy on most Fighters the canopy rail is near the Pilot's shoulder on the Bronco it's basically by the Pilot's elbow this taller canopy allows for a much greater field of view on top of this the can canopy is curved outward so that Pilots can see straight down or even underneath the airplane this canopy design is one of the many features that showcase the Bronco has reconnaissance and observation in mind fortunately for the crew the Bronco includes ejection seats plural both guys can get out now speaking of the backseater there was a full set of flight controls in the back except for the landing gear and the radio controls as a result some back seaters would car an extended pointer to change radio frequencies and as a backup method in case the front seat pilot was incapacitated so Reach Out And Touch controls instead of someone now this backseater was typically an observer sometimes this could be an artillery officer and other times even an interpreter that would communicate with foreign allied military forces and speaking of communicating the Bronco was all about radios and antennas the lv10 had UHF VHF FM and high frequency radios this thing was an audio files dream because of all this Comm equipment the Bronco could communicate with just about anyone in the world at the time now what this usually meant was artillery batteries and other aircraft mortar platoon ships and even satellite Communications this basically made the ob10 a pocket Airborne command and control platform think of it like a mini E2 Hawkeye or E3 Sentry it couldn't detect Targets on radar but it could coordinate a lot of distinct radio chatter that would normally have to go up and down the chain of command to get through to the Troops on the ground or the GU shooting the artillery we will continue the Broncos story in a minute but first If you flew worked on or just appreciate the ob10 then I am especially excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Thomas gun Miniatures together we've created a limited edition series of this legendary aircraft which has been meticulously handcarved from Mahogany and available in two distinct markings the Vietnam era and the Desert Storm era each model is crafted in an impressive 130 scale showcasing Exquisite details including a detailed interior cockpit please note availability is extremely limited with only two models produced for each era so don't miss your chance to own a piece of aviation history with these collector grade models to get 5% off your order and to help me continue bringing you other aircraft use promo code YouTube the code is good for all aircraft and models on the Thomas Gun Site check them out after this video I'll leave links in the description below Now we move on to one of the business ends of the Bronco the sponson each sponson was designed to carry two M60 machine guns you know the one that was made famous in a movie that rhymes with danbo each of the sponsons also has an ordinance rack and this along with a Centerline hardpoint allowed for the Bronco to carry five external stores including a Centerline fuel tank there were also Wing mounted hardpoints that could carry either A9 missiles or external fuel tanks now the center line station could also take a 20 mm Cannon and there was another interesting mounting point for a cannon more on that in a minute the Bronco would typically carry rockets for attack and Sidewinders for self- protection the Sidewinders could also be used to hunt enemy helicopters meanwhile the Rockets serve multiple purposes they could strike targets directly or when loaded with white phosphorus commonly known as willly Pete they could Mark specific locations with smoke aiding in coordination and visibility on the battlefield and now we get to the other business end of the Bronco the trunk which like a pickup truck had many uses it could carry 3200 lb of cargo that could be air dropped making the ov1 an attack delivery vehicle the twin booms and Tails had many design benefits and one of these was the fact that a 6x6 truck could back up and load supplies directly onto it now this same cargo area could be used to carry up to five special forces solders with parachutes making the Bronco a sort of Aeros salt deployment platform it could also serve as a metac with room for two stretchers and a Corman or medic but perhaps the most interesting use of the trunk was mounting a 20 mm Gatling gun out of the back this device could be configured to fire directly forward or to the side with a rate of fire of 750 to 1,000 rounds per minute the pilot would aim the cannon with a specialized side mount fixed sight this allows for very accurate sustained fire for ground and air Targets in the side firing mode the system had no problem tracking helicopters that were hovering or maneuvering powering the Bronco are two t76 engines that put out about 745 shaft horsepower each originally the air scoops were under the propeller but it was found that this would cause debris or fod to get sucked into the engine so the amount of the engine upside down on the production model this is why you see the intakes above the prop since the Bronco is to operate out of rough Fields the engines were covered by a clamshell housing making it easy to work on you could access most of the engine with just regular tools on top of this the engine could run on various types of fuel from JP or jet fuel to AV gas to even truck gas or Mo gas all you needed to do was change your fuel setting on the engine and the engines would run now running the engines on other fuels besides JP was not ideal and you likely had to do some maintenance afterwards but it added another layer to the ob10 versatility as distinct looking as the Bronco is no one would ever confuse it with a fast jet fighter especially with those straight rectangular Wings yet those very Hershey bar wings are designed to provide maximum lift and time on station this comes at the cost of speed remember this is an observation SL light attack aircraft so it needs to be in the area as long as possible the A10 warthog has a similar Wing because it has a similar Mission today many people don't realize that the A10 secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground Targets in a role known as Forward Air controller airborne and when the warthog is used in this role it's designated the o0 A10 getting back to the Bronco the Prototype version had just a 30ft wingspan however when test pilots flew it they found the roll rate and handling were somewhat unpredictable as a result the production model added 5 ft of wing on each side to give the Bronco a 40ft wingspan for context n F-16 has just a 33 ft wingspan but of course a lot more engine power and while the straight Wing isn't so sexy it is built like a tank the lv10 is designed for 8G performance and speeds of 350 knots these incredibly strong Wings allow it to do fighter jet-like Maneuvers which are useful for evading ground fire or going after helicopters all this performance and Firepower are great but remember you still have to get in and out of some very short or unimproved airfields to handle this the Broncos landing gear is very tall and rugged each of the three wheels has a knuckled design which allows it to absor or bumps or rough terrain better to test this the designers put the Bronco through its Paces having it land on a corrugated Runway that would simulate bumpy ground that's so often seen on soft Fields now while extremely uncomfortable for the pilot the Bronco was able to handle these conditions and along with the beefy landing gear the high-wing again plays a role here keeping the propeller arcs up high and leaving lots of clearance as the Bronco taxis takes off or lands using flaps and holding in the brakes until full power was reached the Bronco could take off in about 800 ft when it came to Landing it was even more impressive using reverse thrust this aerial Pony could land in just 200 ft for these reasons and this kind of performance the Bronco was able to operate off of carrier decks without the need for a catapult to launch or an arresting hook to land at the end of the day the ob10 really could live with the troops that supported in almost any fuel conditions of imaginable operationally the ov1 Bronco initially entered service with the US Marine Corps which equipped each of its two observation squadrons designated VMO with 18 aircraft these squadrons were made up of nine ov10a models and nine ov1d models that were adapted for night operations we'll look at that variant in a moment additionally a marine Air Reserve Squadron was also formed during its time with the Marines the ob10 primarily served as a forward air controller or fact and remain in operation until 1995 its final deployment was during Desert Storm which unfortunately made it the last time US forces experien combat losses of the ob10 this included two Marine Corps ob10 that were shot down due to inadequate infrared countermeasures or flares Additionally the aircraft's relatively slow speed made it more susceptible to anti-aircraft fire after the Broncos military service Forward Air Control duties largely transitioned to ground units that were equipped with laser designators and digital radios as well as to the twin seat fa1 18d Hornet most of the retired ob10 Broncos were transferred to civilian government agencies in the US and others were sold abroad more on that later now within the scope of enhancing the ob10 capabilities the Marine Corps initiated the yov 10d KN observation gunship system or nogs program which modified 2ov 10A to add a turret mounted forward-looking infrared or Fleer sensor a laser target designator and a turret equipped with a 20mm cannon that would align to the fleer's aim Point although the nogs program was proven effective in Vietnam insufficient funding halted further conversions however the initiative later evolved into the NS ov1d version which kept the laser designator but did not include the gun like the Marines the US Air Force acquired the ob10 Bronco mainly for Forward Air controller operations the first combat ready Air Force Bronco landed in Vietnam on July 31st 1968 as part of operation combat Bronco this was to assess the aircraft's capabilities these aircraft were assigned to the 19th Tactical Air Support squadron at bien Hall Airbase let me know if I said that right where they engaged in various fact roles including strike coordination and reconnaissance the operation concluded on October 30th of 1968 following this the Air Force deployed additional ov10a to various squadrons in Vietnam and Thailand supporting significant operations like Igloo white and prairie fire Danel Boon notably from 1968 to 1971 several pilots from the Royal Australian and New Zealand Air Forces flew o10s with the USAF during 1969 another evaluation dubbed Misty Bronco confirmed the ob10 effectiveness as a Light Strike aircraft leading to all USAF o10s being armed with machine guns and authorized to use high explosive rockets in 1971 some Broncos received Reed upgrades under project pave nail enhancing their night operation capabilities which was crucial during operations along the hoochi Min Trail by 1969 the USAF had received 157 o10s but unfortunately lost 64 during the conflict the aircraft were eventually phased out by the late 1980s in favor of the OA 37b and the o0 A1A the final retirement of the Bronco from the USAF occurred in 19 1991 however in 2015 two o10s were temporarily reactivated to support combat missions over Iraq and Syria during operation inherent resolve demonstrating effective close Air Support over a short operational period regarding the Broncos US Navy service in January of 1969 the Navy established light attack Squadron 4 or val4 known as the black ponies this Squadron operated in Vietnam from April of 1969 until April of 1972 the Navy used the ob10 Bronco as a light ground attack aircraft V4 was tasked with interdiction of enemy Logistics and providing fire support for Marines seals and Naval riverine forces or navy forces deployed along rivers despite its success the Squadron lost seven o10s during the conflict val4 was unique as it was the only Navy Squadron to use the ob10 and it was decommissioned shortly after the Vietnam War ended the surviving Navy o10s were transferred to the Marine Corps additionally in the 1970s at least two Broncos served as test beds at the Naval Air test center at NAS paxtin River Maryland aside from the US Navy Marine Corp and Air Force several Nations have operated or continue to operate the ov1 these include the Philippines Colombia Indonesia Morocco Thailand Venezuela and West Germany in almost all of the cases the ob10 is used for coin operations or observation but one country had an interesting use for the Bronco West Germany the Germans used their ob10 to tow targets for Gunnery practice they also used their Broncos to act as flying radar decoys so that other aircraft or ground stations could practice tracking hostile aircraft the ov1 versatile trunk found another use as an observation post looking similar to a World War II bomber the Bronco really was like the Swiss army knife of the Skies aside from military operations the Bronco has also been used as test beds for NASA by the US Department of State the Bureau of Land Management and even as a firefighter for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in this role the Bronco would serve as an aerial platform to coordinate the firefighting effort despite its deficiencies in my opinion The Versatile Bronco could find uses today for the US armed forces and again it's important to remember that some countries are still operating the Bronco so it's not that far-fetched of an idea as mentioned earlier there was a brief Resurgence of the Bronco in 2015 where it did perform well having an aircraft that is inexpensive to operate can communicate with virtually anyone can stay airborne for hours and operate out of almost any Airfield are all big advantages there always seems to be a need for counterinsurgency operations and there are fewer aircrafts suited to coin missions than the Bronco by giving the airplane upto-date sensors improved engines and some counter measures the Bronco could be a viable platform for certain types of military operations but what about drones couldn't drones do the same thing as an ob10 without putting human Crews at risk the short answer is yes however the ob10 could actually use drones to its Advantage a single OV V 10 working with drones could Patrol a large area of land or water and to be honest there's just no substitute for a human remaining inside the decision chain a Bronco working with armed and sensor drones could monitor identify and even prosecute targets likely more effectively than just drones being run by operators far away the current situation in the Red Sea could be a good example again there is risk involved to the cruise but maybe in certain situations it could work what are your thoughts let me know in the comments below I enjoy our discussions I hope I've done Justice to this wonderful airplane and maybe some of you watching have learned about an aircraft you didn't know existed before this video hopefully those of you who worked on or flew this incredible airplane took a trip down memory lane thanks for watching be sure to check out the Thomas gun model line for some incredibly detailed aircraft remember use promo code YouTube for the discount the ov1 Bronco a stud of an airplane this is tog keep your eyes in the skies and now you know pilot photo.com

Channel: PilotPhotog

Views: 623,920

Keywords: aviation, flying, photography, aviator, airplane, planes, pilotphotog, avgeek, ov-10 bronco, counterinsurgency, COIN, Rockwell, columbus ohio, gatling gun, North American, YO-10A, Bronco, vietnam, desert storm, ov-10a bronco, guerilla warfare, conventional, Rockets, rocket pod, dcs, eagle dynamics, blender, 3D, LARA, Light Armed Reconniasance Aircraft, YOV-10A, Convair Charger, Forward command, FAC, command center, observation, special forces, paratrooper, versatile, rugged, documentary, history, development

Id: sVNOCTLw5tk

Length: 23min 39sec (1419 seconds)

Published: Wed May 08 2024