OV-1D Mohawk - Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville, FL
N 28° 31.126 W 080° 47.612
17R E 520202 N 3154688
This OV-1D Mohawk reconnaissance aircraft is located in front of the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM2XQC
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/06/2008
Views: 86
A sign adjacent to the aircraft provided the following information:
Nation: U.S.A.
Manufacturer: Grumman
Type: Reconnaissance, Observation
Year: 1959-1970
Engines: Two 1,150 HP Lycoming-T-53-701 Turboprop
Length: 44 feet, 11 inches
Wingspan: 43 feet
Height: 12 feet, 8 inches
Maximum Speed: 305 m.p.h.
Weight: Empty-11,757 pounds
Loaded: 18,109 pounds
Ceiling: 25,000 feet
Range: 1,011 miles
Armament: OV-1A six under wing pylons carrying gun or rocket pods
Crew: 2
Production: 380 all variants
The first of the OV-1 variants was flight tested during the summer of 1959. Only minor problems were encountered and test pilots reported its flight characteristics were between that of a light aircraft and a jet fighter. Developed primarily for the Army, but also for joint service use, it was to be of high performance for observation, artillery spotting, reconnaissance and utility use. This aircraft was to have a service life of 10 years or 8,000 flight hours. Fatigue tests indicated it would be safe after twice this amount, or a total of 16,000 hours. The OV-1A set several new records for a turbo prop. 16 June 1966, test pilot Jim Peters few to 9,842 feet in 3 min. 41 sec., and to 19,685 feet in 9 min. 9 sec. OV-1s performed well when tested with snow skis, water skis for shallow water, and at minus 50 degrees F. During 1968 several OV-1Cs were deployed to Vietnam for use by the 131st Aviation Co. and were equipped with a multi-million dollar sensor and avionics package. The Viet Cong, who called the aircraft the "whispering death" offerred $1,000 reward to any soldier who shot down a Mohawk. The OV-1 has been used by U.S. Custom, U.S. Forest Service, Civil Air Patrol, and NASA. All OV-1D were built in Stuart, Florida.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): OV-1D
Tail Number: (S/N): 16998
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum
inside / outside: outside
Other Information::
The Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum is a non-profit museum that displays, maintains, and restores all types of aircraft that were indigenous to the world's military Air Forces starting before World War I to the present.
Access restrictions:
This piece of history is located outside the building with full access 24/7. You do NOT need to pay any admission of get permission to see or get near it.
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.