Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part six

The first batch of 54 Kingfisher were delivered to the US Navy in August 1940 and six of them were assigned to the Pearl-Harbor based Battle Force before the end of that year.
Many of the next 158 OS2U-2 were used for flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in Florida, with 53 of them being assigned to equip the newly established Inshore Patrol Squadrons, which were based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, in Florida too. In 1942 nine more Inshore Patrol Squadrons were established, equipped all of them with OS2N-1, all of them manufactured exclusively by the Naval Aircraft Factory.
The Kingfisher was widely used during the war as a shipboard, catapult-launched scout plane on many US Navy battleships, heavy cruisers and light cruisers. They also played a major role supporting shore bombardments and air-sea rescue. The type became famous when it showed its rescue capabilities in November 1942 when World War I American ace Eddie Rickenbacker and his crew, were rescued by a Kingfisher. It was also made famous when Lt. John A. Burns, on 30th April 1944 taxied airmen on the wings rescued from Truk lagoon to the submarine USS-Tang (SS-306) which was performing rescue duties near the lagoon. Lt. Burns rescued 10 survivors on two trips and was awarded the Navy Cross for his efforts.
Throughout its service with the US Navy both the Kingfisher and its predecessor, the Curtiss SOC Seagull, served much longer than expected, because their planned successor, the Curtiss SO3C Seamew suffered from am insufficiently powerful engine which rendered the type as a failure. The Kingfisher was slowly replaced in the later stages of the war by the Curtiss SC Seahawk, the first exemplars of which arrived to the US Navy in October 1944.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 119 - OS2U Kingfisher in Action
3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/141347/Vought-OS2U-1-Kingfisher
4. https://www.valka.cz//topic/view/1179

Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part five

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher was designed by Vought's main designer Rex B. Beisel as he was tasked with designing an observation monoplane aircraft for the US Navy that could commit many tasks like directing Battleship fire. By replacing the standard Vought O2U Corsair biplane, Beisel incorporated production innovations as it was the first production type to be assembled with spot welding, a process developed jointly by both Vought and Naval Aircraft Factory in order to create a smooth fuselage resistant to buckling and with less drag. Biesel also introduced high-lift devices, spoilers and deflector flaps and drooping aillerons located on the trailing edge of the of the wing. This arrangement was unique to the Kingfisher, and were deployed to increase the camber of the wing creating, therefore, additional lift.
It was armed with a single 0.30 in Browning machine gun, with the receiver mounted low in the right front cockpit, which fired between cylinder heads, with another one, mounted on a flexible Scarff ring, for the radio operator/gunner. It could also carry two 100 lb bombs or two 325 lb depth charges. Additionally, the Kingfisher (as it was designated), was used as a trainer in both landplane and seaplane variants.
The prototype flew for the first time in 1938 and was powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985-4 Wasp Junior radial engine. The first variants, called OS2U-1, were powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-985-48 air-cooled radial engine which yielded 450 hp of power. The second variant, was powered by a slightly improved variant of that same engine, P&W R-985-50 and was named OS2U-2 , the third variant, OS2U-3 was powered by a P&W R-985-AN2 and some of them, manufactured by the Naval Aircraft Factory, received the denomination of OS2N-1. All of them yielding 450 hp of power. A fourth variant, OS2U-4 was in the works, with narrow-chord and high-aspect ratio wings, fitted also with full-span flaps, however it wasn't developed.
A total of 1519 machines were manufactured of every variant at Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division's factory in Stratford, Connecticut and the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher
2. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 119 - OS2U Kingfisher in Action
3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/141347/Vought-OS2U-1-Kingfisher
4. https://www.valka.cz//topic/view/1179

Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part four

The Royal Australian Air Force got a batch of 18 Kingfisher that were originally intended for the Dutch East Indies, but were diverted to Australia following the capture of that region by the Japanese in March 1942.
The Kingfishers were initially used as trainer aircraft, serving with the Seaplane Training Flight, based at RAAF Rathmines, in New South Wales and No.3 Operational Training Unit, based at Rathmines too.
The Kingfishers served in that role until May 1943, when the No.107 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force was formed with Kingfishers. The squadron was formed at Rathmines and initially it was equipped with 15 Kingfishers which had been ordered by the Dutch East Indies.
Just after being formed, the squadron began conducting anti-submarine and convoy-escort patrols. The squadron was briefly reinforced by Consolidated Catalinas from No.11 and No.20 Squadrons during June-October 1943 and that same year, one Kingfisher was lost due to the damage sustained by a cockpit fire on 22nd September but, thankfully, all of its crew survived after they made an emergency landing off the coast of Pittwater, in New South Wales.
In mid-1944 the squadron was rebased from the crowded Rathmines to St. George Basin, at the South of Sydney. The squadron began patrolling the Southern area on 1st July 1944, but this process was delayed by bad weather and facilites at St. George weren't as good as Rathmines' ones and hot water and ablution weren't initially available, so it wasn't until one week later, on 7th July, when the squadron resumed their patrols.
After German submarine U-862 sank the American Liberty Ship Robert J. Walker, off the coast at Moruya, New South Wales, on 25th December 1944, squadron's patrols were intensified. The squadron flew five sorties per day for the next week, looking for the submarine, and on the 29th, one of the Kingfisher, attacked what he thought was a periscope, near the point where the Robert J. Walker was sunk. However, by that time, the submarine escaped and was already at the Tasmanian Sea, near New Zealand. This was the only deliberate attack made by a RAAF's Kingfisher during the entire war.
In early 1945 No.107's squadron duties were expanded to provide search & rescue support elements for the British Pacific Fleet as they passed along the Australian East coast. The number of anti-submarine patrols was also greatly reduced during early 1945 as the threat of a submarine attack also decreased. After the end of the war, the squadron ferried its Kingfishers to RAAF's Flying Boat Repair Depot, at lake Boga, Victoria, during August 1945, with the last Kingfisher taking off from St. Georges on the 29th and the squadron being disbanded on 28th October 1945.
After the war, one unarmed Kingfisher was used to support the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition in 1947 operating from HMS Wyatt Earp, serving with the expedition until 1948 and returned into storage and sold in January 1953.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._107_Squadron_RAAF
3. https://www.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/minisite/static/7522/RAAFmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A48.htm
4. https://www.navy.gov.au/aircraft/vought-os2u-kingfisher

Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part three

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher was also used by many belligerent countries during the World War 2. Among them, the following ones:

• United Kingdom: Looking for a replacement for the venerable Supermarine Walrus and the barely used Fairey Seafox, the Kingfisher was lend-leased to the United Kingdom in 1942 with the first machines arriving there in May. They were called "Kingfisher Mk.I". The landplane variant was tested at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, in Wiltshire and the floatplane version tested at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment, in Helensburg, Scotland. Tests of both variant showed good results, so it was decided to adopt the type on board merchant cruisers. That way, the Kingfisher became the first catapult-launched monoplane to serve with the Fleet Air Arm. It remained in that role until May 1944 when the type was retired from Fleet Air Arm service. Some of them were assigned to the Far East Theatre, but never were used in front lines.
• Dutch East Indies: The Dutch East Indies ordered a batch of 24 Kingfisher to be used in their air-force for recon duties. They were already painted and in a cargo ship on their way to Batavia, when the Dutch East Indies were conquered by the Japanese in 1942. The cargo ship was diverted to Australia instead, where the Kingfisher were put into service with the Royal Australian Air Force.
• USSR: On 20th April 1944 the US Navy transferred the light cruiser USS Milwaukee (CL-5) to the Soviet Northern Fleet, based in Murmansk. The Soviets renamed the cruiser as 'Murmansk' and, on board, there were two Kingfishers which were extensively tested by the Soviets and later for patrol duties using the catapult-launch technology. They served in Soviet colours until 16th March 1949 when the Murmansk was given back to the US Navy.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Milwaukee_(CL-5)

3. http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2007/10/fleet-air-arm-models-02.htm

4. Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 119 - OS2U Kingfisher in Action

Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part two

The American floatplane Vought OS2U Kingfisher was supplied to many foreign countries, among them the following ones:

• Argentina: It seems that, in 1944 one Uruguayan Kingfisher got lost during a flight and had to force land in the Argentinean city of Mar Chiquita. It seems that the aircraft was interned and the crew was returned to Uruguay. However, other sources claim that nine machines were supplied to Argentina in 1942. As the text mentions to Argentine Kingfisher are scarce and there isn't graphical evidence, the drawing should considered as speculative.
• Chile: The Chilean Air Force got their first Kingfisher in 1942 and were assigned to Grupo Nº2 (Group Number 2). They were employed for recon and patrol duties and were active until 1957, when they were written off. One of them was used by Teniente 1º (1st Lieutenant) Arturo Parodi Alister to fly over Deception Island, in the Antarctica for half an hour in recon and aerial photograph missions as he and his Kingfisher was part of the Chilean expedition that set up the first Chilean permanent base in Antarctica.
• Cuba: The Cuban Air Force received in July 1942 three Kingfisher in order to perform anti-submarine patrols. They were assigned to the Cuban Navy and served well until the late 1950s. They saw action in the Cuban Revolution too, as they were used for anti-guerrilla operations by the government forces. One Kingfisher was captured by the rebels on 7th December 1958 and was used for bombing the besieged encampment of the garrison in La Maya, making them to surrender. Once the revolution was over and somewhat consolidated, the Kingfisher was written off.
• Dominican Republic: Three machines were sold to the Dominican Republic, most probably in 1942 and were used in the patrol and reconnaissance roles. They were active until the late 1950s when they were written off. As there isn't graphical evidence of their service with the Caribbean country, the colours and registration should be taken as speculative.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher

2. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher (translated)

3. https://aeropinakes.com/wordpress/1958/05/21/los-primeros-aviones-de-la-far/ (translated)

4. https://www.fach.mil.cl/images/boletin/historico_diciembre18.pdf (translated)

5. http://www.pilotoviejo.com/os2uhistoria.htm (translated)

Vought OS2U Kingfisher, part one

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher is an American catapult launched observation floatplane. It was a compact mid-wing monoplane with a large central float and small stabilizing floats. It suffered from modest performance due to its light engine. It could also operate on fixed, wheeled and taildragger landing gears.
It was used by many countries, but the ones covered in this post are:

• Mexico: In 1942 the Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana - FAM) acquired 12 wheeled Kingfishers to patrol the Mexican Northern Pacific Coast. When Mexico joined the Allies the next year, in 1943, six of them were transferred to the Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico) and were fitted with floaters. They were assigned to the newly created 1er Escuadrón Aeronaval (1st Aeronaval Squadron) which was based in the city of Tampico at the state of Tamaulipas, where they were employed to patrol the Gulf of Mexico. Later that squadron was split in two squadrons with just three Kingfisher each, with the second one based in the city of Veracruz, also in the Mexican Atlantic Coast. From there, they usually undertook patrol missions to protect merchant ships bound for ports in the United States. They were kept in active service until 1958.
• Uruguay: The Uruguayan government bought six Kingfishers in July 1942 to replace their old ageing Italian CANT-18 and 21.  They were assigned to the Uruguayan Aeronautic Service (Servicio Aeronáutico). Three of them operated from Isla Libertad (Freedom Island) located in front of Montevideo's bay, and the rest three of them were put into storage waiting for the fixed landing gears as they were intended to be used for land operations, idea which was eventually, discarded so they were finally left in their floater configuration.
  They were set up to patrol conditions with the help of American personnel and, by 30th September 1942 they were ready for combat and patrol missions. They were used to patrol the South Atlantic waters during the World War 2 performing search & rescue missions. Some of them suffered accidents and, at least one of them was lost to either a mechanical or human errors.  They were kept in active service at the patrol and search & rescue role well after the war, until March 1958.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_OS2U_Kingfisher

2. https://www.facebook.com/SentinelMexico1/photos/a.471562479614077/471578306279161/?type=1&theater (translated)

3. http://www.pilotoviejo.com/os2uhistoria.htm (translated)