OV-10 Bronco (Azurpoly)

The OV-10 Bronco is a twin-engine, 2-seat, multi-role combat aircraft manufactured by American aviation group North American Rockwell. The turboprop-powered Bronco was developed to undertake a variety of missions, including close air support, surface attack, light bombing, forward air control, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) data collections, forward observation, and convoy escort. The aircraft took its maiden flight on July 16, 1965 and entered service in October of 1969.

The OV-10 Bronco was initially conceived as a platform to perform close air support, where air power is carefully and precisely integrated with ground troops during combat. Developed at a time of the emergence of jet-powered aircraft, the designers of the Bronco sought a slow-speed airframe that could perform well in a wide variety of combat situations, including asymmetric conflicts like counterinsurgency campaigns. Powered by two turboprop engines, the Bronco can fly slow, loiter for long periods of time, and perform a wide spectrum of combat roles.

The OV-10 Bronco features a twin-boom design, each boom having a turboprop engine. The booms are interconnected by a high-mounted rectangular wing. A nacelle, which comprises the aircraft’s tandem two-seat cockpit, is suspended along the centerline of the main wing. The Bronco has a retractable tricycle undercarriage. The airplane’s empennage consists of a vertical stabilizer at the tail end of each boom and a horizontal stabilizer that connects the upper extremities of the two vertical stabilizers.

The cockpit has a high visibility "greenhouse" canopy. This provides the air crew with exceptional visual situational awareness that, combined with the Bronco’s long loiter time and slow flying speeds, makes it an exceptional platform for its various missions. The aircraft has exceptional short take-off and landing (STOL) performance and is ruggedly built, allowing it to operate out of dirt and gravel airfields. It can carry a wide range of weapons including guns, rocket pods, bombs, and air-to-air missiles. The versatile aircraft’s rear seat can be removed for the transport of personnel or cargo.

A total of 360 OV-10 Broncos were manufactured in several variants during a production run that spanned from 1965 to 1986. It was used by the United States Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the militaries of several other nations. It remains in limited use.

The OV-10 Bronco measures 41 feet, 7 inches in length, stands 15 feet, 1 inch tall, and has a wingspan of 40 feet. It is powered by two turboprop engines that each deliver up to 715 shaft horsepower. Each engine turns a 3-blade, constant-speed, fully-feathering propeller. The Bronco can take-off and land in 740 feet. It has a maximum range of 1,400 miles, a service ceiling of 28,800 feet above sea level, and a climb rate of 2,340 feet per minute. It has a cruising speed of 195 miles per hour and a top speed of 281 mph.