OV-10 Bronco

[Archangel]

I was thinking of taking an OV-10 making it a singel seater ,use the extra room for fuel/ammo for the dual .50 cals and the sponsons could carry 4X Hellfires and two more out on each wing. If the .50 cals are not big enough I'm sure the 25mm Bushmaster could work with all the room a single seat OV-10 would have and newer more powerful engines.

[Bryan H.]

Just thought of this last night.  How about a PV-10, as a light, STOL maritime patrol platform.  It might come in useful in places like the Philippines, Colombia, other Latin American, African or Asian countries.

I'm thinking you take an OV-10D+ make a few changes.  Lengthen the wing to allow another pair of hardpoints, possibly add wingtip fueltanks (one tank might have a high-powered spotlight).  Instead of the FLIR turret on the nose have a smallish sea-search or multi-mode radar; maybe the radar for the aborted A-6F would work.  Include a modern LANTIRN or Sniper type pod internally with a turret hanging at the rear of the fuselage or perhaps on one of the booms.  The PV-10 will also need GPS & totally upgraded electronics, avionics & navigation gear.  Might also need more powerful engines; maybe some of the higher-rated PT6's with 4 or 5 plade props.  Upgrade the armament.  In the spontons, have a .50cal GECAL on one side with a 30mm Chain Gun in the other (ammo can be put in the fuselage).  Other armament can be Hellfires, Maverick, Sea Skua ASM's, Penguin ASM's, Sidewinders, unguided rockets, dumb bombs, LGB's etc...

:cheers:Bryan

[elmayerle]

Just thought of this last night.  How about a PV-10, as a light, STOL maritime patrol platform.  It might come in useful in places like the Philippines, Colombia, other Latin American, African or Asian countries.

I'm thinking you take an OV-10D+ make a few changes.  Lengthen the wing to allow another pair of hardpoints, possibly add wingtip fueltanks (one tank might have a high-powered spotlight).  Instead of the FLIR turret on the nose have a smallish sea-search or multi-mode radar; maybe the radar for the aborted A-6F would work.  Include a modern LANTIRN or Sniper type pod internally with a turret hanging at the rear of the fuselage or perhaps on one of the booms.  The PV-10 will also need GPS & totally upgraded electronics, avionics & navigation gear.  Might also need more powerful engines; maybe some of the higher-rated PT6's with 4 or 5 plade props.  Upgrade the armament.  In the spontons, have a .50cal GECAL on one side with a 30mm Chain Gun in the other (ammo can be put in the fuselage).  Other armament can be Hellfires, Maverick, Sea Skua ASM's, Penguin ASM's, Sidewinders, unguided rockets, dumb bombs, LGB's etc...

:cheers:Bryan

Just a thought, but how about basing the MP variant on the unbuilt CV-10 cargo variant?  It was drawn up but never built.  One thought for uprating the engine installations would be to use a pair of engines from a couple Shorts Tucano's or, if you can find the conversion kit, the engines from a S-2T "Turbo-Tracker"conversion kit.

Just my $0.02,
Evan

[Taiidantomcat]

Has anyone performed a check-fit of the 1/72nd scale Italeri C-130J propeller and spinner on the Hawk/Testors/Italeri OV-10 Bronco?  I think the six blade propellers are a nice touch and it would certainly improve the appearance of the Bronco. 

Another kitbashing idea came to me today.  It would require using the 1/48th scale OV-10 kit and kitbashing it with a 1/72nd scale V-22 Osprey. 

The OV-10 had been brought up as a possible V-22 escort for the USMC, as it would outrun any helicopter gunships.

The USAF thought about it as a kind of fighter-- North Korea has hundreds of the old but effective AN-2 Colt biplanes, in the event of war NK has plans to deploy Special forces raiders all over South Korea to disrupt and attack airfields. The prospect of hundreds of these aircraft at low level infiltrating its airfields has caused some headaches for the USAF and the OV-10 was one proposed solution.

[PR19_Kit]

Presumably they'd replace the Garrett T-76s with something more modern, some variant of a PT6 perhaps?

In my wildest dreams they'd actually build the CV-10 pure freighter version too, but I doubt that would happen nowadays.

[John Howling Mouse]

mmm...Broncos rollin' rollin' rollin' again?  Would be very, very cool.  I'm holding out for the OV-10D+ NOGS version!

[B777LR]

Upgrades i can think of for a Bronco (using the 1/72 Academy OV-10D)

Sniper or Lantirn pod

GAU-12

Ability to drop Paveway IV

Ability to drop GBU-31, GBU-32, GBU-38 and GBU-39

Ability to fire AGM-114P

Ability to fire AGM-65

Ability to fire AIM-9 and AIM-120 (through datalinking to a fighter or AWACS with a sufficient radar)

Ability to fly completely unmanned, as well as piloted

Glass cockpit

New 6 blade props

New bigger and better looking engine, such as the Rolls-Royce RR500

Extended wingspan

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Presumably they'd replace the Garrett T-76s with something more modern, some variant of a PT6 perhaps?

In my wildest dreams they'd actually build the CV-10 pure freighter version too, but I doubt that would happen nowadays.

Attached is a 3-view that was found on-line and I do not remember the source page. 

I doubt seriously that the transport version based on the OV-10 would have qualified for the Intra-Theatre transport aircraft since one of the original requirements for that program was the ability of the aircraft to accommodate the shipping container for an  F-15 and F-16 engine. 

[ChernayaAkula]

Wouldn't Sniper or Litening be incorporated into the NOGS turret or supplant the sensors carried there?

How about a GAU-19 three-barrelled 0.5in Gatling instead of the four M60s. 

Personally I think the MQ-9 Reaper looks great ...but that might just be me. <...>

No, not just you. When carrying a lot of ordnance, it looks very menacing. Not having a canopy only adds to that.

[PR19_Kit]

Jeffry,

Attached is a 3-view that was found on-line and I do not remember the source page. 

I doubt seriously that the transport version based on the OV-10 would have qualified for the Intra-Theatre transport aircraft since one of the original requirements for that program was the ability of the aircraft to accommodate the shipping container for an  F-15 and F-16 engine. 

That's exactly the one I meant, cracking looking device, a bit like a modern day Miles Aerovan. There's a superb Flight Simulator version of it, comes with a couple of M-16s strapped to the cockpit bulkead, as well as a cargo load of crates full of grenades etc.

Actually that looks one very Whiffable model too, hmmmmmm...........

[Jeffry Fontaine]

OMFG, i dont frikkin believe it, after 23 years, its likely top go back into production 
who' up for export customer profiles and upgrades 
Boeing considers restarting OV-10 production after 23-year hiatus

How about an OV-10 with folding wings?  Since the USMC was operating the Bronco from the LHA and LHD amphibious assault ships it stands to reason that a folding wing would help with stowage of the aircraft on the flight deck and in the hangar below. 

[jcf]

How about an OV-10 with folding wings?  Since the USMC was operating the Bronco from the LHA and LHD amphibious assault ships it stands to reason that a folding wing would help with stowage of the aircraft on the flight deck and in the hangar below. 

The stowage question was why all of the LARA competitors had such short wingspans.
The changes from the YOV-10A test aircraft to OV-10A production aircraft include a 10-foot increase in wingspan.
At the same time the booms were moved further apart by twelve inches.
I suppose the wing extensions could have been made to fold, manually, of course to keep the wieight down.
Howabout having them fold down and under instead of up and over?.

BTW the old Hawk/Testors 1/48th OV-10 is the perfect basis to create a YOV-10A, while the kit has the increased span wing,
the booms are the original spacing...an irritation to the purist wanting an accurate service OV-10A, but, perfect for lovers
of the oddball. 

Jon

[Jeffry Fontaine]

How about an OV-10 with folding wings?  Since the USMC was operating the Bronco from the LHA and LHD amphibious assault ships it stands to reason that a folding wing would help with stowage of the aircraft on the flight deck and in the hangar below.

The stowage question was why all of the LARA competitors had such short wingspans.
The changes from the YOV-10A test aircraft to OV-10A production aircraft include a 10-foot increase in wingspan.
At the same time the booms were moved further apart by twelve inches.
I suppose the wing extensions could have been made to fold, manually, of course to keep the wieight down.
Howabout having them fold down and under instead of up and over?.

BTW the old Hawk/Testors 1/48th OV-10 is the perfect basis to create a YOV-10A, while the kit has the increased span wing,
the booms are the original spacing...an irritation to the purist wanting an accurate service OV-10A, but, perfect for lovers
of the oddball. 

Jon

I remember building the original Hawk (Y)OV-10 Bronco and it had the short wings and the straight out from the fuselage sponsons for the horrible looking bomb shapes that came in the kit.  My model was molded in a rather nasty pale lime green plastic.  There was also a chrome plated version of that kit available with markings that were supposed to represent an aircraft operating as an embassy aircraft for the state department or something. 

Actually I think the best option for folding wings would be to consider the same folding process that was applied to the Grumman Wildcat, Hellcat, and Avenger where it nested along the side of the aircraft. 

[Joe C-P]

I like the idea of the backwards fold. It works with the design.

JoeP

[Jschmus]

Jeff, that artwork of the "CV-10" looks like my scan from "Air Progress" that used to be on my old Yahoo Photo page, before they did away with Yahoo Photos.   I wasn't interested in Flickr at the time, and the widget for transferring the images to Photobucket didn't work for crap, so a lot of that stuff is gone forever, alas.  I'm glad something of it was able to be saved.