My brother was in Viet Nam and spent some time on OV-10 Bronco's in addition to some other aircraft and I'd like to know if anyone out there might have some good pictures or stories about the Bronco.

Thanks,

Brian Stirling

I rode in the back seat of one as an observer maybe a half dozen times - many, many years ago.  However, I don’t know that I have any interesting stories to tell.

I do remember being quite distressed when told that if I had to eject, to pull my arms in since the canopy framework would otherwise break them, and to sit up straight or my spine would be injured when going through the canopy.  

I asked if maybe the canopy blew off first, but was informed that the system was designed to get me out of the plane alive, but not necessarily unscathed!!

I also remember it being hot!  The large, clear canopy gave a greenhouse effect.  There were a couple of small periscope thingys about an inch or two in diameter that you could push out to bring some outside air in, but they were worthless.  If it got really hot, the pilot would zip up a few thousand feet for a few minutes to cool off, then go back down.

The two props were whirring away almost within arms reach of the rear seat.  I often thought that if one of them let go, ejecting through that canopy was going to be the least of my worries.

I had been riding in the back seat of an O-1, which had always struck me as a pretty rickety plane to be flying over unfriendly territory in.  The OV-10’s two engines (and four M-60’s!) certainly raised my comfort level.

In addition, it had a funnel and hose setup available if you needed to take a wizz!

My only complaint was that I couldn’t bring my M-16, which I typically carried on an O-1.  Actually, I probably could have brought it, but if I ejected it would have gone with the plane anyway.  

Not that the M16 really mattered, since I figured that – in my best “Butch Cassidy and Sundown Kid” voice – ejecting through that darned canopy was probably going to kill me anyway!

Note that if you mention OV-10’s in the General Forum, you will probably get hysterical responses.  ATF had a few, which I believe have since been transferred to the State Department.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the California Department of Forestry also have them - since no doubt like ATF, they’re also planning airstrikes against gun-owners!!  [:D]

If you haven’t already been there, the following is a good OV-10 site: [url]www.ov-10bronco.net/[/url]

There’s a brief, unpleasant account of U.S. Marine OV-10 pilot shot down and captured during the Gulf War at:  [url]www.uwp.edu/newspub/perspective/joesmall/index.html[/url]

I didn’t take a single picture of an OV-10 myself.  However, here’s a bunch I’ve pulled off the Internet:

[image]www.ar15.com/members/albums/199%2FOV%2D10%2520composite03%2520jpg%2Ejpg[/image]

[image]www.ar15.com/members/albums/199%2FOV%2D10%2520composite04%2520jpg%2Ejpg[/image]

P.S., any idea where specifically your brother was stationed?

I [i]love[/i] the OV-10!  In another life I was a USAF air traffic controller, and when traffic was heavy the OV-10 was a controller's best friend.  An experienced pilot could make one do damn near anything I asked in order to keep traffic flowing smoothly.-TR

You might ask him about Hash Marks.

 VC   WB   E
 
And if he ever swaped 2.75's with the Army, A good CRCH even carried his own paint just to repaint the nose of the rocket.

I think I read somewhere the DEA had some Outfitted with hard points and stuff till the Big brother took them away.