username destrozas
frist name sergio
Category intermediate
scale 1/72
manufacturer MPM
model type O-49 / L-1 vigilant
aftermarket none, armed with box
history
The beginning of World War II found the U.S. Army Air Corps with a number of transitional types still in front-line service, like the O-47 and the A-13. These were aircraft whose roles had been made obsolete by the new nature of warfare and by technological advance by America's enemies. The Vigilant was designed in response to a 1938 United States Army Air Corps design competition for a two-seat light observation aircraft. When the German-manufactured Fieseler Storch was demonstrated at the Cleveland Air Races, the Air Corps revised its specifications in an attempt to match the performance of the Storch.The aircraft was built of steel tubing and fabric, with the fuselage forward of the wing enclosed in sheet metal. Control surfaces and the empennage were fabric-covered stainless steel. The Lycoming power plant was hand-cranked inertia starting, and was fitted with a Hamilton Standard constant speed propeller.
On the cusp of that category was the O-49 Vigilant, built in 1940 to augment the USAAC's two-seat observation fleet. The O-49 was a braced high-winged monoplane that seated two. Powered by a 285-hp Lycoming R-680-9 engine, the O-49 had excellent low-speed characteristics thanks to large-span flaps and leading-edge slats that spanned nearly the length of the wings.
142 O-49s were followed by 182 O-49As. In 1942, their designations changed to L-1 and L-1A, and some were supplied to the British under lend-lease.
Unlike the O-47, the low-speed characteristics of the L-1 kept it from being relegated to training duties. It was used throughout the Pacific and Europe for artillery spotting duties, liaison and medical evacuation. Still, its success was tempered by the arrival of the lighter, faster and more versatile L-5 Sentinel.
models
The decals offer four planes. First is an L-1 used in Alaska in 1942 in a sand/olive drab over azure blue scheme, which seems dubious, since the aircraft on the boxtop wears the same markings except for light gray undersides. Besides, how often are the skies azure blue in Alaska? Option 2 is for a medical evacuation aircraft in overall aluminum dope seen near Remagen in May 45. The third aircraft is an OD-over-neutral gray machine based in Burma. The final option is an O-49 in a similar scheme but with white wing tips and white circles for cockades from the Louisiana Maneuvers on 1941. The decals are printed sharply and in register and are complete down to the propeller maker's logos.
I decided from the beginning by the Alaska-based model in 1942 from the day I saw him, as we call here the lizard schemes are very pretty and colorful.
I tried to find some information of the aircraft on missions that have been conducted but bno able to find specific information, I guess to invade Japan Aleutian Islands, they would be controlling the movements of troops and ships.
model