Scale: 1:30
Length: 16"
Wingspan: 18.5"

A one-of-a-kind design, the OV-1 was the first turboprop plane to enter US Army service. It was finally retired as late as 1996, and is probably the most modern warbird in the hands of collectors.

The OV-1 was built as a joint US Army and Marine Corps project for a modern battlefield surveillance aircraft. The Marine Corps pulled out of the project before their prototype could be built, but the US Army began placing its orders late in 1959 for the OV-1A and OV-1B. The -1A and -1B differed in that the -1B variant had an 18 foot side-looking radar mounted under the fuselage and offset to the right. The OV-1B also had an internal camera with in-flight processor and an increased wingspan to cope with the extra equipment. While the plane was slow, its huge triple finned tail and engines mounted on top of the wings gave the Mohawk great maneuverability. To protect against small arms fire from the battlefields over which it kept a watchful eye, the cockpit was armored with an aluminum-alloy floor, flak curtains and bullet-resistant windows.

Experience in Vietnam soon showed that the policy of operating reconnaissance aircraft unarmed was not always wise. In response, a new variant, the JOV-1A, was built with four underwing hardpoints for guns and rockets. The OV-1C followed and was similar to the OV-1A, but was equipped to use the new infra-red surveillance systems. The final production version, the OV-1D, had side-loading doors for mounting a variety of electronic intelligence equipment. These served over the Cold War battle lines of Europe with great success.