The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, has about 100 aviation and space vehicles on display. Some military aircraft are intended for observation and reconnaissance. Shown below are some of the observation aircraft which are on display.
Piper L-4H Grasshopper
The Piper L-4H Grasshopper was a modified two-seat J-3 Piper Cub which was used for battlefield reconnaissance, liaison duties, and casualty evacuation during World War II and the Korean War. This aircraft has a top speed of 85 mph and a range of 190 miles. According to the display:
“L-4’s were used in all theaters of WWII. Their primary mission was spotting targets for field artillery units. Although basically unarmed, the L-4 was considered by the German armies as a dangerous threat. They used any means to destroy them, even fighter planes.”
Cessna O-2A Skymaster
The Skymaster entered service in 1967. According to the display:
“Able to fly at low altitudes at multiple speeds, the O-2A excelled at locating enemy targets and guiding in artillery or attack aircraft support for ground troops. They were also ideal for locating downed pilots and other search and rescue operations.”
The Skymaster has a top speed of 200 mph and a range of 1,325 miles.
Auster AOP Mk VI
The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft. The Auster was used by the British Army in their Air Observation Post (AOP) squadrons. They were used for artillery spotting, photographic reconnaissance, supply dropping, and casualty evacuation. This aircraft has a top speed of 124 mph and a range of 315 miles.
Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk
The Global Hawk is a High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). According to the display:
“The Global Hawk provides military field commanders with persistent near-real-time, high-resolution data collection over large geographic areas, while operating from bases at a long distance from the targeted collection area.”
This aircraft has a cruising speed of 394 mph, a top speed of 454 mph, and a range of 11,000 miles. It can stay airborne for 31 hours.
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
The Mohawk was the first turboprop-powered aircraft to be used by the U.S. Army. According to the display:
“Its primary role was as a photo, observation, and electronic reconnaissance airplane. It is capable of performing its missions in any hour of day or night, or in bad weather.”
It has a cruising speed of 207 mph, a top speed of 305 mph, and a range of 944 miles.
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The Blackbird is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft which was used by the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. A total of 32 of these aircraft were built. It has a cruising speed of 584 mph, a top speed of 2,200+ mph, and a range of 2,000 nautical miles.
More airplane photo tours
Evergreen Aviation: Helicopters (photo diary)
Evergreen Aviation: The Spruce Goose (Hughes H-4) (photo diary)
Museums 101: 1930s Monoplanes (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Sailplanes
WAAAM: 1930-1931 Airplanes (Photo Diary)
WAAAM: Airplanes of the 1940s and 1950s (Photo Diary)
Planes of Fame: British Aircraft (Photo Diary)
Yanks Air Museum: Observation Aircraft (Photo Diary)
