Military Light Aircraft

Military light fixed wing aircraft provide ground commanders with a utility air capability for observation, rapid personnel transport, and high priority delivery services. These capacities are organic to U.S. Army or Marine Corps units and do not require inter-service coordination with the USAF. Small planes continue to be useful to the modern military almost 100 years from the time they were introduced.

10th Military Airlift Squadron C-23A Sherpa over the Rhine River valley, Germany, 18 July 1988.

Today in WW II: 18 Nov 1940 Alfred Loomis suggests the electronic air navigation system which was later developed into LORAN [long range navigation system] at MIT. More ↓

18 Nov 1941 British Eighth Army offensive in Libya, Operation Crusader.
18 Nov 1943 Intensive RAF Bomber Command attack on Berlin, Germany begins with a 440 plane mission that causes only light damage, killing 131 while RAF loses 9 aircraft and 53 aviators.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Chart of Military Light Aircraft

In this chart of military light aircraft, click on the photo link to go to the page of photos and information for the specific plane. See also: Chart of Helicopters

Aircraft	Description	Photo Link
Gliders	Military Cargo Gliders
O-47	North American Aviation O-47
O-52	Curtiss O-52 Owl
L-1	Stinson L-1 Vigilant
L-2M	Taylorcraft L-2M Grasshopper
L-3	Aeronca L-3 Grasshopper
L-4	Piper L-4 Grasshopper
L-5	Stinson L-5 Sentinel
L-21	Piper L-21 Super Cub
OV-1	Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
CV-2 C-7	CV-2 / C-7 Caribou
C-12	C-12 Huron
C-23	C-23 Sherpa
C-26	C-26 Metroliner
V-22	Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey