North American | ||||||||||
L-17 Navion
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Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Patterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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American military
services used the L-17 from the late 1940s
through the early 1960s for liaison,
reconnaissance, light cargo carrying and
forward air control (FAC) missions. Six even
became target drones. Designed for civilian
aviation and first flown in 1946, it was
introduced commercially as the NA-154
Navion. The U.S. Army Air Forces ordered 83
military versions under the designation
L-17A. Ryan Aeronautical Co., having bought the design and manufacturing rights from North American, built 164 improved L-17B Navions for the U.S. Air Force. Navion production ended in 1949. Later, 35 L-17As were converted to L-17Cs with improved brakes and greater fuel capacity. During the Korean War, some USAF L-17Cs were pressed into service for a short time as FAC aircraft. |
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