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In 1941 the United States Army Air Forces ordered four Taylorcraft Model Ds with the designation YO-57. They were evaluated in the summer of 1941 during maneuvers in Louisiana and Texas where they were used for support purposes such as light transport and courier. General Innis P. Swift, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, coined the 'grasshopper' name after witnessing a bumpy landing. This led to a production order under the designation O-57 Grasshopper. In March 1942, the designation was changed to L-2 Grasshopper.
In World War II, the AAF began using the L-2 in much the same manner as the observation balloon was used in France during World War I—spotting enemy troop and supply concentrations and directing artillery fire on them. It was also used for other types of liaison and transport duties and short-range reconnaissance which required airplanes that could land and take off in minimum distances from unprepared landing strips.
Postwar, a number of L-2s were converted for civilian use and are operated by private pilot owners in the United States as the Model DCO-65.
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Type: Liason & Observation aircraft Origin: Taylorcraft Crew: Two Model(s): O-57, L-2 Service Delivery: N/A Final Delivery: N/A Aircraft Procured: N/A Unit Cost: N/A Powerplant: Model: Continental O-170 Type: 4-Cylinder Piston engine Number: One Horsepower: 65 hp Dimensions: Length: 22 ft 9 in (6.9 m) Wingspan: 35 ft 5 in (10.8 m) Height: 6 ft 8 in (2 m) Wing area: 181 sq ft (16.8 sq m) Airfoil: NACA 23012 |
Weights: Empty weight: 875 lb (397 kg) Loaded weight: 1,300 lb (590 kg) Useful load: 425 lb (193 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 1,300 lb(590 kg) Performance: Maximum speed: 92 mph [6] (148 km/h) Cruise speed: 83 mph (134 km/h) at 2,150 rpm Stall speed: 43 mph (69 km/h,) power on Range: 303 miles (488 km) at 2,000 rpm Service ceiling: 12,000 ft[8] (3,658 m) Rate of climb: 395 ft/min, (120 m/min) Wing loading: 7.18 lb/sq ft Armament: None Payload: N/A |
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