O-2A Skymaster “Kudy Jay”

This Cessna O-2A Skymaster is a composite of several airframes and was cobbled together to represent the “Kudy Jay” night FAC aircraft as it looked in 1970.

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This Cessna O-2A Skymaster is a composite of several airframes and was cobbled together to represent the “Kudy Jay” night FAC aircraft as it looked in 1970.

ABOUT THE O-2A SKYMASTER “KUDY JAY”

This Cessna O-2A Skymaster is a composite of several airframes and was cobbled together to represent the “Kudy Jay” night FAC aircraft as it looked in 1970.

The Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas, built and sold a twin-engine civilian aircraft known as the Skymaster. The aircraft was unique in that it had one engine in front of the cabin, like most Cessnas, and one engine behind the cabin. The Cessna 336 first flew in 1961. In 1965, the Cessna 337 Cessna Super Skymaster was introduced. It was very similar to the 336 but had more powerful engines and retractable landing gear. The military evaluated this aircraft as a replacement to the 1940s-era Cessna L-19/0-1 Bird Dog. The aircraft began service with the US military in 1967. The aircraft was very effective as a Forward Air Controller (FAC). 178 were lost in Vietnam. Over 500 were constructed and the last was retired in 2010. The aircraft was nicknamed “Oscar Deuce” or “The Duck.”

Fact #1
This Skymaster’s livery represents one of the most famous Air Force night FAC O-2’s – the “Kudy Jay.”
Fact #2
The name is derived from the names of the wives of the two pilots, Judy and Kay.
Fact #3
The “kill marks” on the aircraft represent six months of duty on the Ho Chi Minh Trail as a night FAC. The Air Force did not like “kill marks” being placed on their aircraft at the time, but since the pilots operated at night out of Thailand and Cambodia they managed to get away with the markings.

Manufacturer: Cessna
Crew: 2 – pilot and observer
Length: 29.75 feet
Wingspan: 38.17 feet
Height: 9.17 feet
Empty weight: 2,848 pounds
Loaded weight: 5,400 pounds
Powerplant: 2 × Continental IO-360C six-cylinder engines, 210 hp each
Maximum: speed200 mph
Range: 1,325 miles
Service ceiling: 18,000 feet
Rate of climb: 1,180 feet/minute

The Fort Worth Aviation Museum has two Cessna O-2s. This one — Cessna O-2A-CE Super Skymaster – was also manufactured in Wichita, Kansas, but it is a composite of several airframes and was cobbled together to represent the “Kudy Jay” – a night FAC aircraft as it looked in 1970. This aircraft operated with the US Air Force, 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron (TASS). It was restored by Jerry “Nail 57” Stephan and Glen Hill.

Locally, O-2s were operated by Raytheon at Meacham Field during the late 1960s and early 1970s to develop the Pave NAIL laser designator system.

Air Force Skymaster (black) “Kudy Jay.” Touchups on wing station to be added on and a freshening up wash and also replace some missing light covers.

Note: Scheduling is always a moving target depending on weather and workload. All schedules are subject to changes.