1. Portability. The OV-10 was built so it could be transported on the back of a truck in a standard shipping container, then put back together with a box of ordinary tools stowed in the aircraft itself.
2. No Runway Required. Because the Bronco was purpose-built for jungle warfare and environments where clearings were few and far between, it had the ability to use roads as runways. That was all made possible thanks to a compact 20ft wingspan and a heavy trailing arm type landing gear with a tread of 6.5 ft.
3. Low and Slow.  The twin-turboprop design meant that the aircraft could loiter for extended periods of time, perfect for reconnaissance and close air support.
4. Low Cost. High Value. When the OV-10 was called back into active service to combat ISIS, it changed the way we think about aircraft deployment. At just a fraction of the cost per flying hour of the military’s most expensive fighter jets and bombers, the OV-10 proved that it could perform many of the same critical missions but for nowhere near the price tag.
5. Versatility. From the desert to the ocean to the jungles of Asia and South America – the OV-10 proved it could handle just about anything the military could throw at it. It could pretty much fly or take off from anywhere and was just as good pounding enemy positions as it was at reporting them. It could even operate on high-octane automobile fuel if necessary with only a slight loss of power.

Val4usn provides footage of the US Navy’s VAL-4 “Black Ponies” operating the OV-10A ‘Bronco’ throughout the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam 1969 – 1972

Video by val4usn

From a recent conversation with Capt. Paulson, he recalls “the 19 shot pods were all Willy Pete (white phosphorus) for marking and the seven shot pods were HE (high explosive) to keep their heads down. The M60s in the gun sponsons added much to the noisy mix.”

Keep watching the OV-10 Squadron News for a DVD Capt. Paulson “should have back early next week.” We’re quite excited to watch! 

We’ll be publishing Capt. Paulson’s videos here at OV10 Squadron.

Do you have any video files we can share with OV-10 fans?