Douglas O-2

The Douglas O-2 was a 1920s American two-seat observation biplane built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Army Air Service. It grew from two XO-2 prototypes, the first flown in autumn 1924 with a 420 hp Liberty V-1650 engine. The Army ordered 45 production O-2s in 1925; these had welded steel-tube fuselages, fabric-covered wooden wings, and aluminum panels over the forward fuselage. The O-2 became the foundation of a large and long-lived family of observation aircraft, with roughly 879 built across all versions and numerous engine and equipment variants.

In service it performed the standard observation, liaison, and light-attack duties of the interwar Army. The existing label 'Douglas 02' should read O-2. The supplied hint dimensions are essentially correct; max speed is better documented at roughly 128 mph and gross weight near 4,785 lb.