×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
AIRCRAFT / AVIATION
MODERN AIR FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
WORLD WAR 2
Aviation / Aerospace

Stinson L-1 Vigilant (Model 74)


Liaison / Observation / Utility Aircraft [ 1941 ]



The Stinson L-1 Vigilant provided a much-needed Short Take-Off and Landing capability for American and British forces of World War 2.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/12/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The massive American military of World War 2 (1939-1945) fielded various "Light Observation and Liaison" aircraft during the years-long conflict. One entry became the Stinson L-1 "Vigilant" of which 324 were completed. A first-flight was had on July 15th, 1940 and service introduction arrived in 1941. The system went on to be used by both the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and the British Royal Air Force (RAF). Design of the aircraft is attributed to A.P. Fontaine with all manufacture stemming from the Stinson Aircraft Corporation.

Observation and Liaison aircraft in military service provide improved communication for ground forces by giving a much-needed "eye in the sky". These aircraft are typically constructed as light as possible with few creature comforts for the crew and allow for basic performance while being very rarely armed. A high-wing monoplane fit is also typical as this generates inherent lift and allows the already light aircraft to loiter on station for longer periods of time when compared to traditional aircraft. It also allows these aircraft to operate from short, little-prepared airfields or rough terrain. A Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) feature became common to such aircraft.

Prompted by the impressive showing of a German Fieseler "Storch" liaison aircraft at the Cleveland Air Races, the USAAC pushed forth a requirement in 1938 for a similar-minded aircraft. Nearly a dozen concerns threw their hats into the ring but Stinson was able to convince USAAC authorities of the merits of their proposed lightweight platform. The aircraft became known internally as the "Model 74" and carried the usual traits - a high-wing monoplane, fixed undercarriage, limited internal space, a nose-mounted engine, and traditionally-arranged tail unit. Internally, the aircraft's construction was largely of steel tubing while its skin consisted of fabric and some light metal.©MilitaryFactory.com
Advertisements
The prototype was taken on by the Army for evaluation as the "YO-49" and managed a first-flight on July 15th, 1940 (American had yet to officially enter the war). Power was from a Lycoming engine which drove a two-bladed constant speed propeller at the nose. Satisfied with their new little aeroplane, the YO-49 graduated into the O-49 "Vigilant" through a 142-strong initial production batch. Then followed 182 examples of the O-49A standard which brought along an increased (13 inches) fuselage. The O-49B was a modified air ambulance with fewer than five converted for the role.

In 1942, the line was redesignated under the more familiar "L-1". The L-1 was the original O-49 while the O-49A and O-49B became the L-1A and L-1B respectively. The L-1C were additional air ambulance types modified from the L-1A stock and 113 conversions to this standard followed. The L-1D became a training glider tug (mothership) aircraft and as many as twenty were converted for the role. The L-1E became another air ambulance (based on the L-1 form) but these were given special equipment to operate as amphibians for water rescues. Seven conversions followed. The L-1F was similar and built up from the L-1A production stock - five conversions were seen. CQ-2 marked L-1A conversions by the United States Navy (USN) for service as target control aircraft. Few were procured.

Under Lend-Lease, the Vigilant was adopted by the RAF and arrived in the Vigilant Mk I (L-1) and Vigilant Mk II (L-1A) offerings.

Beyond its typical over-battlefield roles, the L-1 was pressed into other non-direct-combat roles - artillery spotting, light transport, special forces/mission support. Many saw modification in-the-field to fulfill even more non-official roles as needed. The series saw wartime service until the end of the conflict in 1945 and soldiered on for a time longer. Before the cessation of hostilities, the L-1 was already being challenged by entries from Piper (L-4 "Grasshopper") and by Stinson's own L-5 "Sentinel".©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1941

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Crew
3

Production
324
UNITS


National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of the United States United Kingdom; United States
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).
VIP Service
Used in the Very-Important-Person (VIP) passenger transport role, typically with above-average amenities and luxuries as standard.
Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
Special Forces
Serving Special Forces / Special Operations elements and missions.
Training (General)
Developed ability to be used as a dedicated trainer for student pilots (typically under the supervision of an instructor).


Length
34.3 ft
(10.44 m)
Width/Span
50.9 ft
(15.50 m)
Height
10.2 ft
(3.10 m)
Empty Wgt
2,668 lb
(1,210 kg)
MTOW
3,406 lb
(1,545 kg)
Wgt Diff
+739 lb
(+335 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Stinson L-1A Vigilant production variant)
Installed: 1 x Lycoming R-680-9 radial piston engine developing 295 horsepower.
Max Speed
121 mph
(195 kph | 105 kts)
Ceiling
12,795 ft
(3,900 m | 2 mi)
Range
280 mi
(450 km | 833 nm)
Rate-of-Climb
410 ft/min
(125 m/min)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Stinson L-1A Vigilant production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
None.


Supported Types




(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
L-1 "Vigilante" - Base Series Designation
Model 74 - Company model designation
YO-49 - U.S. Army evaluation designation
O-49 Vigilant - Initial production models; 142 built
O-49A Vigilant - Extended fuselages; 182 examples completed.
O-49B Vigilant - Air ambulance model; up to four converted.
L-1A Vigilant - 1942 redesignation of O-49A models
L-1B Vigilant - Redesignation of O-49B models
L-1C Vigilant - Air ambulance based on L-1A
L-1D Vigilant - Training glider tug based on L-1A
L-1E Vigilant - Amphibious Air Ambulance based on L-1
L-1F Vigilant - Amphibious Air Ambulance based on L-1A
Vigilant Mk I - RAF designation for L-1 models
Vigilant Mk II - RAF designation for L-1A models
CQ-2 Vigilant - USN target control aircraft variant


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 2
Image of the Stinson L-1 Vigilant (Model 74)
Image from the Public Domain.
2 / 2
Image of the Stinson L-1 Vigilant (Model 74)
Image from the Public Domain.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)