Aeronca L-3

The Aeronca L-3 was a group of observation and liaison aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, adapted from Aeronca's pre-war Tandem Trainer and Chief models. In 1941 the Army ordered four Aeronca 65TC Defenders as the YO-58 to test light aircraft for observation and liaison, as it also did with Piper and Taylorcraft, and large orders followed; in 1942 the O-58 was redesignated L-3. The L-3 spotted for artillery and flew liaison and transport duties and short reconnaissance flights from unprepared strips, and some were given to the Free French Forces in North Africa. The TG-5, a three-seat training glider based on the O-58, was built in 250 examples for the Army, and the Navy received three as the LNR-1.