Aeronca L-16

The Aeronca L-16 is a United States Army liaison aircraft built by Aeronca. It saw extensive service during the Korean War. It was essentially a militarized version of the Aeronca Champion. From 1955 large numbers were transferred to the Civil Air Patrol.^[1]

L-16
General information
Type	Liaison aircraft
Manufacturer	Aeronca
Primary users	United States Army National Guard of the United States Civil Air Patrol
Number built	609
History
Manufactured	1946-1950
Developed from	Aeronca Model 7 Champion

A 1956-built Aeronca 7BCM in 2011 painted to represent an L-16A

Derived from the Aeronca Champion (Aeronca Model 7 series), the L-16 primarily replaced the similar Piper L-4 (a modified Piper Cub) in U.S. military service. The L-16 afforded generally better performance, stability, visibility and comfort, while its safety characteristics were a mix of better and worse than the L-4.^[2][3][4]

Variants

L-16A (7BCM Champion)

509 built, 376 of them produced for the Air National Guard,^[5] used in Korea 1950, 85 hp (63 kW) Continental O-190-1 (C85) engine.^[6]

L-16B (7CCM Champion)

Military version of the Model 7AC used as training aircraft for United States Army,^[6] 90 hp (67 kW) Continental O-205-1 (C90) engine.^[7] 100 were built.^[1]

Operators

 United States

• National Guard of the United States
• United States Army
• Civil Air Patrol

 Japan

• National Safety Forces

Specifications (L-16B)

3-view line drawing of the Aeronca L-16

Data from United States Military Aircraft Since 1909^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: Two
• Length: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
• Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
• Wing area: 170 sq ft (16 m²)
• Empty weight: 890 lb (404 kg)
• Gross weight: 1,450 lb (658 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental O-205-1 (C90) air-cooled flat-four, 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 110 mph (180 km/h, 96 kn)
• Cruise speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
• Range: 350 mi (560 km, 300 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
• Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)

See also

Related development

• Aeronca Model 7 Champion

References

1. Andrade 1979, p. 130
2. Aerofiles.com, "Aeronca" page, Aircraft section, retrieved Feb. 22, 2016
3. Davisson, Budd. "Comparing the Classics: The Aeronca Champ," EAA/Sport Aviation, June 1997, Experimental Aircraft Association, as reproduced on the author's website, retrieved 2016-02-01
4. Air Training Department, The Artillery School, U.S. Army, "The New Grasshopper—L-16 Archived 2018-09-21 at the Wayback Machine," (semi-official U.S. Army tutorial written to guide pilots transitioning from the Piper L-4 to the Aeronca L-16) The Field Artillery Journal, Nov-Dec 1947, United States Army
5. Swanborough and Bowers 1964, p. 33.
6. Eden and Moeng, 2002. p. 44.
7. Harding 1997, p. 13

Bibliography

• Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
• Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph, eds. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
• Harding, Stephen (1997). U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947. Atglen, PA, USA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-0190-2.
• Jones, Geoffrey P. (March–April 2001). "Liaison by Aeronca: L-16, Korean Veteran Turned 'Warbird'". Air Enthusiast (92): 13–15. ISSN 0143-5450.
• Swanborough, F. G.; Bowers, Peter M. (1964). United States Military Aircraft Since 1909. London: Putnam.