This OV-10 is being built to the FAI F4C specs...translated that's a "0~1 meter" static event with the usual 3 to 4 flight rounds accompanying it. I chose the YOV-10D NOGs/NOS which was the DoD/USMC's prototype for what became the OV-10D & OV-10D+. Long story made short...its a real bad case of whoop ass for ground support & FAC (forward air support). NOGs / NOS can baby sit every square inch of a foot ball field...off at right angles 1/8th to 1/4 of a mile away. I built a built-up structure prototype seven years ago. At present the airframe components are composite and built-up combining elements of the 1st design and composite parts accumulated during the design process. My YOV-10D was created from the five OV-10 3VU's available when I began eight years ago. I enlarged them to the same scale and meaned out all non-uniform elements so I could then narrow the 3VU's to eventually one. There were three of this YOV-10D configuration built. The one I am replicating is 155395, an airframe NAA used for OV-10 prototyping. None were identical as the program was evolving during live fire evaluations in Vietnam where they arrived in Spring '71.  All 3 traveled together, arriving in-country when OV-10's were being deployed to Thailand-Laos-Cambodia, and other hot spots. The 3 eventually were attached to USN VAL-4. The USAF didn't use OV-10's in attack mode... only USMC & USN Spl Ops operated hyper-FAC-ground support configs of the OV-10A. The three YOV-10D's worked through the summer and left Nam late Fall of '71 during the initial US withdrawl. Returning to China Lake, CA for debrief the successful configuration was now a SLEP (service life extension program) for a large number of late model A's...minus the rastering 20mm Gatling Gun config tested on 155395 and 155396. While the 20mm Gatling Gun would be used in a fixed centerline with a pilot aim point. Rastering aim point version on 155395 was not a self contained weapon. It was an integrated J.A.F.O. operated weapon with forward looking infrared radar for use in total darkness. The 155395 FLIR incorporated a laser designator for marking targets for laser guided artillery, smart hard and composite bombs.   (MORE CLICK HERE)