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The L-16 "Grasshopper" on the ramp
Like its wartime L-3 parent, the L-16 was a US civilian aircraft in military colors. During WWII, the Aeronca 65TC Defender had been pressed into service as the O-58, performing light observation, utility and liaison duties. It was later redesigned, designated the L-3, and served in many theaters and in many diverse roles.
After the war, when US civilian aircraft production resumed, Aeronca upgraded and redesigned its prewar designs into the 65-hp model 7AC Champ. The Champ quickly became one of the most popular training aircraft of the post-war pleasure-flying boom. The 7AC, in turn, as soon upgraded to the 7BC, with a larger engine, and was subsequently produced for the US Army under the designation L-16A (85-hp engine) nd L-16B (90-hp engine). It served in the Army throughout the Korean War, where it performed many of the same roles it had in WWII: Target-spotting, observation, general utility, and even rescue.
In the late 1950s, quite a few L-16s returned to civilian life, where most of them shed their wartime paint and resumed life as 7BCM or 7CCM Champs, teaching primary students to fly all across the US. Still others went on to serve in the US Civil Air Patrol, a civilian search-and-rescue arm of the US Air Force. As the years have passed, a few have recently been restored to their L-16 livery in commemoration of their unique history. The lineage of these versatile and honest airplanes is such that they do not attract a great deal of attention at war bird gatherings, yet their place in military aviation is undeniable and appreciated by a growing number of enthusiasts and owners.
| Type |
Liaison/Military Spotter/Utility |
| Manufacturer |
Aeronca |
| Maiden Flight |
1944 |
| Introduced |
November 1945 |
| Theatre of War |
World War II
Korean War |
| Number Produced |
10,000+ |
| Status |
Variants still used as civilian aircraft today |
| Crew |
2 |
| Wingspan |
35 ft 0 in |
| Length |
21 ft 6 in |
| Height |
7 ft 0 in |
| Empty Weight |
890 lbs |
| Max Takeoff Weight |
1,450 lbs |
| Power Plant |
(1) Continental O-205-1 |
| Horsepower |
90 hp |
| Maximum Speed |
87 knots (100 mph) |
| Service Ceiling |
14,500 ft |
| Rate of Climb |
800 ft/min |
| Range |
348 nm (400 mi) |
| None |
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