CESSNA L-19 BIRD DOG

L-19 SERVICE

Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Co. Inc., Wichita, Kansas, USA
Models: Model 305, 321
Designations: L-19; O-1; OE, CO-119 (CAF)
Names: Bird Dog; Bird Dog II (USMC)
First official flight: (Model 305) 14/12/1949
(L-19A) 1950
Factory production period: 1949 - 1963
Primary service period: 1950 - 1960's
Last official flight: (O-1E) 1974

L-19 VARIANTS

1949 Model 305 Model 305 1 Total: 0001
         
1950 Model 305A L-19A 2486  
1952 Model 305A XL-19B 1  
1953 Model 305A XL-19C 2  
1956 Model 305B TL-19D 310 Total: 2799
         
1957 Model 305C / M L-19E 469 Total: 0469
         
1955 Model 321 OE-2 27 Total: 0027

Grand Total: 3296

L-19 PRODUCTION

Model 305
Prototype, single-engined light
aircraft using Cessna 170 wings
and Cessna 195 tail.
Produced 1949
Cessna Wichita, Kansas

N41694 (civil reg.) ? 1 Total: 0001

L-19A
Liaison and observation aircraft for
US Army / USAF, wing bomb racks.
2420 delivered as L-19A.
66 delivered as L-19AIT, instrument trainers.
Produced 1950 - 1954
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

50-1327 / 50-1744 ?    
51-4534 / 51-5109
- 51-4754 loaned to RAF.
- 51-4981 to US Navy. 		?    
51-7286 / 51-7481 ?    
51-11912 / 51-12911 ?    
51-16428 / 51-16462 ?    
51-16864 / 51-16973 ?    
53-508 / 53-532 ?    
53-2873 / 53-2878
- 6 to Chile. 		22880 / 22885    
53-7698 / 7717 23100 / 23119    
53-7968 / 53-8067
- 16 to Canada as 16701 / 16716. 		23389 / 23488 2486 Total: 2486

XL-19B
As L-19A, turboprop engine upgrade.
Produced 1952
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

52-1804 22780A 1 Total: 0001

XL-19C
As L-19A, turboprop engine upgrade.
Produced 1953
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

52-6311, 52-6312 23186C, 23324C 2 Total: 0002

TL-19D
As L-19A, dual-control instrument
trainer, engine upgrade.
Produced 1955 - 1957
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

55-4649 / 55-4748 23489 / 23588    
57-2772 / 57-2981 23950 / 24159 310 Total: 0310

L-19E
As L-19A, equipment upgrade,
higher weights. Delivered as
O-1E from 1962.
Produced 1957 - 1959, 1961 - 1963
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

56-2467 / 56-2696
- 2 later to Canada as 16732, 16733. 		mixed 23589 to 23878    
56-4034 / 56-4038
- 5 to Canada as 16717 / 16721. 		24601 / 24605    
56-4161 / 56-4235 ?    
57-1606 / 57-1609
- 4 to Canada as 16722 / 16725. 		24606 / 24609    
57-5983 / 57-6028 23897 / 23942    
57-6268 / 57-6277
- 2 later to Canada as 16734, 16735. 		mixed 23799 to 23949    
59-5928, 59-5929 ?    
61-2955 / 61-3024 mixed 305M-0001 to 0077    
62-12280 / 12288
- 9 to Italy. 		mixed 305M-0034 to 0079    
63-12741 / 63-12758
- First 4 as O-1C to USMC,
BuNo. 151776 / 151779
for South Vietnam.		 305M-0080 / 0097 469 Total: 0469

OE-2 Bird Dog II
As L-19A, engine upgrade, armament,
combat equipment for USMC. Cessna
180 wings / tail, first 25 via USAF.
Produced 1955 - 1956
Cessna Wichita, Kansas (CE)

54-1641 / 54-1665
All delivered as:
BuNo.140078 / 140102 		?    
BuNo.148250, 148251
- 2 to MAP. 		? 27 Total: 0027

 

Grand Total: 3296

L-19 CONVERSIONS

US Army

TL-19A

1+

L-19A, dual-control trainer conversions.

USMC

OE-1

62

Bird Dog II
60 L-19A / 2 L-19E, 1951, aircraft in service with the USMC.
Assigned BuNo. 133782 / 133816, 136887 / 136911,
144663, 144664 - L-19E to US Navy. 
1 (144665), additional conversion cancelled.

USAF / US Army / USMC (1962 redesignations)

O-1A 1+ 1962, redesignation of the L-19A.
TO-1A 1+ 1962, redesignation of the TL-19A.
O-1B 62 1962, redesignation of the OE-1.
O-1C 27 1962, redesignation of the OE-2.
TO-1D 1+ 1962, redesignation of the TL-19D.
(O-1D) 1+ TO-1D, 1963-1972, Forward-Air-Controller (FAC) conversions, airframe /
equipment upgrade for US Army. All to USAF in 1968.
O-1E 1+ 1962, redesignation of the L-19E.
O-1F 22 Model 305E
TO-1D, 1963-1972, for FAC, airframe / equipment upgrade for USAF.
O-1G 1+ Model 305D
O-1A, 1963-1972, for FAC, airframe / equipment upgrade for USAF.
8 to USMC, assigned BuNo. 156678 / 156685.

Foreign Conversions

L-19L

6

Civil Model 182D/F Skylane, 1961, designation for later a Cessna product
placed in service with Canada. Also designated as L-182D / F.
Assigned Canadian s/n: 16726 / 16731.
CO-119 23 RCAF L-19A / L-19E / L-19L, 1968-1973, redesignation for newly formed
Canadian Armed Forces. Assigned CAF s/n: mixed 119702 to 119735.

FOREIGN MILITARY / CIVILIAN SERVICE
 - L-19 aircraft in service with the armed forces of Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada,
   Chile, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Malta, Norway,
   Pakistan, The Philippines, South Korea, South Vietnam, Spain, Thailand
   and Turkey.
 - Built under licence by Italy as the SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019 (1969, 86 built).
 - Built under licence in Japan by Fuji (1957, 135 built).
 - Many L-19's sold on the civil market as private aircraft and Warbirds etc.
 - Conversions by Ector Aircraft Co., Texas as the Ector 305 Mountaineer
   and Super Mountaineer (1980, 42 converted).

Home - US Warplanes