Manufacturer: Kaiser-Fleetwings

Model: unknown

Name: Seabird II

Type: Observation

Date:

Status: Experimental

Country: United States of America

Service: U.S. Navy

Designation: XO2K-1

A little something I did by modifying an existing design into an economical 1944 U.S. Navy observation type, the Kaiser-Fleetwings XO2K-1 Seabird (the Seabird name had been previously used by that company for a commercial flying boat).

I wanted to design an extremely basic canopy, but looking at it in retrospect I think it really ought to be improved... Anyway, can you tell what I started from? (I haven't changed it much...)

• HMM....LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING THE VULTEE AIRCRAFT COMPANY MIGHT HAVE COOKED UP. (Cipher80)
• Looks a lot like a Nakajima Ki.115 Tsurugi. (MercenaryGraphics)

It is, actually! It could also have been a Vultee I guess, but in 1944 Vultee was already part of Convair and they didn't do that sort of aircraft anymore. Since Kaiser-Fleetwings was THE company for pilotless aircraft at the time, it made sense to me to pick that company. Below right is the original Tsurugi general arrangement I used as a basis.