Liaison aircraft

Taylorcraft Auster 5 liaison aircraft of 1957

A liaison aircraft (also called an army co-operation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and included also battlefield reconnaissance, air ambulance, column control, light cargo delivery and similar duties. Able to operate from small, unimproved fields under primitive conditions, with STOL capabilities, most liaison aircraft were developed from, or were later used as general aviation aircraft. Both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters can perform liaison duties.^{[citation needed]}

Use by Country

Germany

• Fieseler Fi 156 Storch
• Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun

Poland

• Lublin R-XIII

Soviet Union

• Polikarpov Po-2

United Kingdom

• Westland Lysander
• Taylorcraft Auster AOP

United States

Vultee L-1A

• Vultee L-1 Vigilant
• Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshopper
• Aeronca L-3 Grasshopper
• Piper L-4 Grasshopper
• Stinson L-5 Sentinel
• Interstate L-6 Cadet
• North American / Ryan L-17 Navion
• Cessna O-1 Bird Dog

Switzerland

• Pilatus PC-6

External links

• www.als-cannonfield.com - The Alamo Liaison Squadron is a group dedicated to restoring and flying liaison aircraft
• Lbirds.com - Website with resources, information, and models of US WWII Liaison Aircraft
• - The "Lbird" forum open to discussion about Liaison Aircraft

See also

• Liaison pilot