A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages.
Operation 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.
Use by country
Argentina (Fuerza Aérea Argentina)
Piper Chincul PA-28 Dakota Piper Chincul PA-34 Seneca Cessna C-182 Beechcraft TC-12B Huron
Bulgaria Kaproni Bulgarski KB-11 Fazan
Germany Nazi period:
Fieseler Fi 156 Storch Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu
Japan Imperial period:
Kokusai Ki-76 (Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, 1942–1945) Tachikawa Ki-36 (Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, 1938–1945) Postwar period:
LR-1 (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, 1967–2016) LC-90 (Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, 1974–)
Poland Lublin R-XIII RWD-14 Czapla PZL Ł.2
Portugal
Piper L-21 Super Cub (Portuguese Army, 1952–1957 and Portuguese Air Force, 1957–1976) Auster D.5/160 (Portuguese Air Force, 1961–1974) Dornier Do 27 (Portuguese Air Force, 1961–1979) Reims-Cessna FTB-337, (Portuguese Air Force, 1974–2007)
Soviet Union Polikarpov Po-2 Kukuruznik ("Crop Duster")
Sweden Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub as Flygplan 51, 1958–1974 Dornier Do 27 as Flygplan 53, 1962–1991 Scottish Aviation Bulldog as Flygplan 61C, 1972–1989
Switzerland Pilatus PC-6
United Kingdom de Havilland Dominie Westland Lysander Taylorcraft Auster AOP
United States
See also Liaison pilot Index of aviation articles
References
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 Lbirds – Forum open to discussion about liaison aircraft