Aeronca L-16

L-16
General information
TypeLiaison aircraft
ManufacturerAeronca
Primary usersUnited States Army
Number built609
History
Manufactured1946-1950
Developed fromAeronca Model 7 Champion
A 1956-built Aeronca 7BCM in 2011 painted to represent an L-16A

The Aeronca L-16 is a United States Army liaison aircraft built by Aeronca. It saw extensive service during the Korean War. It was essentially a militarized version of the Aeronca Champion. From 1955 large numbers were transferred to the Civil Air Patrol.[1]

Derived from the Aeronca Champion (Aeronca Model 7 series), the L-16 primarily replaced the similar Piper L-4 (a modified Piper Cub) in U.S. military service. The L-16 afforded generally better performance, stability, visibility and comfort, while its safety characteristics were a mix of better and worse than the L-4.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Andrade130 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Aerofiles.com, "Aeronca" page, Aircraft section, retrieved Feb. 22, 2016
  3. ^ Davisson, Budd. "Comparing the Classics: The Aeronca Champ," EAA/Sport Aviation, June 1997, Experimental Aircraft Association, as reproduced on the author's website, retrieved 2016-02-01
  4. ^ Air Training Department, The Artillery School, U.S. Army, "The New Grasshopper—L-16 Archived 2018-09-21 at the Wayback Machine," (semi-official U.S. Army tutorial written to guide pilots transitioning from the Piper L-4 to the Aeronca L-16) The Field Artillery Journal, Nov-Dec 1947, United States Army