AIRCRAFT IN THE KOREAN WAR

Aircraft history/synopsis furnished by Jim Givens, Columbia , MO , 65202

 American Aircraft

    Army Liaison - The Army used various Air Force L-type liaison
Aircraft as listed below in the Air Force entry.
                                                The L-5 and L-19 were the most commonly used.

• Stinson L-5 Sentinel

• Cessna L-19 Bird Dog

• Bell H-13 helicopter

• Sikorsky H-19C helicopter

• Hiller H-23 Raven helicopter

Air Force

• North American F-51, RF-51 Mustang

• Lockheed F-80, RF-80 Shooting Star

• North American F-82 Twin Mustang (all Japan-based)

• Republic F-84 Thunderjet

• North American F-86, RF-86 Sabre

• Lockheed F-94B Starfire

• Douglas B-26, RB-26, WB-26 Invader

• Boeing B-29, RB-29, WB-29, SB-29 Superfortress

• Boeing RB-50B Superfortress

• Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain

• Douglas C-54 Skymaster

• Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

• Douglas C-124A Globemaster

• Boeing SB-17 Flying Fortress (Japan-based)

• Grumman SA-16 Albatross

• Consolidated OA-10 Catalina

• Piper L-4 Grasshopper

• Stinson L-5 Sentinel

• Aeronca L-16 Grasshopper

• North American L-17 Navion

• Cessna L-19 Bird Dog

• de Havilland L-20 Beaver

• North American T-6, AT-6, LT-6G Texan or Mosquito

• Sikorsky H-5 helicopter

• Sikorsky YH-19, H-19 helicopter

• Beechcraft C-45

• Lockheed T-33

• North American RB-45C

• Hiller H-23 Raven

 Navy

• McDonnell F2H Banshee

• Douglas F3D Skyknight

• Chance Vought F4U Corsair

• Grumman F7F Tigercat

• Grumman F9F Pantherjet

• Douglas AD Skyraider

• Martin PBM Mariner

• Consolidated P4Y Privateer

• Lockheed P2V Neptune

• Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter

• Grumman AF-2 Guardian

• Grumman TBM-3

• Douglas R4D (C-47) Skytrain

• Douglas R5D (C-54) Skymaster

Marine

• McDonnell F2H Banshee

• Douglas F3D Skyknight

• Chance Vought F4U, AU Corsair

• Grumman F7F Tigercat

• Grumman F9F Pantherjet

• Grumman/General Motors TBM Avenger (used as ambulances)

• Douglas AD Skyraider

• Douglas R4D (C-47) Skytrain

• Douglas R5D (C-54) Skymaster

• Stinson OY-1, OY-2 (L-5) Sentinel

• Cessna OE-1 (L-19) Bird Dog

• Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter

• Sikorsky HRS-1 helicopter

• Bell HTL-4 helicopter

CIA

• Air Force special operations units flying for the CIA used C-46, C-47, C-54, C-119, B-26 and B-29 aircraft, plus H-19 helicopters.  The Agency also used China Air Transport C-46 & C-47 aircraft for its missions.

South Korean

 Air Force

• North American F-51 Mustang

• Douglas C-47 Skytrain

• Piper L-4 Grasshopper

• Stinson L-5 Sentinel

• Aeronca L-16 Grasshopper

• North American L-17 Navion

• Cessna L-19 Bird Dog

• North American T-6 Texan

Army Liaison

• Piper L-4 Grasshopper

• Stinson L-5 Sentinel

UN Aircraft

 British (and Australian Navy)

• Supermarine Seafire 47 (carrier-based)

• Hawker Sea Fury (carrier-based)

• Fairey Firefly (carrier-based)

• Auster AOP 6 (Air Observation Post)

• Cessna L-19 Bird Dog

• Short Sunderland flying boats (Japan-based)

Commonwealth

Royal Australian AirForce

• North American F-51 Mustang

• Gloster Meteor

• Douglas Dakota (C-47) transports (Japan-based)

Royal Canadian Air Force

• Douglas (C-54) transports (US-based)

South African Air Force

• North American F-51D Mustang

• North American F-86F Sabre

Other

Royal Hellenic Air Force - Douglas C-47 Dakota/Skytrain (Japan-based)

Royal Thai Air Force - Douglas C-47 Dakota/Skytrain (Japan-based)

Turkish Army – Piper L-18 (Liaison AC)

Communist Aircraft

 Soviet

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis

• Yakovlev Yak-17UTI

 Chinese

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis

• Yakovlev Yak-9P

• Lavochkin La-9

• Ilyushin Il-10

• Tupolev Tu-2

• Yakovlev Yak-17UTI

• Yakovlev Yak-18 trainer

 North Korean

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis

• Yakovlev Yak-9P

• Lavochkin La-9

• Ilyushin Il-10

• Polikarpov Po-2 trainer and harassment

• Yakovlev Yak-18 trainer and harassment

Back to Korean War Homepage