L-4H Grasshopper

Name: L-4H Grasshopper
Brand: Flight Replicas
Price: 16.99 USD
Rating: 3.5 (87 reviews)

Flight Replicas

FLIGHT REPLICASL4 GRASSHOPPERSINGLE ENGINEPROPWARBIRD

3.5/5 (87)

USD 16.99

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Added: July 28, 2022
Updated: January 12, 2023

This package contains three individual models:

Air Observation Post, artillery spotter
General Liaison
Floatplane

History:

The history of the L-4 is best summed up by Ken Wakefield, author of "The Fighting Grasshoppers" and "Lightplanes at War":

"The Piper L-4 Grasshopper of WW2 was the military version of the highly popular pre-war J3 Cub, by which name it was more widely known to service personnel. Of the 5,500 L-4 variants produced between 1942 and 1945, some went to liaison squadrons and the USAAF, but the vast majority went to US Army Ground Forces, for use as Air Observation Posts (Air OPs) with the Field Artillery. In both air and ground forces, the L-4 was used as a flying Jeep, among other things carrying priority mail and personnel between HQs and command posts. Its Continental engine produced only 65hp, yet the L-4's excelent short field performance enabled it to operate from the smallest of improvised airstrips, including roads, adjacent to command posts.

Unlike most other combat aircraft, the L-4 was unarmed and unarmoured. It was one of the smallest aircraft of WW2 and with a cruising speed of only 75 mph, it was the slowest. Nevertheless, it has been claimed that a single L-4, directing the fire power of an entire Division, could bring a greater weight of explosives to bear on a target than any other aircraft of the period. With the exception of the atomic bomb-carrying B-29 Superfortress, no other aircraft had the destructive capability of the diminutive L-4.

It was most widely used in Europe, where more than 2,700 served with the Field Artillery, and of these nearly 900 were lost through enemy action or in accidents. Of those that survived the war, about 150 were shipped back to the US, most of the remainder eventually being sold to civilian purchasers in Britain, France, Switzerland, Denmark and elsewhere in Europe. More than 60 years on many of these are still flying with, and in recent years an increasing number being restored to, their original military configurations and markings. A truly remarkable 'warbird', long to be remembered."

So successful was the L-4 that its miltary use continued on through the Korean War and Vietnam. Today, hundreds still fly on as civilian light aircraft, some as meticulously restored military aircraft and others in colourful civilian schemes.

Features:

Eight Paint Schemes: WWII:

30th Infantry Division
2nd Armoured Division
2nd Infantry Division (D-Day)
Floatplanes (2 schemes)
No.4 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (Pacific Campaign)
French Air Force liaison

Post War (Pacific)

Royal Netherlands Indies Air Force (1948)

Known issue: Floatplane version performance on water unrealistic, believed due to light weight of aircraft.

The L-4 Grasshopper is a single-engine, high-wing, two-seat light military utility airplane by Piper Aircraft of the United States. It is based on the company’s famous J-3 Cub, which took its first flight in 1938. Designated the O-59 (prior to April of 1942) and also the NE (Navy variant), the L-4 saw extensive use during the Second World War by Allied forces for reconnaissance, aerial forward observation and adjustment of artillery fire, light troop movement (one at a time), cargo, liaison, and medical evacuation purposes. A small number were modified with anti-tank rockets, and scored a number of kills of German tanks and other vehicles. The Grasshopper’s excellent low-speed handling and its low stall speed made it an exceptional aircraft for clearly identifying enemy positions, notably just prior to the Battle of Normandy. The United States Army Air Forces flew roughly 6,000 L-4 Grasshoppers between 1941 and 1945.

The L-4 features a rectangular main wing with a span of 35 feet, 3 inches, a standard undercarriage, and a traditional empennage. It has tandem seating, with the rear seat able to accommodate a spotter sitting facing forward or toward the rear of the aircraft. The Grasshopper measures 22 feet, 5 inches in length and stands 6 feet, 8 inches high. It is a fabric-covered aircraft, making it very light, which contributes to its excellent short field performance.

The Grasshopper is powered by a 65-horsepower Continental O-170 (military version of the A-65-8) 4-cylinder, horizontally-opposed, piston engine that turns a fixed-pitch, 2-blade propeller. It has a range of 190 miles, a service ceiling of 9,300 feet, cruises at 75 miles per hour, and has a top speed of 85 mph.