Description

Army WWII Grasshopper Patch

Collectors!  Enjoy this beautifully embroidered Army WWII Grasshopper patch.

• 4″ inches
• Sew On
• Reproduction
• US Veteran-Owned Business

The Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshopper is an American observation and liaison aircraft built by Taylorcraft for the United States Army Air Forces in World War II.

Design and development
In September 1941 the United States Army Air Forces ordered four Taylorcraft Ds with the designation YO-57. They were evaluated in the summer of 1941 during maneuvers in Louisiana and Texas where they were used for support purposes such as light transport and courier. General Innis P. Swift, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, coined the ‘grasshopper’ name after witnessing a bumpy landing.[1] This led to a production order under the designation O-57 Grasshopper. In April 1942, the designation was changed to L-2 Grasshopper.

[Note: The above paragraph contains several errors and requires a rewrite citing accurate sources] In World War II, the AAF began using the L-2 in much the same manner as the observation balloon was used in France during World War I—spotting enemy troop and supply concentrations and directing artillery fire on them. It was also used for other types of liaison and transport duties and short-range reconnaissance which required airplanes that could land and take off in minimal distances from unprepared landing strips.

Postwar, several L-2s were converted for civilian use and are operated by private pilot owners in the United States as the Model DCO-65. Several are still airworthy in 2021.

The L-2 series meet the standards for light-sport aircraft (other than the L-2M, which has a gross weight rating five pounds over the 1,320-lb limit), thus can be flown by pilots holding the Sport Pilot Certificate.