<p>Stinson's 105 Voyager was an attractive three-seat civil lightplane, and in 1941 the US Army acquired six of these civil aircraft which it evaluated for use in a light liaison role under the designation YO-54. Successful testing resulted in an initial order of 1941 for 275 similar aircraft to be powered by the Lycoming O-435-1 flat-four engine, and these were allocated the designation O-62. The following order covered 1,456 similar aircraft, but when delivery of these began in 1942 the designation had been changed to L-5, and the 275 O-62s from the earlier order were also redesignated L-5.
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<p>Construction of these L-5s was changed somewhat from the original Voyager design to follow a policy of that particular period which sought to conserve light alloy materials, which it was considered should be reserved for the construction of combat aircraft. Instead of the mixed construction which had been used for the wing and tail unit of the Voyager, those of the L-5 were all-wood, but retained the welded steel-tube fuselage structure. Other changes included rearrangement of the enclosed cabin to seat two in tandem, a reduction in height of the rear fuselage to provide improved rearward vision, and the provision of clear transparent panels in the roof. The original wing design had included leading-edge slots and slotted trailing-edge flaps, and these were retained. The main units of the non-retractable tailwheel type landing gear were modified so that the stroke of the oleo spring shock-absorbers was almost doubled.
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<p>In 1943, 688 of the L-5s were reworked to provide a 24-volt instead of 12-volt electrical system, and the streamlined fairings were removed from the main landing gear units: these aircraft were redesignated L-5A. Modifications, which included the installation of an upward-hinged door in the aft fuselage and provision of a stretcher, identified the 679 L-5Bs which followed. The L-5C, of which 200 were built, had provisions for the installation of a K-20 reconnaissance camera. The L-5D designation was cancelled, and the ensuing 558 L-5Es were generally similar to the L-5C except that they introduced ailerons which drooped when the flaps were fully extended. A single XL-5F introduced some minor changes and an O-435-2 engine, leading to the final production version, the L-5G, with the 190-hp (142-kW) O-435-11 engine. Otherwise generally similar to the L-5E, 115 of this last version were built.
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<p>Used extensively by the USAAF throughout World War II, especially in the Pacific theater, many L-5s were still in use to provide valuable service during the Korean War. The RAF was allocated 100 of these aircraft under Lend-Lease, and these were used widely in Burma for liaison, spotting and air ambulance duties under the name Sentinel. The US Marine Corps acquired a total of 306 L-5s of differing versions, but all were designated OY-1, the Y signifying origin from Consolidated after a merger with Vultee in early 1943. The US Marine Corps deployed its Sentinels for similar missions to those of the RAF and USAAF in support of its operations in the Pacific.
<item><hi format=bold>Performance:</hi> maximum speed 130 mph (209 km/h); service ceiling 15,800 ft (4,815 m); range 420 miles (676 km)
<item><hi format=bold>Weights:</hi> empty 1,550 lb (703 kg); maximum take-off 2,020 lb (916 kg)
<item><hi format=bold>Dimensions:</hi> span 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m); length 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m); height 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m); wing area 155 sq ft (14.40 m<su>2</su>)
