Loening OL Amphibian

The Loening OL, and Army OA-1, was an American two-seat amphibious biplane designed by Grover Loening and first flown in 1923. Its distinctive single large central hull faired into the fuselage, combined with retractable wheeled landing gear, gave it a hunched profile that earned the nickname the 'flying shoehorn.' Used by both the U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Navy through the 1920s and into the 1930s, it served in observation, scouting, utility and expeditionary roles, including the Army's 1926-27 Pan American Goodwill Flight.

Early aircraft used the inverted Liberty engine; later variants such as the OL-8 and OL-9 adopted the Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial. Roughly 169 were built for U.S. military and Coast Guard service, making it one of the most successful American amphibians of its era. Note that the existing label 'Loeining' is a misspelling of 'Loening.'