2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Plane crew in front of plane history photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service· Public domain
- 2. Boeing L-15 left rear Les Ailes February 22, 1947: Les Ailes newspaper· Public domain
what is it?
The Boeing L-15 Scout or YL-15 is a small, piston engine liaison aircraft built by Boeing in small numbers after World War II. It was a short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming engine. The L-15 was intended to expand Boeing's product line as World War II drew to a close and Boeing's production of military aircraft declined. Boeing decided against marketing the L-15 as a general aviation aircraft, and the twelve produced went to the United States Army for testing, then were transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska for various duties.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 12.2 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 79 years ago, in 1947.
- Wingspan of 12.2 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1947-07-13
- status
- retired
- number built
- 12
- role
- liaison
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- makers
- Boeing
- engines
- 1× Lycoming O-290-7
- length
- 7.7 m
- wingspan
- 12.2 m
- height
- 2.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 930 kg
- top speed
- 180 km/h
- cruise speed
- 163 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 4,999 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2908510, Wikipedia: Boeing L-15 Scout (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.