Oldershaw O-3

Last updated

O-3
General information
Type Glider and later motor glider
National origin United States
Designer
StatusOut of production
Number builtTwo
History
First flightJune 1967
Developed from Oldershaw O-2

The Oldershaw O-3 is an American high-wing, single seat, V-tailed glider that was designed by Vernon Oldershaw. Two examples were constructed as gliders and then both were later converted to motor gliders. [1] [2]

Contents

Design and development

The O-3 was designed by Oldershaw as an improved version of the O-2 to complete in the FAI Open Class. As such it had longer and higher aspect ratio wings of 54 ft (16.5 m) span. [1] [2]

The O-3 first flew in June 1967. [3] It is constructed of wood, with the nose made from fibreglass. Its wing employs a Wortmann 61-184 airfoil at the wing root, with a Wortmann 60-126 at the wing tip. The wing is equipped with trailing edge dive brakes. The landing gear is a retractable monowheel. [1] [2] [4]

Both aircraft were constructed as pure gliders and then later motorized with the addition of a twin-cylinder, in-line Yamaha snowmobile engine. The engine is mounted behind the wing spar on a pylon that retracts forward into a bay closed by two doors. The power is transmitted through a belt-drive to a two-bladed propeller. The pylon can be deployed in eight seconds and uses the electric motor from a Ford Thunderbird window winder. The Yamaha powerplant gives a take-off roll of 1,000 ft (305 m) at an elevation of 500 ft (152 m) and produces a climb rate of 350 ft/min (1.8 m/s). [1] [2]

Operational history

The first O-3 was flown by Oldershaw in several US National contests and Oldershaw completed his distance diamond in the aircraft with a flight of 431 mi (694 km). [2]

Oldershaw's O-3 was listed by the Federal Aviation Administration as destroyed and removed from the register in July 1999. The US Southwest Soaring Museum lists it as being part of their collection. [5] [6]

O-3 serial number 2 was built by Carlton Kibler of Porterville, California and officially registered as a Fry-Kibler O3A Renigade in 1979. In May 2011 the aircraft was still on the FAA registry. [2] [7]

Aircraft on display

Specifications (O-3)

Data from Sailplane Directory and Soaring [1] [2]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Related lists

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Activate Media (2006). "O-3 Oldershaw". Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Said, Bob: 1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine , page 51. Soaring Society of America November 1983. USPS 499-920
  3. ↑ "J2mcL Planeurs - Fiche planeur n°". www.j2mcl-planeurs.net. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ Lednicer, David (2010). "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  5. 1 2 US Southwest Soaring Museum (2010). "Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders". Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  6. ↑ Federal Aviation Administration (May 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results" . Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  7. ↑ Federal Aviation Administration (May 2011). "Make / Model Inquiry Results" . Retrieved May 26, 2011.
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