YO-51 Dragonfly | |
---|---|
Role | Army observation and liaison |
Manufacturer | Ryan Aeronautical |
First flight | 1940 |
Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
Number built | 3 |
The Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly was an observation aircraft designed and built by Ryan Aeronautical for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A single-engined parasol wing monoplane, it was designed for optimum STOL capability, but although three prototypes proved highly successful in testing, the Stinson YO-49 was judged superior and no production contract was placed.
The design of the YO-51 Dragonfly was typical for aircraft of its type, being optimised for the observation and liaison role, with emphasis on the ability to operate out of the smallest possible airfields. [1] The Dragonfly was a high-wing braced parasol monoplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear, a two-seat open cockpit, and full-span slots and Fowler flaps for STOL capability. [2] It was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney R-985-21 Wasp Junior radial engine. [3]
At gross weight, the YO-51 could, without flaps, take off after a run of 400 feet, while with full flaps the takeoff run would be only 75 feet, or just four feet more than twice its own length. [4] The Dragonfly was capable of maintaining level flight at speeds as low as 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), [5] and was claimed as being capable of landing in a distance shorter than the length of the aircraft itself. [6]
Nicknamed the "flying motorcycle", [7] three YO-51 aircraft were acquired by the United States Army Air Corps to take part in a fly-off evaluation against the Stinson YO-49 and Bellanca YO-50 to supply a new observation and liaison aircraft for use by the USAAC. [8] The YO-51 was the heaviest of the three aircraft evaluated. [9]
Although the Dragonfly was considered satisfactory during its flight testing, [10] conducted at Wright Field in Ohio, [11] the Stinson machine won the production contract, and no further YO-51s were built. [12]
Data from Donald 1997 [3]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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