O-3
Role Glider and later motor glider
National origin United States
Designer Vernon Oldershaw
First flight June 1967
Status Out of production
Number built Two
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]

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

  • Crew: One
  • Wingspan: 54 ft (16 m)
  • Wing area: 124 sq ft (11.5 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 23.54:1
  • Airfoil: Root Wortmann 61-184, Tip: Wortmann 60-126
  • Empty weight: 760 lb (345 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,000 lb (454 kg)

Performance

  • Maximum glide ratio: 41:1 at 67 mph (108 km/h)
  • Rate of sink: 131 ft/min (0.67 m/s) at 56 mph (90 km/h)
  • Wing loading: 8.0 lb/sq ft (39 kg/m2)

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". 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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