| Cessna CR-3 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Air racerType of aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Cessna |
| Designer | Clyde Cessna, Eldon Cessna |
| First flight | June 11, 1933 |
| Introduction | June 17, 1933 |
| Retired | August 1933 |
| Status | Crashed |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Cessna CR-2 |
The Cessna CR-3 was a follow on racing aircraft to the Cessna CR-2 that raced in the 1932 National Air Races.
Development
The CR-3 was ordered by air racer Johnny Livingston in response to the performance he saw when competing against the Cessna CR-2 in the 1932 National Air Races. The CR-3 was of shoulder-wing design.
Design
The CR-3 was a mid-wing radial engined taildragger racer with manual retractable landing gear and a tail skid. The propeller was from a clipped wing Monocoupe racer #14. The tail surface was designed to be neutral, without downforce in flight. The elevators experienced significant vibration in test flights without the wing root fairings installed.
Operational history
The CR-3 lasted 61 days, winning every event it competed in:
- Omaha Air Races at Omaha, Nebraska, June 17, 1933: First place.
- Minneapolis Air Races and Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 24, 1933: First place.
- American Air Races at Chicago, Illinois, July 1, 1933: The CR-3 first raced against Cessna CR-2 at these races. The CR-3 won the Baby Ruth Trophy at a speed of 201.42 mph (324.35 km/h). It also set a world speed record for aircraft with engines of under 500-cubic-inches′ (8.2 liters′) capacity at 237.4 mph (382.3 km/h).
- Aero Digest Trophy race, July 4, 1933: First place.
En route to an airshow in August 1933, the CR-3 experienced a failure of both the tail skid and a landing gear weld that would not allow the gear to lock. Livingston bailed out over Columbus, Ohio and the CR-3 was destroyed in its ensuing crash.
Specifications
Data from Sport Aviation
General characteristics
- Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
- Wingspan: 18 ft 5 in (5.61 m)
- Height: 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)
- Empty weight: 750 lb (340 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Warner Super Scarab Radial, 145 hp (108 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 222 kn (255 mph, 410 km/h) demonstrated
- Stall speed: 56 kn (65 mph, 105 km/h)
See also
Related development
References
- Sport Aviation. Feb 1958.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - "Cessna CR-3 History". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
- "Cessna CR-3". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
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| Redesignated during development • Not built • Produced only by Reims • Transferred to Beechcraft during development • Early models had no "I" suffix; some sources call these aircraft the Citation 500 | |||||