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Lockheed designed the YO-3A as a nearly silent observation aircraft. The United States Army used the plane to observe nighttime enemy activity and direct artillery fire during the war in Vietnam. A downward-facing periscope equipped with night vision and infrared (heat sensing) capabilities allowed the aircraft's forward observer to spot activity on the jungle floor, even in near-complete darkness.
Derived from the Schweitzer SGS 2-32 sailplane airframe, the YO-3A and its prototype, the QT-2, pioneered the use of aerial stealth technology in combat. Unlike the stealth aircraft we know today, the QT-2 and YO-3A were not designed to hide from radar, but to hide from aural detection. The plane’s muffler-equipped engine drove a special low RPM propeller that eliminated the buzzing sound typical of propeller aircraft. This allowed the YO-3A to operate almost unheard by people on the ground.
The Museum's aircraft is assembled from the components of multiple YO-3A aircraft, but the fuselage is from 69-18005, the sixth of just fourteen aircraft constructed. It served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972 before it was sold to an aviation school. The aircraft was restored and flown by Harold J. Hansen in the early 1980s and then acquired by Bruce Elliot, who obtained additional components and unique YO-3A operational equipment. The Museum of Flight acquired the aircraft in 2010 from Mr. Elliot.
Lockheed designed the YO-3A as a nearly silent observation aircraft. The United States Army used the plane to observe nighttime enemy activity and direct artillery fire during the war in Vietnam. A downward-facing periscope equipped with night vision and infrared (heat sensing) capabilities allowed the aircraft's forward observer to spot activity on the jungle floor, even in near-complete darkness.
Derived from the Schweitzer SGS 2-32 sailplane airframe, the YO-3A and its prototype, the QT-2, pioneered the use of aerial stealth technology in combat. Unlike the stealth aircraft we know today, the QT-2 and YO-3A were not designed to hide from radar, but to hide from aural detection. The plane’s muffler-equipped engine drove a special low RPM propeller that eliminated the buzzing sound typical of propeller aircraft. This allowed the YO-3A to operate almost unheard by people on the ground.
The Museum's aircraft is assembled from the components of multiple YO-3A aircraft, but the fuselage is from 69-18005, the sixth of just fourteen aircraft constructed. It served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972 before it was sold to an aviation school. The aircraft was restored and flown by Harold J. Hansen in the early 1980s and then acquired by Bruce Elliot, who obtained additional components and unique YO-3A operational equipment. The Museum of Flight acquired the aircraft in 2010 from Mr. Elliot.
