The Dayton-Wright XO-3 was an aircraft project developed by
Dayton-Wright in 1924.
Design and development
A contemporary of the successful
Douglas O-2, it was an orthodox two seat
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, powered by a
Wright T-3 V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-Cylinder (engine), cylinder Internal combustion engine#Reciprocating engines, piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V engine, V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more c ...
. The prototype, numbered 23-1254, built by Wright Aeronautical after the demise of Dayton-wright, was allocated the Wright field number P-376.
Operational history
After trials at Wright Field the XO-3 was rejected and returned to Wright Aeronautical, where it saw service as an engine test-bed, primarily for the
Wright R-1750 Cyclone, with the civil registration ''X-1087''. Officially it was named ''Mohawk'' by Wright, but unofficially it received the sobriquet ''Iron Horse''.
Specifications (XO-3)
References
{{USAAF observation aircraft
Biplanes
XO-3
Single-engined tractor aircraft