The Ross R-2 Ibis was a single seat,
mid-wing,
gull winged
glider that was designed by
Harland Ross Harland may refer to:
*Harland (name)
*Parker Boudreaux, an American professional wrestler who once wrestled in ''NXT'' under the ring name "Harland"
Organizations
* Harland and Wolff, a British heavy engineering company specializing in shipbui ...
in about 1938, under a commission from the
Soaring Society of America. The sole example was destroyed in 1940.
[Said, Bob: ''1983 Sailplane Directory, Soaring Magazine'', page 60. Soaring Society of America, November 1983. USPS 499-920]
Design and development
With the success of the
Ross RS-1 Zanonia placing third at the 1937 US Nationals and also winning second place in the Eaton Design Contest, the Soaring Society of America commissioned Ross to design and build a new sailplane for the SSA's promotional use. The resulting R-2 was named for the
Ibis bird and was very similar to the RS-1, using a similar
gull wing of span and an all-flying tail.
Even though the sole example was only flown for three years the R-2 lead to the
Ross RH-3 design.
Operational history
In use the R-2 was quite successful, making the first
wave soaring
Lift is a meteorological phenomenon used as an energy source by soaring aircraft and soaring birds. The most common human application of lift is in sport and recreation. The three air sports that use soaring flight are: gliding, hang gliding and ...
flight in the United States on 25 October 1938 in the
White Mountains of
New Hampshire.
The glider was
written off
A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. In accounting, this is a recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, this is a reduction of taxable income, as a recognition of certain expenses ...
after an auto-towing accident in 1940 after the pilot attempted to reverse the tow.
Specifications (R-2)
See also
References
{{Harland Ross aircraft designs
1930s United States sailplanes
Harland Ross aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1938
Gull-wing aircraft