Cranwell CLA.3
Cranwell Light Aeroplane Club · United Kingdom · first flew 1925 · light aircraft
The Cranwell CLA.3 was a single-engined, single-seat British parasol monoplane built to compete in the Lympne air races of 1925.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Parasol wing held above the fuselage by two lift struts each side |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Parasol wing held above the fuselage by two lift struts each side
- Straight, constant-chord wings with rounded tips
- Fin and rudder shape not unlike de Havilland practice, with an unbalanced rudder
The straight wing sits parasol-fashion about 7 inches above the fuselage on two steel lift struts per side. The pilot sits low in the fuselage, and the tailplane has a straight leading edge inboard that then curves.
Specifications
- The Cranwell CLA.3 has a length of 5.65 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.4 m (21 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 161 km/h (100 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed by Flt-Lt Nicholas Comper and built by an amateur group of staff and pupils at the RAF College Cranwell. It first flew in mid-July 1925.
Variants
Only one CLA.3 was built.
Where you'll see it
It won one prize at Lympne and set a Class record.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.