Doyle O-2 Oriole
Doyle Aero Corporation · United States · first flew 1928 · light aircraft
The Doyle Aero O-2 Oriole was an American parasol-wing sport aircraft with tandem seats and open cockpits. Seven were built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage of fabric-covered welded steel tube with an aluminium turtledeck |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Strut-braced parasol wing
- Tandem-seat open cockpits
- Fuselage of fabric-covered welded steel tube with an aluminium turtledeck
A strut-braced parasol monoplane with a conventional undercarriage, a welded steel tube fuselage with an aluminium turtledeck, and tandem open cockpits.
Specifications
- The Doyle O-2 Oriole has a length of 5.8 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.1 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 164 km/h (102 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Brothers Harvey and Wilson Doyle designed the Vulcan American Moth Monoplane in 1928, then left the Vulcan Aircraft Company and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, with backing from lawyer Charles Baldwin. Test pilot Otto Melamet flew the prototype O-2 Oriole on 15 October 1928.
Variants
The O-3 Oriole was an O-2 modified with a 120 hp Chevrolair D-4 engine. The O-2 itself used a 65 hp LeBlond 5DE radial.
Where you'll see it
Serial numbers 2 and 3 were wrecked on the way to the All-American airshow in Detroit, where the type was to be demonstrated. Serial number 5 was restored in 1987 and is still airworthy with a private owner.
Related aircraft
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