Howard GH-3

Howard Aircraft Corporation · USA · first flew 1943 · transport aircraft

The GH-3 was the final ambulance variant of the Howard DGA series in US Navy service, representing incremental improvements over the GH-2 Nightingale in medical equipment and fittings. It shared the same basic DGA-15 airframe.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	High-wing Howard DGA fuselage with stretcher doors
T — Tail	Conventional

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Final Nightingale ambulance variant
Single Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial
High-wing Howard DGA fuselage with stretcher doors

Externally near-identical to GH-1 and GH-2; the Howard DGA high-wing monoplane silhouette with its broad-chord cowling and capacious fuselage distinguishes it from other wartime single-engine types.

Specifications

The Howard GH-3 has a length of 8.5 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.6 m (38 ft).
Its maximum speed is 338 km/h (210 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The GH-3 was produced in modest numbers alongside the GH-2 to satisfy continued Navy demand for dedicated air ambulances. Like its predecessors it was based directly on the pre-war Howard DGA-15 civilian design with minimal structural changes.

Variants

The GH series concluded with the GH-3; no further Navy procurement of the Howard DGA followed. Surviving aircraft re-entered the civilian market post-war.

Where you'll see it

Served in the same medical evacuation role as the GH-2 with US Navy aeromedical units; relatively small numbers were built compared to the GH-2.

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