Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly
Ryan Aeronautical · United States · first flew 1940 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly was an observation aircraft designed and built by Ryan Aeronautical for the United States Army Air Corps. It was a single-engined parasol monoplane designed for STOL capability.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.82 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing braced parasol monoplane
- Full-span slots and Fowler flaps
- Fixed tailwheel landing gear and a two-seat open cockpit
It could take off in 400 feet without flaps, or 75 feet with full flaps, and could maintain level flight as slowly as 30 mph.
Specifications
- The Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly has a length of 10.82 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 208 km/h (129 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It first flew in 1940. Three prototypes were acquired for a fly-off against the Stinson YO-49 and Bellanca YO-50.
Variants
Three were built. It carried no armament and had a Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine.
Where you'll see it
It proved highly successful in testing at Wright Field, Ohio, and was nicknamed the flying motorcycle. The Stinson aircraft won the production contract, so no more YO-51s were built.
Related aircraft
- Ryan FR-1 Fireball
- Ryan XFR-1 Fireball
- Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark
- Ryan Foursome
- Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower
- Bellanca YO-50
- Beriev KOR-2
- Blackburn B-20
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