Cessna CR-3 explained

The Cessna CR-3 was a follow on racing aircraft to the Cessna CR-2 that raced in the 1932 National Air Races.^[1]

Development

The CR-3 was ordered by air racer Johnny Livingston in response to the performance he saw when competing against the Cessna CR-2 in the 1932 National Air Races. The CR-3 was of shoulder-wing design.

Design

The CR-3 was a mid-wing radial engined taildragger racer with manual retractable landing gear and a tail skid. The propeller was from a clipped wing Monocoupe racer #14. The tail surface was designed to be neutral, without downforce in flight. The elevators experienced significant vibration in test flights without the wing root fairings installed.

Operational history

The CR-3 lasted 61 days, winning every event it competed in:

• Omaha Air Races at Omaha, Nebraska, June 17, 1933: First place.^[2]
• Minneapolis Air Races and Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 24, 1933: First place.
• American Air Races at Chicago, Illinois, July 1, 1933: The CR-3 first raced against Cessna CR-2 at these races. The CR-3 won the Baby Ruth Trophy at a speed of 201.42 mph (324.35 km/h).^[3] It also set a world speed record for aircraft with engines of under 500-cubic-inches′ (8.2 liters′) capacity at 237.4 mph (382.3 km/h).
• Aero Digest Trophy race, July 4, 1933: First place.

En route to an airshow in August 1933, the CR-3 experienced a failure of both the tail skid and a landing gear weld that would not allow the gear to lock. Livingston bailed out over Columbus, Ohio and the CR-3 was destroyed in its ensuing crash.

Notes and References

1. Sport Aviation. Feb 1958.
2. Web site: Cessna CR-3 History. 16 April 2011.
3. Web site: Cessna CR-3. 16 April 2011.