Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star

what is it?

The Lockheed YO-3A "Quiet Star" is an American single-engined, propeller-driven aircraft that was developed for battlefield observation during the Vietnam War. Designed to be as quiet as possible, it was intended to observe troop movements in near-silence during the hours of darkness.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 engine · 17.4 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 166 km/htop speed
• size 1,724 kgmax take-off weight
• built 11made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 57 years ago, in 1969.
• 🚗Wingspan of 17.4 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.

spec sheet

first flight

1969

introduced

1969

retired

1971

status

retired

number built

11

role

night reconnaissance

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Lockheed Corporation

engines

1× Continental Model No. I0-360D engine

crew

2

length

8.9 m

wingspan

17.4 m

max take-off weight

1,724 kg

top speed

166 km/h

cruise speed

130 km/h

range

—

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.