May 19th Seattle Museum of Flight unveils the static display restoration of YO-3A 69-18005
The Quiet Aircraft Association is working on the books on the QT-2PC and the YO-3A. Dale Ross Stith is working on the QT-2PC prototype to the YO-3A and Kurt Olney is working on the YO-3A book. We are getting very close to a well written-laid out first draft. We will have the YO-3A book by the 2013 reunion. --webmaster
YO-3A Facts
The YO-3A is a low altitude SILENT STEALTH night reconnaissance airplane that was developed for the U.S. Army for use in the Vietnam War, 1970-71. The YO-3A mission was to locate and direct destruction on enemy night operations. The YO-3A was not armed. It's only protection was its silence. The YO-3A was equipped with following mission equipment:
Lockheed Missiles and Space Company built 11 YO-3As in 1969. 9 of these YO-3As saw service in Vietnam. No YO-3A was ever shot down or took a round 14 months of operation in Vietnam 1970-71.
After Vietnam, 2 YO-3As saw service with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and later with the FBI.
Nasa acquired a YO-3A in the mid 70's and converted it to a flying microphone. The NASA YO-3A is still flying today.
The following presentation is a large PDF file--9MB. Be patient downloading:
Night Stalkers by Roger WarnerU.S. soldiers in Vietnam heard rumors of ghosts; the Viet Cong chalked it up to bad luck. In reality, the startling pinpoint attacks depended on secret, silent spyplanes.
In 1966, the U.S. Navy sent a young lieutenant named Leslie J. Horn to South Vietnam to evaluate the use of night-vision devices in combat. Horn, a pilot and physicist, soon found himself in a patrol boat looking for Viet Cong in the canals and waterways of the Mekong Delta in the southern end of the country. With his Starlight scope, a handheld light amplifying device, he could see in the dark, but not through the thick foliage that lined the waterways.
We have extensive connections with Pilots, Observers, Mechanics, Crew Chiefs, Lockheed Engineers involved with the YO-3A, QT-2PC, Q-Star.
If you are looking for someone involved with the YO-3A please contact Kurt Olney at k.olney2@cox.net