World War II Chronicle: November 11, 1941
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President Roosevelt visited Arlington National Cemetery for Armistice Day ceremonies (see page five)… George Fielding Eliot column on page 11… Sports section begins on page 15
In fact, the Dragonfly’s fuselage was 34 feet long — longer than the distance the “flying motorcycle” needed to land. Two YO-51s placed nose-to-tail would be longer than the amount of distance required for takeoff. It was a perfect fit for a liason/observation aircraft, but only three were built. As impressive as the prototype was, the military preferred the rugged and proven Piper Cub.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 11 November 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-11-11/ed-1/
Quote: “In fact, the Dragonfly’s fuselage was 34 feet long — longer than the distance the “flying motorcycle” needed to land. ”
Comment: This was only true if it was landing into a 25 mph wind on pavement where maximum braking was possible. The normal landing roll in zero wind was about 90 feet, and over a 50-foot obstacle the average was 350 feet.