EoN Olympia
Encyclopedia
The Eon Olympia was a glider
produced from 1947 by Elliotts of Newbury
.
Ltd to make one set of wings for the Chilton Olympia, a glider that had been developed in pre-war Germany as the DFS Olympia Meise
. This had been designed by Hans Jacobs
and selected as the glider for the 1940 Summer Olympics
. The German drawings were not detailed and so entirely new drawings were made by Chilton that merely retained the Meise Olympia's aerodynamic shape. Otherwise it was a complete re-design and resulted in a stronger and heavier aircraft. To maintain employment at their factory, Elliotts refused to sell the wing jigs that they had made for the prototype. Consequently Chilton gave up all aircraft work, agreeing to sell to Elliotts the production rights, fuselage jigs, and work in hand on all Olympia gliders.
Production of the Olympia (originally called Type 5) started in 1946 as a batch of 100, and the first flight was made in January 1947. Elliotts and their design consultants Aviation & Engineering Products Ltd made improvements to the original design before starting production. Marks 1, 2 and 3 were produced, mainly distinguishable by the landing gear. The Mark 1 had only a skid whereas the Olympia 2 had a built-in main wheel. The Eon Olympia 3's wheel was jettisonable after take off. The first batch of 100 was completed in 1947 but the market could not absorb such a large number, despite the low price of £425. Even by 1953, 40 of the first 100 Olympias were still unsold. Nevertheless a second batch of 50 was built. Gliders from the second batch were still being offered for sale for £800 as late as 1957 in order to clear the stock, despite being below cost price.
After building three marks of the Olympia, another improved version, called the EoN Olympia 4 was produced in 1954. This is regarded as being sufficiently different from the original as being a new type. This type in turn led to a succession of variants.
broke the British distance record by flying 310 km in 3:50 hr. On 2 May 1951 Bedford broke his record with a flight of 413 km from Farnborough to Newcastle. Olympias also broke height records on occasions, culminating in a flight by Gordon Rondel on 18 June 1960 in a thunderstorm to 9,321 m (30,580 ft) with gain of height of 8,870 m (29,100 ft), absolute National height and gain of height records.
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
produced from 1947 by Elliotts of Newbury
Elliotts of Newbury
Elliotts of Newbury was a British company that became well known for manufacturing gliders-Beginnings and World War II:The company was founded by Samuel Elliott in 1870 as a joinery works as "Elliott’s Moulding and Joinery Company Ltd" It produced ammunition boxes during the First World War made by...
.
Design and development
Elliotts had been asked in 1945 by Chilton AircraftChilton Aircraft
Chilton Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft design and manufacturing company of the late 1930s and 1940s.-Foundation:The company was founded in early 1937 by two ex de Havilland Technical School students and Old Etonians, the Hon. Andrew Dalrymple, the son of Sir John Dalrymple 12th Earl of Stair,...
Ltd to make one set of wings for the Chilton Olympia, a glider that had been developed in pre-war Germany as the DFS Olympia Meise
DFS Olympia Meise
|-General characteristics:*Crew: one, pilot*Length: 7.27 m *Wingspan: 15.00 m *Height: m *Wing area: 15 m² *Aspect ratio: 15:1*Empty: 205 kg...
. This had been designed by Hans Jacobs
Hans Jacobs
Hans Jacobs was a German sailplane designer and pioneer. He had been taught sailplane design by Alexander Lippisch, designer of many gliders during the 1920s and the 1930s...
and selected as the glider for the 1940 Summer Olympics
1940 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...
. The German drawings were not detailed and so entirely new drawings were made by Chilton that merely retained the Meise Olympia's aerodynamic shape. Otherwise it was a complete re-design and resulted in a stronger and heavier aircraft. To maintain employment at their factory, Elliotts refused to sell the wing jigs that they had made for the prototype. Consequently Chilton gave up all aircraft work, agreeing to sell to Elliotts the production rights, fuselage jigs, and work in hand on all Olympia gliders.
Production of the Olympia (originally called Type 5) started in 1946 as a batch of 100, and the first flight was made in January 1947. Elliotts and their design consultants Aviation & Engineering Products Ltd made improvements to the original design before starting production. Marks 1, 2 and 3 were produced, mainly distinguishable by the landing gear. The Mark 1 had only a skid whereas the Olympia 2 had a built-in main wheel. The Eon Olympia 3's wheel was jettisonable after take off. The first batch of 100 was completed in 1947 but the market could not absorb such a large number, despite the low price of £425. Even by 1953, 40 of the first 100 Olympias were still unsold. Nevertheless a second batch of 50 was built. Gliders from the second batch were still being offered for sale for £800 as late as 1957 in order to clear the stock, despite being below cost price.
After building three marks of the Olympia, another improved version, called the EoN Olympia 4 was produced in 1954. This is regarded as being sufficiently different from the original as being a new type. This type in turn led to a succession of variants.
Operational history
On 24 August 1950 an Eon Olympia flown by Bill BedfordBill Bedford
Alfred William "Bill" Bedford OBE AFC FRAeS was a British test pilot and pioneered the development of V/STOL aircraft.Bedford was born on the 18 November 1920 at Loughborough and was educated at Loughborough College...
broke the British distance record by flying 310 km in 3:50 hr. On 2 May 1951 Bedford broke his record with a flight of 413 km from Farnborough to Newcastle. Olympias also broke height records on occasions, culminating in a flight by Gordon Rondel on 18 June 1960 in a thunderstorm to 9,321 m (30,580 ft) with gain of height of 8,870 m (29,100 ft), absolute National height and gain of height records.
Variants
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 1
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 2
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 3
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 4
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 401
- EoN Type 5 Olympia 402