Thomas Towle was an engineer that had been involved with many early aircraft designs. Having just co-designed the Eastman E-2 Sea Rover. The TA-3 was a six-seat follow-on to the Towle TA-2 which crashed on its first flight. The wing from the TA-2 prototype was salvaged and reused on the TA-3.
Design
The TA-3 featured two dieselradial engines on tall struts above the wings. Diesel engines were relatively new and were touted as being safer because they used a less volatile fuel than gasoline. The engines were providedon loan from the Packard Motor Car Company. The salvaged all-metal wing featured internalbracing based on the Ford Trimotordesign that Towle had worked on previously. The tail used two rudders placed in the slipstream of the engines.