Trager-Bierens T-3 Alibi
The Trager-Bierens T-3 Alibi is an American high-wing, V-tailed, single seat glider that was designed and constructed by Kempes Trager and John Bierens.
Design and development
The T-3 project was commenced in 1949, with the aircraft completed in 1951. The design aim was to produce a performance sailplane without having to build one from scratch. To achieve this goal the wings from a Laister-Kauffmann LK-10 were used.Using the wood and fabric LK-10 wings, Trager and Bierens built a new-design fuselage from aluminium. The fuselage included a V-tail and a retractable monowheel landing gear. Later the wing was rebuilt to a new design that used the original spar. A new tail was also built at this time. The designers spent a lot of effort getting the wing surface smooth, which paid off later in contest results. The span wing employs a NACA 4418 airfoil at the wing root and a NACA 4409 at the wing tip.
Only one T-3 was built. Originally registered as N909D, the registration was later changed to N9098. The aircraft is in the Experimental - Amateur-built category.