EoN "Olympia" Glider
Model Airplane News Cover Art for June, 1947
by Jo Kotula
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The "Olympia" was a glider produced from 1947 by Elliotts of Newbury (EoN) based on a design by Hans Jacobs and selected as the glider for the 1940 Summer Olympics. 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 were all built in 1947 but the market could not absorb such a large number, despite the low price of £425 ($2,000). 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 was still being offered for sale for £800 ($2400) as late as 1957 in order to clear the stock, despite being below cost price.

EoN "Olympia" Glider
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On 24 August 1950 an EoN Olympia broke the British distance record by flying 150 mi in about three hours Olympias also broke height records on occasions, culminating in a flightin June 1960 in a thunderstorm to 30,580 ft with gain of height of 29,100 ft, setting absolute National height and gain of height records. After building three marks of the Olympia, another improved version, called the EoN Olympia 4 was produced in 1954.

They were magnificent gliders for a limited market.

Here is a video of the EoN "Olympia" Glider in action:

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