[1][2] Ross designed the R-3 as simplified version of the Ross R-2 Ibis with the intention of making the aircraft type easier to construct for amateur builders.
The R-3 design was intended to be of all-wooden construction and employed a NACA 23018 airfoil section.
[1][2] Marvin Hicks of Aurora, Colorado purchased a set of plans and built a modified version of the aircraft over a ten-year period, culminating in a first flight on 1 January 1963.
Hicks' aircraft used an increased span wing with flaps and a NACA 63 (3)-618 laminar flow airfoil.
[1][2][3] Data from Sailplane Directory and Soaring[1][2]General characteristics Performance