Bowers Fly Baby

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The Bowers Fly Baby is a homebuilt, single-seat, open-cockpit, wood and fabric low-wing monoplane first flown in 1962. Variants included a Biplane version designed by Mr. Bowers, and several dual cockpit designs by various builders. The Fly Baby was the winner of the Experimental Aircraft Association's first (and only) design competition.

Over 500 Fly Babies have been completed to date, with scores still flying worldwide and an active network of builders and owners. It is built from plans, and was designed to be able to be constructed in a garage using only basic tools by a person of average skill. The Fly Baby is categorized as an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft by the FAA. It fits the FAA's specifications for a Light Sport Aircraft, and can be flown by pilots holding a Recreational Pilot or Sport Pilot certificate.

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[edit] Design

The Fly Baby was designed to be a very simple aircraft. For example, the fuel gauge is a stiff wire attached to a float poking up through the gas cap. The structure is of aircraft-grade spruce and plywood (Bowers did not advocate skimping on the quality of structural wood), covered with fabric. Aileron controls are push-tube, elevator controls are a combination of push-tube and cable, and the rudder is cable-controlled.

The landing gear is fixed and unsprung, made of laminated wood with a steel axle. The only shock absorption comes from the tires themselves. Hydraulic brakes are usually fitted.

The aircraft was designed to be powered by a 65 horsepower (48 kW) Continental A-65 taken from a Piper Cub. Engines of up to 100 horsepower (75 kW) have been fitted, including the Continental O-200 and converted Corvair engines. While instrumentation is up to the builder, most Fly Babys are flown under visual flight rules (VFR) only. An electrical system is optional; many Fly Baby owners hand-prop the engine and use a handheld radio.

The Fly Baby's wings fold up against the fuselage enabling it to be stored in a single car garage or a car trailer. The wings can be folded or unfolded in about 15 minutes. The airplane was designed to be able to be stored in a garage and towed to the airport on its own gear. In practice, most owners use a trailer or keep their Fly Baby hangared at the airport.

Some of the components used, such as the fuel tank and engine, were designed to be taken from the Piper Cub, which were cheap and plentiful in 1962. But even today, the total cost of construction can be well under US$10,000.

[edit] Accident record

The Fly Baby has an admirable safety record. There are three notable structural failures on record, all of them attributable to pilot or builder error rather than a defect in the design. One was caused by improper outdoor storage, leading to rot of the spar carrythrough. The new owner, who was not the builder, flew the aircraft without first inspecting it. Although the NTSB accident report faulted the design for not providing drainage holes, allowing water to accumulate, a close inspection would have revealed the problem.

Another accident was caused by a builder substituting solid bracing wires for the stranded wire called for in the plans. Undamped vibration caused the failure of a braket, and the wing folded in flight. Fortunately, the pilot was wearing a parachute.

A third accident was caused by improper tensioning of the flying wires. One of the pair failed, and the resulting sudden load on the other wire caused it to fail.

[edit] Specifications

  • Wingspan: 28 ft (853.4 cm)
  • Length: 18 ft 10.5 in (575.3 cm)
  • Wing area: 120 sq. ft. (11.15 m2)
  • Empty wt: 605 lb (274.4 kg)
  • Gross wt: 925 lb (419.6 kg)
  • Power: 65-100 hp (48-74 kWh)
  • Cruise: ~100 mph (~160 km/h)

[edit] External links

David R. Bowers 13730 Burke Rd. Los Altos Hills CA 94022-3549

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