Bowers Fly Baby

Infobox Aircraft
name=Bowers Fly Baby


caption=
type=Sport and personal aircraft
manufacturer=homebuilt aircraft
designer=Peter M. Bowers
first flight= 1962
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=1962-today
number built=more than 500
unit cost=US$10,000 in 2007
developed from=
variants with their own articles=

The Bowers Fly Baby is a homebuilt, single-seat, open-cockpit, wood and fabric low-wing monoplane that was designed by famed United States aircraft designer and Boeing historian, Peter M. Bowers.

Development

The prototype Fly Baby first flew in 1962.

Variants included a biplane version called the Bowers Bi-Baby and several dual cockpit designs by various builders.Plane and Pilot: "1978 Aircraft Directory", pages 135-136. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. ISBN 0-918312-00-0]

The Fly Baby was the winner of the Experimental Aircraft Association's 1962 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 constructed in a garage using only basic tools, by a person of average skill.

Regulations

USA

In the United States of America the FAA categorizes the Fly Baby as an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft. It also fits the FAA's specifications for a Light Sport Aircraft and can be flown in the US by pilots holding a Recreational Pilot or Sport Pilot certificate.

Canada

In Canada the Fly Baby may be built as an amateur-built aircraft [cite web |url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/applications/exemptions/docs/en/1298.htm |title = EXEMPTION FROM SECTION 549.01 OF THE CANADIAN AVIATION REGULATIONS AND CHAPTER 549 of THE AIRWORTHINESS MANUAL – AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS - AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT |date = 2005-02-02 |author = Transport Canada |accessdate = 2007-10-17 ] or as a basic ultra-light aeroplane. [cite web |url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/applications/exemptions/docs/en/1298.htm |title = Ultra-light Aeroplane Transition Strategy |date = 2007-04-17 |author = Transport Canada |accessdate = 2007-10-17 ] It may be flown with an Ultra-light Pilot Permit or higher aeroplane licence. [cite web |url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Regserv/Affairs/cars/Part4/401.htm#401_21 |title = CAR 401.21 Ultra-light Aeroplanes - Privileges |date = 2005-12-01 |author = Transport Canada |accessdate = 2007-10-17 ]

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 (a common application in the 1930s and 1940s, as seen on Piper and Aeronca light aircraft). 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, the rudder is cable-controlled.

For fabric Bowers suggested yard goods store polyester - even with decorative printing, heat shrunk with a common steam iron, rather than the aircraft grade equivalent.Fact|date=April 2008

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

The aircraft was designed to be powered by a 65 horsepower (48 kW) Continental A-65 piston enginetaken 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 the instrumentation installed is up to the builder, most Fly Babys are equipped for visual flight rules (VFR) only. An electrical system is optional; many Fly Baby owners hand-prop the engine for starting, 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 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 an airport.

A Fly Baby can be converted to a biplane Bi-Baby in less than one hour by adding the struts and upper wing to the existing aircraft or it can be built as a biplane version from the start.

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. Even today, the total cost of construction can be under US$10,000.

pecifications (Fly Baby)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Plane and Pilot: "1978 Aircraft Directory"
crew=one pilot
capacity=
length main= 18.83 ft
length alt= 5.74 m
span main= 28.0 ft
span alt= 8.54 m
height main=
height alt=
area main= 120 ft²
area alt= 12.24 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 605 lb
empty weight alt= 274 kg
max takeoff weight main= 924 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 419 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=Continental Motors C-85
type of prop=flat-four engine
number of props=1
power main=85 hp
power alt=63.9 kW
power original=
max speed main= 120 mph
max speed alt= 194 km/h
cruise speed main= 110 mph
cruise speed alt= 178 km/h
stall speed main= 45 mph
stall speed alt= 73 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=300 mi
range alt= 486 km
range more=at 8,000 ft (2,438 m)
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 1100 ft/min
climb rate alt= 5.6 m/s
loading main= 7.7 lb/ft²
loading alt= 34.2 kg/m²
power/mass main=10.8 lb/hp
power/mass alt=6.56 kg/kW

pecifications (Bi-Baby)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Plane and Pilot: "1978 Aircraft Directory"
crew=one pilot
capacity=
length main= 18.83 ft
length alt= 5.74 m
span main= 22.0 ft
span alt= 6.71 m
height main=
height alt=
area main= 188 ft²
area alt= 19.24 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 652 lb
empty weight alt= 295 kg
max takeoff weight main= 970 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 440 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=Continental Motors C-85
type of prop=flat-four engine
number of props=1
power main=85 hp
power alt=63.9 kW
power original=
max speed main= 100 mph
max speed alt= 162 km/h
cruise speed main= 90 mph
cruise speed alt= 146 km/h
stall speed main= 40 mph
stall speed alt= 65 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 275 mi
range alt= 446 km
range more=at 8,000 ft (2,438 m)
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 900 ft/min
climb rate alt= 4.6 m/s
loading main= 5.15 lb/ft²
loading alt= 22.9 kg/m²
power/mass main=11.4 lb/hp
power/mass alt=6.89 kg/kW

References

External links

* [http://www.bowersflybaby.com/ The Unofficial Fly Baby website]