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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
321:
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
304:
Over 500 Fly Babies have been completed to date, with numerous 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 hand tools, by a person of average "home handyman" skill in 1962. The plans
363:
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. (Some have been modified from, the original design, to use shock-absorbing, spring-steel landing gear legs.)
313:
To win the 1962 Experimental
Aircraft Association (EAA) Design Contest, Bowers designed the small plane to meet EAA's criteria for a low-cost, folding-wing airplane that was easy to build and fly, and could be towed or trailered.
305:
consist of over one hundred pages of typewritten instructions and dimensioned drawings. After Bowers' death in 2003 the plans were unavailable for a time. Starting in 2007 they were back on the market, sold by the Bowers family.
417:
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 (if the fittings were built in) or it can be built as a biplane version from the
400:
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
971:
829:"EXEMPTION FROM SECTION 549.01 OF THE CANADIAN AVIATION REGULATIONS AND CHAPTER 549 of THE AIRWORTHINESS MANUAL – AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS - AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT"
882:
991:
453:
449:
855:
828:
996:
699:
282:
110:
397:(VFR) only. An electrical system is optional; many Fly Baby owners hand-prop the engine for starting, and use a handheld radio.
44:
437:
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version, and several dual-cockpit designs by various builders. Bowers also designed a side-by-side two-seat version he called
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While the instrumentation installed is up to the builder, most Fly Babys are equipped for
326:
266:
169:
297:
348:, the Fly Baby can reportedly be flown through spins, simple loops, and barrel rolls.
960:
375:
323:
258:
233:
225:
616:
472:. It may be flown with an Ultra-light Pilot Permit or higher aeroplane licence.
382:. Engines of up to 100 horsepower (75 kW) have been fitted, including the
26:
945:
365:
345:
318:
293:
539:
379:
278:
254:
352:
317:
The Fly Baby was designed to be a very simple aircraft. For example, the
371:
The aircraft was designed to be powered by a 65-horsepower (48 kW)
575:
300 mi (486 km, 260 nmi) at 8,000 ft (2,400 m)
330:
289:
250:
712:
338:
262:
229:
A Bowers Bi-Baby, this is the Fly Baby with the upper wing installed
694:, pages 135-136. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977.
232:
224:
216:
20:
653:
651:
649:
647:
645:
643:
641:
281:
Fly Baby first flew in 1962, becoming the winner of the
628:- Construction methods based on Bower's Fly Baby plans.
337:
controls are a combination of push-tube and cable, the
767:"Corvair powered Flybaby, Goode and Brantley, Georgia"
736:, page 97. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
292:
version called the Bowers Bi-Baby or Fly Baby 1-B, a
205:
197:
189:
184:
176:
164:
152:
144:
139:
125:
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
951:Digitized Bowers Fly Baby Model 1A Builders Manual
686:
684:
682:
680:
678:
676:
674:
883:"CAR 401.21 Ultra-light Aeroplanes - Privileges"
448:and can be flown in the US by pilots holding a
444:. It also fits the FAA's specifications for a
8:
749:, page 103. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.
856:"Ultra-light Aeroplane Transition Strategy"
734:World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12
972:1960s United States civil utility aircraft
464:In Canada the Fly Baby may be built as an
122:
946:Photo of the prototype Fly Baby in flight
747:World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16
732:Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al:
557:120 mph (194 km/h, 100 kn)
351:The Fly Baby's wings fold up against the
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
563:110 mph (178 km/h, 96 kn)
344:Although it is not intended for intense
637:
587:7.7 lb/sq ft (34.2 kg/m)
484:Plane and Pilot:1978 Aircraft Directory
925:
914:
809:
798:
569:45 mph (73 km/h, 39 kn)
881:Transport Canada (December 1, 2005).
827:Transport Canada (February 2, 2005).
7:
300:, but few examples have been built.
49:adding citations to reliable sources
854:Transport Canada (April 17, 2007).
745:Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al:
713:"The Unofficial Fly Baby Home Page"
505:18 ft 10 in (5.74 m)
442:Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft
517:120 sq ft (12.24 m)
511:28 ft 0 in (8.54 m)
14:
283:Experimental Aircraft Association
581:1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)
440:categorizes the Fly Baby as an
131:
25:
992:Single-engined tractor aircraft
542:engine, 85 hp (63 kW)
36:needs additional citations for
388:Corvair automotive conversions
1:
997:Aircraft first flown in 1962
285:'s 1962 design competition.
237:A Bowers Bi-Baby, front view
711:Wanttaja, Ron (July 2008).
470:basic ultra-light aeroplane
257:that was designed by famed
253:, wood and fabric low-wing
148:Sport and personal aircraft
16:American homebuilt aircraft
1013:
529:924 lb (419 kg)
523:605 lb (274 kg)
476:Specifications (Fly Baby)
130:
668:, retrieved June 7, 2022
434:United States of America
333:controls are push-tube,
210:Duane's Hangar Ultrababy
953:at The Museum of Flight
692:1978 Aircraft Directory
596:10.8 lb/hp (6.56 kg/kW)
490:General characteristics
454:Sport Pilot certificate
466:amateur-built aircraft
366:Hydraulic wheel brakes
261:aircraft designer and
238:
230:
222:
368:are usually fitted.
341:is cable-controlled.
236:
228:
220:
977:Light-sport aircraft
658:"Bowers Fly Baby 1A"
446:Light Sport Aircraft
249:, single-seat, open-
45:improve this article
889:on January 20, 2009
773:. November 25, 2013
666:Seattle, Washington
626:Scott Ol' Ironsides
606:Comparable aircraft
527:Max takeoff weight:
395:visual flight rules
288:Variants include a
140:General information
967:Homebuilt aircraft
795:: 79. Winter 1971.
450:Recreational Pilot
239:
231:
223:
159:homebuilt aircraft
982:Low-wing aircraft
924:Missing or empty
862:on March 12, 2008
835:on March 12, 2008
808:Missing or empty
690:Plane and Pilot:
612:Ameri-Cana Eureka
384:Continental O-200
215:
214:
121:
120:
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60:"Bowers Fly Baby"
1004:
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885:. Archived from
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858:. Archived from
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831:. Archived from
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662:Museum of Flight
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537:Continental C-85
492:
373:Continental A-65
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987:Bowers aircraft
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622:Hanson Woodwind
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430:
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327:aircraft fabric
311:
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275:
267:Peter M. Bowers
243:Bowers Fly Baby
193:1962 to present
172:
170:Peter M. Bowers
126:Bowers Fly Baby
117:
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940:External links
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911:. August 1970.
909:Sport Aviation
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771:flycorvair.net
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579:Rate of climb:
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555:Maximum speed:
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414:Bowers Bi-Baby
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386:and converted
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101:September 2013
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700:0-918312-00-0
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585:Wing loading:
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561:Cruise speed:
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521:Empty weight:
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428:United States
427:
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398:
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378:taken from a
377:
376:piston engine
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259:United States
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180:More than 500
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62: –
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56:Find sources:
50:
46:
40:
39:
34:This article
32:
28:
23:
22:
19:
926:|title=
917:cite journal
908:
903:
891:. Retrieved
887:the original
876:
864:. Retrieved
860:the original
849:
837:. Retrieved
833:the original
822:
810:|title=
801:cite journal
792:
787:
775:. Retrieved
770:
761:
746:
741:
733:
728:
716:. Retrieved
706:
691:
617:Murphy JDM-8
590:
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567:Stall speed:
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361:landing gear
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198:First flight
190:Manufactured
177:Number built
154:Manufacturer
107:
98:
88:
81:
74:
67:
55:
43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
893:October 17,
866:October 17,
839:October 17,
718:October 13,
548:Performance
533:Powerplant:
423:Regulations
273:Development
265:historian,
961:Categories
793:Air Trails
633:References
592:Power/mass
515:Wing area:
346:aerobatics
319:fuel gauge
294:floatplane
71:newspapers
755:1368-485X
540:flat-four
509:Wingspan:
499:one pilot
481:Data from
380:Piper Cub
356:airport.
279:prototype
255:monoplane
247:homebuilt
777:April 4,
601:See also
468:or as a
409:Variants
405:10,000.
353:fuselage
335:elevator
221:Fly Baby
206:Variants
165:Designer
503:Length:
432:In the
331:Aileron
298:Namu II
290:biplane
251:cockpit
185:History
85:scholar
753:
698:
573:Range:
460:Canada
418:start.
339:rudder
309:Design
263:Boeing
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
497:Crew:
324:doped
245:is a
92:JSTOR
78:books
930:help
895:2007
868:2007
841:2007
814:help
779:2018
751:ISSN
720:2008
696:ISBN
535:1 ×
436:the
403:US$
359:The
277:The
241:The
201:1962
145:Type
64:news
664:in
452:or
438:FAA
47:by
963::
921::
919:}}
915:{{
805::
803:}}
799:{{
769:.
673:^
660:,
640:^
624:,
456:.
390:.
329:.
269:.
932:)
928:(
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870:.
843:.
816:)
812:(
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722:.
594::
114:)
108:(
103:)
99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
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