Ace Baby Ace

Ace Baby Ace
Role Sports aircraft
National origin USA
Manufacturer Acro Sport
Designer Orland Corben
Number built 453 (2011)[1]
Unit cost
$1095 for a A-40 engined model in 1935, approximately $2750 to build in 1971[2]
1958 Baby Ace
1974 Baby Ace
EAA Mechanix Illustrated Baby Ace

The Ace Baby Ace was the world's first aircraft to be marketed as a homebuilt aircraft when its plans were offered for sale in 1929. Plans are still available and Baby Aces are still being built today. Orland Corben designed a series of aircraft for the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company, the Baby Ace, Junior Ace, and Super Ace. Corbin's name was associated with the aircraft, and it is commonly known as the Corben Baby Ace.[3]

Design

It is a single-seat parasol wing monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Individual examples have been configured with tricycle landing gear.[4] The fuselage is of fabric-covered tubular construction and the wings are wood. The first example flew with a Heath-Henderson B-4 modified motorcycle engine.[5] A variety of aircraft powerplants may be used, typically in the 65-100 hp (50-75 kW) range. Examples have been built using 70 hp Chevrolet Corvair engines.[6]

Operational History

The Baby Ace kits and production models were constructed in Madison, Wisconsin. In America, state and federal laws banned homebuilding and flight in the uncertified designs by 1938. In 1948, Experimental aircraft were allowed to be built again in America. In 1952 Paul Poberezny, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association bought the rights to the Ace aircraft for $200, and produced a sub-$800 Baby Ace that was featured in Mechanix Illustrated. The series of articles were in conjunction with a CAA effort to revitalize American aviation by promoting amateur built aircraft.[3] A 1958 Baby Ace is currently the oldest Canadian homebuilt aircraft flying.[7]

Variants

Baby Ace
Single-seat
Super Ace
Single-seat powered by a Ford Model A Automovie engine. Plans updated by EAA founder Paul Poberezny.
Jr. Ace
Two-seat tandem variant.
Pober Jr Ace
Updated plans of the Jr. Ace model

Specifications (Baby Ace D)

Data from Experimenter

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 37. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  2. Leo J. Kohn (Winter 1971). "The true cost of building your own plane". Air Trails: 63.
  3. 1 2 "The Baby Ace". Experimenter. February 1955.
  4. "EAA Fly-In". Flying Magazine: 37. November 1960.
  5. David A Gustafson (October 1991). "Baby Ace". Air Progress.
  6. "none". Air Trails: 14. Winter 1971.
  7. "Tiger Boy's Airplane Works". Retrieved 6 May 2011.

External links

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