American Eagle A-129
The American Eagle A-129 was a 1920s biplane built in the U.S.A.
| American Eagle A-129 | |
|---|---|
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| American Eagle A-129 with Kinner K-5 engine at Old Rhinebeck, NY, in June 2005 | |
| Role | 2 or 3-seat open cockpit biplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | American Eagle Aircraft Corporation |
| Designer | Giuseppe Bellanca |
| First flight | 1929 |
| Status | several still airworthy and displayed in museums |
| Primary user | training, barnstorming and private owners |
| Number built | more than 400 |
| Developed from | American Eagle A-101 |
Design and development
The preceding American Eagle A-101 of 1926 had achieved some success, but its fierce spin characteristics had resulted in several crashes during training flights. Giuseppe Bellanca redesigned the biplane with a longer fuselage and narrower cowling to accommodate the five-cylinder Kinner K-5 100 h.p. radial engine, which had its cylinder heads exposed. To mark the year of its first appearance, the designation A-129 was applied.[1]
Operational history
Initially designed to replace the Porterfield Flying Schools A-101s, the new biplane proved to have good flying characteristics and more than 400 were built. The aircraft were also flown by "barnstormers" and sportsmen pilots.
Several A-129s remain airworthy and examples are preserved at the Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum at Old Rhinebeck in New York state and in the Kansas Aviation Museum Wichita, Kansas.[2]
Variants
A range of engines was fitted to the A-129 without changing the type designation. They included the 90 h.p. Curtiss OX-5 and others up to the 200 h.p. Wright J-4.
Specifications (100 h.p. Kinner K-5)
(per www.aerofiles.com/_amereagle.html)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 1 or 2
- Length: 23 ft 5 in ( m)
- Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in ( m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Kinner K-5, 100 hp ( kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 105 mph ( km/h)
- Cruise speed: 90 mph ( km/h)
- Stall speed: 35 mph ( km/h)
- Range: 500 miles ( km)
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to American Eagle A-129. |
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