Inspiration for a Volksplane biplane?

[cluttonfred]

This 1923 Kinner Airster was built for Amelia Earhart and was a bit of a disaster as the engine was a mess, but Earhart flew it plenty and her feedback helped Bert Kinner improve the modestly successful planes and especially the later very popular Kinner engines. I could see the slab-sided "crackerbox" Airster serving as the inspiration for a simple biplane in the Volksplane spirit:

• wood and plywood cabane struts built integral with the fuselage sides;
• similar wood and plywood interplane I-struts;
• full-span ailerons on the lower wing only, wire trailing edges on all the surfaces;
• de Havilland-style plywood box fuselage;
• simple straight-axle gear with bungees;
• VW engine or Verner 5VL depending on budget

It could be a single-seater or a side-by-side or tandem two-seater with lots of wing area for low and slow fun. Maybe steal a little from the lines of the Waterman Mercury Gosling racer to make the fuselage more attractive. The idea would be to eliminate most or all of the welding and just use bent sheet steel or aluminum fittings where required and bolted or riveted control stick, rudder pedals, etc.

Would something like that appeal to anyone else?

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[dew777]

 

[mcrae0104]