TINKER TOY

Powered by a 140-hp Corsa engine, the Tinker Toy was built around a Fly Baby wing and makes use of a pusher prop to keep the cabin quiet. The powerplant burns 4.5 gph at 3,500 RPM and turns a Warrike ground-adjustable prop. The Fly Baby wing was selected for Tinker Toy because it was a high lift wing. To get away from a long drive shaft running back to behind the tail, the engine was hung underneath the wing at CG position with the prop spinning right behind the trailing edge. A bottom spar and top member were then used to carry a large vertical fin, leaving clearance for the propeller blades. It took some engineering to design the top spar that attached the tail to the center point of the spinning propeller hub. Landing-gear legs were made from heat-treated truck leaf-spring stock with the wheels encased in fiberglass pants.