BOWERS “FLY BABY”€

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The Fly Baby is an enduring, award-winning wooden homebuilt aircraft design, highly recommended for novice builders.
  • Known for its versatility, it can be configured as a monoplane or biplane, tested with floats, and offers optional two-seat and enclosed canopy versions.
  • Constructed from wood with Dacron fabric wings and a plywood fuselage, it is powered by an 85-hp engine, and kits are still available.
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STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 924. Empty wt. 605. Fuel capacity 16. Wingspan 28′. Length 18’10”.
PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 110. Stall mph 45. Climb rate 1,100. Takeoff run 200. Landing roll 300. Range 300.

For novice wooden-plane builders, the Fly Baby is one of the best. This single-place monoplane won the 1962 EAA competition for the best amateur plane with a C-85 engine. The Fly Baby has the distinction of being one of the most enduring designs in the homebuilt field. It has been tested with floats and in 1968 was fitted with biplane wings that were interchangeable with the single wings. The wings are a wooden structure covered with Dacron fabric, and the fuselage is a conventional plywood-covered wooden structure with a single open-cockpit seat. The 85-hp engine drives a two-blade fixed-pitch propeller. Options include a two-seat version and an enclosed canopy for additional comfort. Kits are still available.

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