American Eagle A-129

The American Eagle A-129 was a 1920s biplane built in the U.S.A.

American Eagle A-129
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)
American Eagle A-129 3-view drawing from Aero Digest June 1929

(per www.aerofiles.com/_amereagle.html)

Data from Aerofiles[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: one or two passengers
  • Length: 23 ft 5 in (7.14 m)
  • Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Kinner K-5 , 100 hp (75 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed wooden, fixed pitch

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 90 mph (140 km/h, 78 kn)
  • Stall speed: 35 mph (56 km/h, 30 kn)
  • Range: 500 mi (800 km, 430 nmi)
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References
Notes
  1. Simpson, 2001, p. 40
  2. Ogden, 2007, p. 572
  3. Eckland, K.O. (15 November 2006). "American Eagle A-129". Aerofiles. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
Bibliography
  • Ogden, Bob (2007). Aviation Museums and Collections of North America. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-385-4.
  • Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.
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