EAA Biplane

The EAA Biplane is a recreational aircraft that was designed in the United States in the late 1950s and marketed as plans for homebuilding.[2]

EAA Biplane
EAA Biplane on display
Role Recreational aircraft
Manufacturer Homebuilt
Designer EAA
First flight 10 June 1960
Unit cost
approximately $2385 to build in 1971[1]

Design and development

The design was produced for the EAA by a team of Allison engineers led by EAA member Jim D. Stewart. This team took the Gere Sport of the 1930s as their starting point and eventually developed a completely new design.

It is a single-seat biplane of conventional configuration, with staggered, single-bay equal-span wings braced with N-struts. The undercarriage is of fixed tailwheel type. The fuselage is fabric-covered welded steel tube, and the wings fabric-covered wood. Plans for the biplane remained available until 1972, by which time some 7,000 sets had been sold. The prototype is now preserved at the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The prototype was constructed by students at St. Rita of Cascia High School, Chicago and first flew in 1960. Another example named the "Parkside Eagle" was constructed by students of Parkside High School in Michigan in 1971 and test flown for the first time by Paul Poberezny.[3][4]

Specifications (typical)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1965–66[5]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m)
  • Wingspan: 20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)
  • Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
  • Wing area: 108 sq ft (10.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 710 lb (322 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,150 lb (522 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 18 US gal (15 imp gal; 68 L)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental C85 air-cooled flat-four engine, 85 hp (63 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 109 kn) at sea level
  • Cruise speed: 110 mph (180 km/h, 96 kn) (econ. cruise)
  • Stall speed: 50 mph (80 km/h, 43 kn)
  • Range: 350 mi (560 km, 300 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (3,500 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

References
  1. Leo J. Kohn (Winter 1971). "The true cost of building your own plane". Air Trails: 63.
  2. "All these planes you can build from plans". Popular Science: 99. June 1970.
  3. Air PRogress: 20. September 1971. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. "Parkside's Eagle Swoops and Soars". Sport Aviation: 4. September 1971.
  5. Taylor 1965, pp. 221–222
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