Bowers Flybaby built in 1977.
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- This sweet little Flybaby is an old favorite of mine. I bought her in about 2006 or early 2007. I put around 45 or 50 hours on her before I sold her. Our good friend Jim Ireland owned it before me and put about 500 hours on her during that time. Jim is working on a plan to repurchase it on behalf of the Time To Fly Museum and bring it home. Legend has it that Tony Bingelis oversaw the project and gave help and advice during her build. So remember, every time someone subscribes and rings that little bell, another student pilot will get their wings. 😎
This looks almost exactly like the little Flybaby Experimental my dad finished in 1969. I can remember him working on it all during my years in high school. Dad's wasn't wrapped in metal. When he was done with the frame, he took it all to an aviation class at Warrensburg, MO where the class wrapped it in silk and painted it yellow. Dad was a pilot in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was in a class of pilots that got to fly the first jets for the Air Force. When I was a teenager, Dad got his private pilots license and started building this little plane. He flew it about 5 times before he went out of remission for Leukemia. After he died, mom sold the plane. My daughter found it still flying in Kansas as a little crop-duster. Fifty-two years in service. So proud.
Excellent videography. Very short takeoff roll I thought.
'77 -- Ten years young than my Cessna 150!
What a pretty aircraft. Makes me want to build and fly my RC model soon.
Thats funny. I was just watching an RC video of a 1/3 scale fly baby as he folded the wings and put it in his minivan. So this video pops up and I'm looking saying to myself that this guy did a better job of the landing gear because the wheels were too far out from the triangular struts on the last model and even made scale looking brakes. Pretty cool. Boy the hinges on the LG looks right too. I think the cowl looks a litle cobbled together but.. Hey whoa. It's a real plane. Duh.
😉
Peter Bowers had a winner with the Fly Baby,a chap in the UK built one and eventually made a biplane wing too,lovely little aircraft.
That chap was a Mr John Day who went on to build 3 WW1period replicas and inspired many homebuilders and pilots with his skills. Unfortunately we lost him some years ago and the whole scene hasn't been quite the same without his advice and skills. His Fly Baby Biplane-conversion is now back to single-wing configuration and is painted up as a Junkers monoplane of the WW2 era. It flys regularly within the Great War Display Team www.greatwardisplayteam.com/
So that is the same machine Twickeruss I did not realise that ? if I remember the construction was impeccable,interested to know which WW1 types he built,thank you for letting me know it was Mr Day.
Great video. I'm thinking of buying a set of plans and building a Fly Baby myself and your video provides some useful tips...
Thank you ThinkingManNeil. Keep me posted on your progress.
my freind back home converted his flybaby into a biplae real one.
Great stories! Good detailed overview of the Fly Baby.
Thank you Blancolirio.
Wow....just now seeing this video! Bravo.....great little plane. Is it still for sale?
great job. love the flybaby
Beautiful Bird!
Thank you, B Hursey.
Best viewed on full screen.
Looks fantastic! The Fly Baby is a classic that deserves all the kudos it receives, and then some.
Regarding your mention of wing failures, weren't they primarily due to people substituting solid flying wires for the cable originally specified?
Hi tcsyme, yes, you are correct about people substituting solid streamline wires place of the stainless steel wires called for in the plans on some of the loss of wings accidents. Built as Pete Bowers designed it, the flybaby is a safe and beautiful flying airplane. The one I had was a joy to fly. Thanks for watching my friend. Dwain...
I really enjoy watching your videos! I'm planning to build a plane in the near future, but I'm torn between a Flybaby or a Pietenpol Air Camper. I would like to take a friend up once in a while, but it still doesn't take the flybaby out of the question. Or do you have any other suggestions? This will be my first plane and I hope you can provide me some guidance.
I love both of them. For an excellent all-around airplane, I would build the Pietenpol, long fuselage, and split axle landing gear with 850x6 inch tires. I would power it with a Continental A-65/75 engine. Keep it light, and you will never regret your decision to build it. You will love it. 🙂 Thanks for watching. Dwain
I’m 6’5” and tried to sit in a fly baby, it didn’t work out lol
I cropdusted outta Brownwood, Texas
That sounds like great fun C Riley.
Hi, just got a FB 1B built (finished) in 78......N78FP. What glue system was it built with? I'm trying to get a feel for how these 45yr old birds hold up. Thanks!! I put some videos on UA-cam at Jimmyboy163!!
Weldwood Plastic Resin glue was a very popular glue. You did have to make good wood fits because it was not good at all for filling gaps. Weldwood glue holds up very well. I will check out your videos. 🙂
@@19Cub my build log says he used aerolite 306 glue, is the weldwood plastic resin the same? Thanks 😊
@@19Cub I just looked them up and there're both a ureaformaidhide. I'm just a little leary about a 44 yr old plane. I'm thinking about starting a new one this fall.
@@jimmyboy163 Hi, Aerolite 306 is a superb glue. It has been used for many years in aircraft and boat building. It has to be a great glue for boat building because of the harsh environment they are in and the severe pounding a boat sometimes is subject to. Look your airplane over thoroughly and if you see no glue joints failing then I would feel confident in the glued structure. I hope this helps.
@@19Cub thanks for your input and insight. I see many fly babies built in the 70's with that system and their owners tell me the same. That's good to hear
Where are yall
Fort Worth Spinks. KFWS