Ace Baby Ace
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The Ace ''Baby Ace,'' a single-seat, single-engine,
parasol wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
, fixed-gear light airplane, was marketed as a
homebuilt aircraft Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...
when its plans were first offered for sale in 1929 — one of the first homebuilt aircraft plans available in the United States. Plans are still available and Baby Aces are still being built.
Orland Corben Orland or Ørland is the name, or part of the name, of a number of places and people: Places Canada * Orland, Saskatchewan Norway *Ørland, a municipality United States * Orland, California * Orland, Georgia *Orland, Indiana *Orland, Maine * Orla ...
designed a series of aircraft for the
Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company The Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company was established in Wichita, Kansas in 1929 by Orland Corben to market the world's first homebuilt aircraft, a machine of his own design called the Baby Ace. The enterprise did not last long before US regul ...
, the Baby Ace, Junior Ace, and Super Ace. Corben's name was associated with the aircraft, and it is commonly known as the ''Corben Baby Ace''. Dwiggins, Don: Chapter 3: "Flying the Corben Baby Ace," ''Low Horsepower Fun Aircraft You Can Build,'' 1979,
TAB Books TAB is an imprint of McGraw-Hill Education, based in New York, New York, that publishes do-it-yourself technology books for makers, electronics hobbyists, students, and inventors. Company Originally based in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, TA ...
, LOC: 79-22942; ISBN 0-8306-9710-1 / ISBN 0-8306-2267-5, as compiled in ''Modern Aviation Library,'' Vol. 10, Book No. 210, TAB, Blue Ridge Summit, Penn., USA
"My Love Affair with a Red Head Named Davis,"
September 1986, ''Vintage Airplane,'' Vol.14., No.9, p.7, retrieved September 26, 2022 (p.


Design


Original

The Baby Ace is a single-seat
parasol wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...
of conventional
taildragger Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
configuration. Individual examples have been configured with tricycle landing gear. The wing uses a
Clark Y Clark Y is the name of a particular airfoil profile, widely used in general purpose aircraft designs, and much studied in aerodynamics over the years. The profile was designed in 1922 by Virginius E. Clark using thickness distribution of the Germ ...
-cross-section airfoil; spars and ribs are spruce. The steel-tube parallel wings struts simplified internal wing structure, and enabled the wings to fold back for over-the-road towing. The
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraf ...
is of fabric-covered tubular construction, and wing struts are steel tube. There is a door in the right side. Streamlining and fairing was largely done with
balsa ''Ochroma pyramidale'', commonly known as the balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus ''Ochroma''. The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, with the name ''balsa'' being ...
wood. Its
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
is a split-axle type, with
bungee cord Bungee cords equipped with metal hooks A bungee cord (sometimes spelled bungle; also known as a shock cord) is an elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usually covered in a woven cotton or polypropylene sheath. The ...
suspension, similar to gear of the
Piper Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is P ...
. Some are fitted with brakes, using Aeronca-type heel pedals.


Evolutions

Under the Corben Sport Plane and Supply Co. (
Peru, Indiana Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,417 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Miami County. Peru is located along the Wabash Rive ...
), two versions were offered, using using the same wings, tails, controls and landing gear: a single-seat. open-cockpit, parasol-wing model (the Baby Ace) and an enclosed, two-seat, high-wing version ( Junior Ace). In 1955
Paul Poberezny Paul Howard Poberezny (September 14, 1921 – August 22, 2013) was an American aviator, entrepreneur, and aircraft designer. He founded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 1953, and spent the greater part of his life promoting hom ...
, founder of the
Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...
, redesigned the plane with Stan J. Dzik (former
Waco Aircraft Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...
engineer), calling its version the Model C. EAA sold the rights to the planes to Cliff DuCharme (
West Bend, Wisconsin West Bend is the county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington County, Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752. History Early history and settlement Northeastern Washington County's earliest known inhabitants wer ...
), and the plane was redesigned for production, becoming the Model D (first flight: November 15, 1956). The similarly redesigned two-seat Junior Ace, became the Junior Ace Model E.


Powerplants

The first example flew with a Heath-Henderson B-4 modified motorcycle engine. However, a detachable motor mount accommodated an easy change of engines. Later models utilized various engines -- facilitated by the removeable motor mount -- including the 45-hp Szekeley SR-3, 40-hp Salmson AD9, 35-hp
Continental A-40 The Continental A40 engine is a carbureted four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled aircraft engine that was developed especially for use in light aircraft by Continental Motors. It was produced between 1931 and 1941. Design and developm ...
, or 30-hp Heath B4. A variety of aircraft
powerplants A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...
may be used, typically in the 65-100 hp (50-75 kW) range. Most versions flying today use the
Continental A65 The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Continental Motors commencing in the 194 ...
aircraft engine. Examples have been built using 70 hp Corvair engines.


Operational history

The original Baby Ace was built in 1929, in
Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeast Kansas, in the Central U ...
. Designer O.G. ("Ace") Corben later established the Corben Sportplane Company (
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
), where six Baby Aces were built, with kits also sold. John W. Underwood ( Peter M. Bowers, Consultant): "Corben Baby Ace" (p.13) and "Corben Junior Ace" (p.14), ''Vintage Veteran Aircraft Guide,'' 1974, LOC: 68-28978, Colllinwood Press, Glendale, California, USA The Corben Sport Plane and Supply Co. (
Peru, Indiana Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,417 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Miami County. Peru is located along the Wabash Rive ...
), began producing the Baby Ace both in kit form and as a complete, flying aircraft. Kits included pre-welded assemblies for the fuselage, controls, tail and landing gear. Two models were offered, using using the same wings, tails, controls and landing gear: a single-seat. open-cockpit, parasol-wing model, and an enclosed, two-seat, high-wing version. In America, state and federal laws banned homebuilding and flight in the uncertified designs by 1938. In 1948, Experimental aircraft were allowed to be built again in America. In 1952, EAA founder Paul Poberezny bought the rights to the Ace designs for $200, and produced a sub-$800 Baby Ace that was featured in ''
Mechanix Illustrated ''Mechanix Illustrated'' was an American printed magazine that was originally published by Fawcett Publications. Its title was founded in 1928 to compete against the older ''Popular Science'' and ''Popular Mechanics''. Billed as "The How-To-Do M ...
'' (Bryan, Hal
"Baby Ace Comes Back,"
July 20, 2019,
Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...
, retrieved september 26, 2022
; some say ''
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
''). The series of articles were in conjunction with a CAA effort to revitalize American aviation by promoting amateur built aircraft. The articles drew intense national interest, resulting in hundreds of the planes being built, with various engines -- and elevating then then-obscure EAA to national prominence. To avoid compromising its non-profit status, EAA sold the rights to the planes to Cliff DuCharme (
West Bend, Wisconsin West Bend is the county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington County, Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752. History Early history and settlement Northeastern Washington County's earliest known inhabitants wer ...
), who resumed kit production, with a revised Model D (first flight: November 15, 1956). and a revised Junior Ace Model E. Subsequently, plans, parts, and kits for both the Baby Ace and Junior Ace became available from Thurman Baird's
Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company The Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company was established in Wichita, Kansas in 1929 by Orland Corben to market the world's first homebuilt aircraft, a machine of his own design called the Baby Ace. The enterprise did not last long before US regul ...
( Asheville, North Carolina). "Progressive" kits (buy sections as you build) also became available. and remain so,"Directory of Plans You Can Build," Winter 1971, ''Air Trails'' as of 2015."2015 Homebuilt Aircraft Directory," p.29, December 2014, ''Kitplanes" magazine. In 1974, aviation historians John Underwood and Peter Bowers reported 200 Baby Aces were flying, with only one prewar example still active. They noted that only a very few of the Junior Aces had been built before the 1930's CAA crackdown on amateur-built aircraft, with just two of the 1930s two-seaters still flying. However, in 1979, aviation journalist Don Dwiggins estimated the number of flying Baby Aces in the United States and Canada had dwindled to around 70. A 1958 Baby Ace is currently the oldest Canadian homebuilt aircraft flying.


Variants

;Baby Ace :Single-seat ; Super Ace :Single-seat powered by a Ford Model A automotive engine. Plans updated by EAA founder
Paul Poberezny Paul Howard Poberezny (September 14, 1921 – August 22, 2013) was an American aviator, entrepreneur, and aircraft designer. He founded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 1953, and spent the greater part of his life promoting hom ...
. ; Jr. Ace :Two-seat tandem variant. ;
Pober Jr Ace The Ace ''Junior Ace'' is a two-seat sports aircraft that has been offered by the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company in kit and plans form for home building since the early 1930s. It was designed by Orland Corben.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 ...
:Updated plans of the Jr. Ace model


Specifications (Baby Ace D)


See also


References

* ''Our Wisconsin'' magazine ("Ace High" C Boelk) June/July 2015


External links


Web site of Ace Aircraft
provides info on the kit for building the ''Corben Baby Ace Model D''.
The History of Ace Aircraft
* article, June-October 1935, ''Popular Aviation'' (forerunner of Flying Magazine) * article, June 1985, ''The Vintage Airplane'' * "Flight Testing of Corben Baby Ace" January 1, 1978, ''Vintage Airplane'' {{Ace aircraft Homebuilt aircraft 1920s United States sport aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Baby Ace Parasol-wing aircraft