The Kari-Keen 90 Sioux coupe was a two-seat cabin

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 confi ...

Development

Kari-Keen was an automotive luggage producer that started in the growing aviation business in 1929. Production of the Sioux coupe began in 1929 and ended on 1 August 1933. The first model, the Kari-Keen 60 Sioux Coup, featured a

Velie Velie was a brass era American automobile brand produced by the Velie Motors Corporation in Moline, Illinois from 1908 to 1928. The company was founded by and named for Willard Velie, a maternal grandson of John Deere. Velie founded Velie Carr ...

M-5 engine. 22 aircraft were built without a

type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...

. In 1930, six more model 90s were built with a type certificate. In 1931, the Sioux Aircraft Corporation bought the company assets, changing the name of the Kari-Keen 90 into the Sioux Coupe 90.

Design

The Kari-Keen 90 Sioux Coupe was designed by

Swen Swanson Swen (Sven) Swanson (1897/98 – February 1935) was a Swedish aircraft designer. He designed aircraft for various aviation companies in the United States and also designed prototype and experimental airplanes. He was known as an innovative aircraft ...

and was a two-seat side-by-side high-wing monoplane with

conventional landing gear 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 ...

. The wing was fully cantilevered, with skylights built in. The fuel tank sat above the pilot's head and was part of the leading edge. Ole Fahlin built all the propellers and test-flew the aircraft.

Variants

;Kari-Keen 60 Sioux coupe: ;Sioux Coupe 90:

Lambert R-266 Lambert may refer to People *Lambert (name), a given name and surname * Lambert, Bishop of Ostia (c. 1036–1130), became Pope Honorius II *Lambert, Margrave of Tuscany ( fl. 929–931), also count and duke of Lucca *Lambert (pianist), stage-name ...

radial engine 90 hp. ;Sioux Coupe 90A: powered with a 90 hp Brownback Tiger ;Sioux Coupe 90B Junior:powered with a 90 hp

Warner Scarab Junior The Warner Scarab Junior was an American, five-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aero engine first produced in 1930. It was a scaled-down derivative of the seven-cylinder Warner Scarab, developing 90 hp (70 kW) against the Scarab's 110&nbs ...

- one built ;Sioux Coupe 90C Senior:powered with a 110 hp

Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Vari ...

- one built

Aircraft on display

* In 1988, a restored Kari-Keen 60 Sioux Coupe won Champion Antique at the 1988 EAA Oshkosh Airshow. This aircraft is now stored at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum. * A Kari-Keen 90 Sioux Coupe is on display at the

Iowa Aviation Museum The Iowa Aviation Museum is located at the Greenfield Municipal Airport in Greenfield, Iowa, and is dedicated to preserving Iowa's aviation heritage. The Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame, located at the museum, honors Iowans who have contributed signi ...

* A Kari-Keen 90A Sioux Coupe is on display at the

Sioux City Public Museum The Sioux City Public Museum is a museum about the history and culture of Sioux City, Iowa. Displays include a video about the city's history, Native American artifacts, pioneer artifacts, historic transportation vehicles, agriculture, industry, g ...

, last flown in 2004.

Specifications (Kari-Keen 90-C Sioux coupe)

References

External links

{{commons category, Kari-Keen 90 Sioux Coupe
Picture of a Sioux coupe model 90BVideo of Kari Keen Coupe donation
1920s United States civil utility aircraft Sioux Coupe High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1929