The Rose Parrakeet was a single-seat sporting

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

produced in small numbers in the United States during the 1930s. It was a conventional design with staggered single-bay wings of equal span braced by N-struts. The cockpit was open, and the fixed

tailskid 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 ...

undercarriage had divided main units. An unusual feature was the use of a single strut in place of the usual

flying wire In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...

Development

Only eight Parrakeets were built by

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

, but the design proved a popular one with homebuilders in the 1950s. Rights to produce kits of the Parrakeet were purchased by Hannaford Aircraft in 1948, and the design was marketed as the Hannaford Bee with structural modifications to strengthen weak points. Kits were marketed right up to the point of Hannaford founder Foster Hannaford's death in 1971, and plans continued to be sold into the 1980s. In 1968, Doug Rhinehart obtained a licence from Jack Rose to produce five all-new Parrakeets.

Variants

;Rose A-1 Parrakeet :various engines fitted to the prototype, including a 40hp

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 ...

, a Henderson, and a 50hp Menasco. Eight built of -1,-2 and -3 versions ;Rose A-2F Parrakeet :50hp Franklin. ;Rose A-2P Parrakeet :50hp Poyer. ;Rose A-3F Parrakeet : 60hp Franklin. ;Rose A-4 Parrakeet :Four built with

Continental A-65 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 ...

Continental C-85 The Continental O-190 (Company designations C75 and C85) is a series of engines made by Continental Motors beginning in the 1940s. Of flat-four configuration, the engines produced 75 hp (56 kW) or 85 hp (63 kW) respectively. ...

engines. ;Rhinehart-Rose A-4C Parrakeet :Revived in the 1970s'fitted with a

Continental O-200 The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admini ...

, five built.

Specifications (Rose A-1 Parrakeet)

References

* * {{cite book , last= Taylor , first= Michael J. H. , title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation , year=1989 , publisher=Studio Editions , location=London , pages=468
Rose Parrakeet Aeroplanes 1929 to present
1930s United States sport aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1931