Ace Baby Ace
Template:Short description Template:Infobox aircraft
The Ace Baby Ace, a single-seat, single-engine, parasol wing, fixed-gear light airplane, was marketed as a homebuilt aircraft 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 designed a series of aircraft for the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company, 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.<ref name="the_baby_ace_1955_02_experimenter">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books">Dwiggins, Don: Chapter 3: "Flying the Corben Baby Ace," Low Horsepower Fun Aircraft You Can Build, 1979, TAB Books, 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</ref><ref name="davis_1986_09_vintage_airplane">"My Love Affair with a Red Head Named Davis," September 1986, Vintage Airplane, Vol.14., No.9, p.7, retrieved September 26, 2022 (p.</ref>
DesignEdit
OriginalEdit
The Baby Ace is a single-seat parasol wing monoplane of conventional taildragger configuration. Individual examples have been configured with tricycle landing gear.<ref name="eaa_fly_in_1960_11_flying">Template:Cite journal</ref>
The wing uses a Clark Y-cross-section airfoil; spars and ribs are spruce.<ref name="JAWA_1977_78">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /><ref name="baby_ace_1991_10_air_progress">Template:Cite journal</ref> The steel-tube parallel wings struts simplified internal wing structure, and enabled the wings to fold back for over-the-road towing.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
The fuselage 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 wood.<ref name="JAWA_1977_78" /><ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /><ref name="baby_ace_1991_10_air_progress" />
Its landing gear is a split-axle type, with bungee cord suspension, similar to gear of the Piper Cub. Some are fitted with brakes, using Aeronca-type heel pedals.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
EvolutionsEdit
Under the Corben Sport Plane and Supply Co. (Peru, Indiana), two versions were offered, 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).<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
In 1955 Paul Poberezny, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association, redesigned the plane with Stan J. Dzik (former Waco Aircraft engineer), calling its version the Model C. EAA sold the rights to the planes to Cliff DuCharme (West Bend, Wisconsin), and the plane was redesigned for production, becoming the Model D (first flight: November 15, 1956).<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /><ref name="JAWA_1977_78" /> The similarly redesigned two-seat Junior Ace, became the Junior Ace Model E.<ref name="JAWA_1977_78" />
PowerplantsEdit
The first example flew with a Heath-Henderson B-4 modified motorcycle engine.<ref name="baby_ace_1991_10_air_progress" /> However, a detachable motor mount accommodated an easy change of engines.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
Later models utilized various engines -- facilitated by the removeable motor mount -- including the 45-hp Szekely SR-3, 40-hp Salmson AD9, 35-hp Continental A-40, or 30-hp Heath B4.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /> A variety of aircraft powerplants may be used, typically in the 65-100 hp (50-75 kW) range.<ref name="air_trails_1971_winter_p14">Template:Cite journal</ref> Most versions flying today use the Continental A65 aircraft engine.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /> Examples have been built using 70 hp Corvair engines.<ref name="air_trails_1971_winter_p14" />
Operational historyEdit
The original Baby Ace was built in 1929, in Topeka, Kansas. Designer O.G. ("Ace") Corben later established the Corben Sportplane Company (Madison, Wisconsin), where six Baby Aces were built, with kits also sold.<ref name="the_baby_ace_1955_02_experimenter" /><ref name="vintage_veteran_aircraft_guide_1974">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</ref>
The Corben Sport Plane and Supply Co. (Peru, Indiana), 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 the same wings, tails, controls and landing gear: a single-seat. open-cockpit, parasol-wing model, and an enclosed, two-seat, high-wing version.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
In America, state and federal laws banned homebuilding and flight in the uncertified designs by 1938.<ref name="the_baby_ace_1955_02_experimenter" /><ref name="vintage_veteran_aircraft_guide_1974" /> In 1948, Experimental aircraft were allowed to be built again in America.<ref name="the_baby_ace_1955_02_experimenter" />
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 (;<ref name="baby_ace_back_2019_07_20_eaa_org">Bryan, Hal: "Baby Ace Comes Back," July 20, 2019, Experimental Aircraft Association, retrieved september 26, 2022</ref> some say Popular Mechanics<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />). The series of articles were in conjunction with a CAA effort to revitalize American aviation by promoting amateur built aircraft.<ref name="the_baby_ace_1955_02_experimenter" /> The articles drew intense national interest, resulting in hundreds of the planes being built, with various engines—and elevating then-obscure EAA to national prominence.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
To avoid compromising its non-profit status, EAA sold the rights to the planes to Cliff DuCharme (West Bend, Wisconsin), who resumed kit production, with a revised Model D (first flight: November 15, 1956).<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /><ref name="JAWA_1977_78" /> and a revised Junior Ace Model E.<ref name="JAWA_1977_78" />
Subsequently, plans, parts, and kits for both the Baby Ace and Junior Ace became available from Thurman Baird's Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Asheville, North Carolina). "Progressive" kits (buy sections as you build) also became available.<ref name="JAWA_1977_78" /><ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" /> and remain so,<ref name="directory_1971_summer_air_trails">"Directory of Plans You Can Build," Winter 1971, Air Trails</ref> as of 2015.<ref name="homebuilt_directory_2015_kitplanes">"2015 Homebuilt Aircraft Directory," p.29, December 2014, Kitplanes" magazine.</ref>
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 1930s CAA crackdown on amateur-built aircraft, with just two of the 1930s two-seaters still flying.<ref name="vintage_veteran_aircraft_guide_1974" /> 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.<ref name="flying_the_corben_1979_tab_books" />
A 1958 Baby Ace is currently the oldest Canadian homebuilt aircraft flying.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
VariantsEdit
- Baby Ace
- Single-seat
- Super Ace
- Single-seat powered by a Ford Model A automotive engine. Plans updated by EAA founder Paul Poberezny.
- Jr. Ace
- Two-seat tandem variant.
- Pober Jr Ace
- Updated plans of the Jr. Ace model
Specifications (Baby Ace D)Edit
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Our Wisconsin magazine ("Ace High" C Boelk) June/July 2015
External linksEdit
- 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