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The Fly Baby was the winning entry in the 1962 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Design Contest. Designed and built by Seattle resident Peter Bowers, the little plane specifically met EAA's requirements for a low-cost, folding wing plane that could be towed or trailered and is easy to build and fly. A popular design with many homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts, the Fly Baby's plans sold for about $65. The finished airplane could fit in a standard garage and could also be built in biplane and twin-float seaplane versions. Although not intended for heavy aerobatics, the little Fly Baby can do simple loops, barrel rolls, and spins.
A life-long aviation enthusiast, Bowers wrote his first aviation article as a high school student in 1938. He became one of the world's most respected aviation historians, with numerous books and hundreds of articles to his credit. Never far from a camera, Bowers also amassed one of the United States' largest collections of aviation prints and negatives, now held in The Museum of Flight's archives.
This particular Fly Baby was built by Al Stabler. He purchased plans in November of 1967 and made the maiden flight in his Fly Baby on February 2, 1971, at Kitsap County Airport in Washington State. The plane was retired in 1980 with about 130 hours of flying time.
According to Al Stabler's logbook, actual work on the plane began early in 1968. The all-wood construction consisted of spruce structural members, fir plywood, and mahogany door skins. The gas tank and engine cowling were homemade and the wheels, propeller, and engine were purchased locally. The airframe was inspected by the FAA in September of 1970 and assigned the registration number N4339. Soon after, the wings were covered with Ceconite 101 fabric and nine coats of brushed-on dope. That November, Al began taxi tests, and the following February, his Fly Baby finally took to the skies!
The Fly Baby was the winning entry in the 1962 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Design Contest. Designed and built by Seattle resident Peter Bowers, the little plane specifically met EAA's requirements for a low-cost, folding wing plane that could be towed or trailered and is easy to build and fly. A popular design with many homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts, the Fly Baby's plans sold for about $65. The finished airplane could fit in a standard garage and could also be built in biplane and twin-float seaplane versions. Although not intended for heavy aerobatics, the little Fly Baby can do simple loops, barrel rolls, and spins.
A life-long aviation enthusiast, Bowers wrote his first aviation article as a high school student in 1938. He became one of the world's most respected aviation historians, with numerous books and hundreds of articles to his credit. Never far from a camera, Bowers also amassed one of the United States' largest collections of aviation prints and negatives, now held in The Museum of Flight's archives.
This particular Fly Baby was built by Al Stabler. He purchased plans in November of 1967 and made the maiden flight in his Fly Baby on February 2, 1971, at Kitsap County Airport in Washington State. The plane was retired in 1980 with about 130 hours of flying time.
According to Al Stabler's logbook, actual work on the plane began early in 1968. The all-wood construction consisted of spruce structural members, fir plywood, and mahogany door skins. The gas tank and engine cowling were homemade and the wheels, propeller, and engine were purchased locally. The airframe was inspected by the FAA in September of 1970 and assigned the registration number N4339. Soon after, the wings were covered with Ceconite 101 fabric and nine coats of brushed-on dope. That November, Al began taxi tests, and the following February, his Fly Baby finally took to the skies!
