JENNY SPECIFICATIONS

              Span:.............................. 27 ft. 6 in.
              Wing Area: ................... 175 sq ft. 
              Length ............................18 ft. 4 in.
              Gross Weight .................. 900 lbs.
              Empty Weight ................. 450 lbs.
              Fuel Capacity ..(10 gal)... 60 lbs.
              Maximum level speed .... 70 mph *
              Normal cruising speed:... 60 mph
              Minimum Stall Speed ........40 mph
              Engine's 2/4 stroke 130-150 lbs 45/65 hp

              * Depending on engine choice
          Stores on a trailer 16' long, 7' wide, 6' high
          After 2 hours Assembly/disassembly time.

THE AIRPLANE 

The Early Bird "Jenny" is approximately a 2/3 version of the Curtiss JN4-D World ar I Trainer that took part in many firsts in American aviation history (first combat aircraft, first mail airplane, etc). Of course she is probably best known as the favorite airplane of the barn stormers during the 1920's. Though similar in appearance to the original, the construction of the Early Bird "Jenny" takes advantage of modern high strength, more durable materials that also speed the building process. The fuselage is built of strong aircraft 4130 chromoly steel (a proven construction material with several million flying hours in aircraft like Cubs, Taylorcraft, etc.). The wings 
are built of 6061-T6 aluminum tube spars and pre-stamped aluminum ribs. Standard 2.7 oz. dacron fabric covers the airplane using the Canadian Hipec paint system that eliminates time consuming rib stitching. The paint scheme, of course, is a personal option (W.W. I trainer, barn stormer, etc.) and is a lot of fun to plan. The wheels (used motorcycle or new wheels from Loehle Aircraft) make for easy ground handling with their built-in brakes, yet they look like the old, original wheels.

THE POWER PLANT

The airframe is capable of using a number of different two or 4 stroke engines in the 130-150 lb., 45-65 HP range. The original 46HP Rotax 503 SC in the prototype did a reasonable job of hauling two average sized people here in Colorado at over 5000 feet and burned about 3 1/2 GPH - that engine never missed a lick in over 300 hours (and it is now flying in another "Jenny" ). If you are really on a budget, there are some good used engines out there for as little as $500 that will keep your total cost down to about $5000 ready to fly. On the other hand, a new dual ignition 65HP, water cooled Rotax 582 has a great power to weight ratio. If you want lower fuel consumption (without mixing oil!), and better sound you might want to try a 4-stroke engine in the right power and weight range. A Rotax 912 is the right size and weight. The Geo Metro may be an option for those willing to take on an engine project. A 60 HP Franklin or some of the newer, lighy weight aircraft engines may work well for those wanting an off the shelf solution.

FLYING

The empty weight can be kept down to about 420 lbs. if you use a two stroke engine of about 100 - 125 lbs. with electric start, battery, prop, etc and the optional aluminum frame rudder and elevator to give you a full 380 lbs. of usefull load. That equates to about a 200-foot take-off roll at sea level (100 foot or less single seat! ). Due to her large wing area, you also have a very good angle of climb for those short fields with 50 foot obstacles all around. The empty weight will be about 450 lbs. with a four stroke engine and slight airframe modifications can give you full gross weight of 900 lbs. Slow flying where nothing happens very fast is one of the great joys of flying your 2/3 "Jenny"! Like the great old biplanes of the past, you have a bit more time to react compared to the hot, short-coupled designs of today. Her three axis flight characteristics are pretty well described as "Cub-like" with a fair amount of rudder available and about a three and a half to four seconds 45 deg - 45 deg roll rate. I've flown her for as long as 45 minutes without touching the stick (something that you couldn't do with an original "Jenny").
Although her flight speeds are similar to the original, she has a better climb performance due to the improved power to weight ratio. A good climb out and approach speed is in the 45-50 MPH area with about 70 MPH straight and level full throttle and 60-65 MPH at cruise (q 65 HP engine will do a bit better, of course). She just loves little grass fields and, as mentioned before, she is quite capable of short take-offs and landings. With a roller blade wheel sttached to the tail skid you can happily land and taxi on modern, larger hard surface airports but be ready to deal with a lot of attention and interest in your unique litle "Jenny" - Boy does she bring out the smiles on people's faces!

THE MANUAL

The plans come with a Builders Manual and 3 Large Plan Sheets 24" x 35"

The builders manual has 72 pages and complete materials list so you can easly order all the building materials you will need. Material Kits are available.

The manual has 66 pictures and sketches showing many construction steps.