Brunner-Winkle Bird

The Brunner-Winkle Bird was a three-seat taxi and joy-riding aircraft produced in the US from 1928 to 1931.

Design and operation

The Model A version was powered by the ubiquitous Curtiss OX-5, and featured a welded steel-tube truss fuselage with metal and fabric skinning. The wings, constructed of Spruce and plywood were also covered with metal and fabric skinning. The Model A had a reasonable performance for an OX-5 powered aircraft. The Model A's ease of handling led to its entry into the 1929 Guggenheim Safety Airplane contest, where it was awarded the highest ratings for a standard production aircraft.^[1]

The Model A was awarded Group 2 approval no 2-33 in January 1929 for the first nine aircraft serial no. 1000 to 1008. Aircraft serial no. 1009 upwards were manufactured under Air Transport Certificate no. 101.^[2][1]

The Model B followed on from the initial Bird design and was fitted with the uncowled Kinner radial engine. Production aircraft were designated BK.^[1]

Variants

Data from: aerofiles.com^[3]

Bird BK of 1930 with Kinner K-5 engine preserved at the Yanks Air Museum at Chino, California

Model A

original production version with Curtiss OX-5 engine (ca. 80 built)

Model AT

version with Milwaukee Tank engine (2 converted from Model A)

Model B

version with Kinner K-5 engine (1 prototype)

Model BK

production version of Model B (84 built)

Model C

version with Wright J-5 engine (1 built)

Model CC

version with Curtiss R-600 Challenger engine (1 built)

Model CJ

version with Jacobs LA-1 engine (6 built)

Model CK

version with Kinner B-5 engine (50 built)

Model RK

export version of Model CK (1 built)

Model E

4-5 seat version with enclosed cabin and Kinner B-5 engine (1 built)

Model F

version with Packard DR-980 (1 built)

Specifications (Bird Model A)

Data from U.S. civil aircraft series:Vol.2 ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 22 ft 3 in (6.78 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 00 in (10.36 m)
• Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
• Wing area: 266 sq ft (24.7 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,315 lb (596 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,150 lb (975 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-5 V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed wooden fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
• Cruise speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn)
• Range: 450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 520 ft/min (2.6 m/s)

See also

• Aviation portal
• US portal

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

(Partial listing, only covers most numerous types)

• Alexander Eaglerock
• American Eagle A-101
• Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster
• Butler Blackhawk
• Command-Aire 3C3
• Parks P-1
• Pitcairn Mailwing
• Spartan C3
• Stearman C2 and C3
• Swallow New Swallow
• Travel Air 2000 and 4000
• Waco 10

Related lists

• List of aircraft
• List of civil aircraft

References

Citations

1. John, Talmage. "The Brunner Winkle Bird at the Cradle of Aviation Museum". www.cradleofaviation.org. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
2. Juptner, Joseph J. (1 May 1993). U.S. civil aircraft series:Vol.2. TAB AERO. p. 9. ISBN 978-0830643677.
3. "Aircraft Ba-Bl". aerofiles.com. Retrieved 2008-10-19.

Bibliography

• "Yanks Air Museum". Retrieved 22 December 2019.
• Photos of Brunner-Winkle Bird