Rare 1929 Bird With OX5 Still Flying

PacificFlyer | Mar 01, 2010 | Comments 0

Story And Photos
By Jack Watson

Following Lindbergh’s crossing of the North Atlantic in May 1927, flying a monoplane powered by a single radial engine, it became evident that this formula was the future of aviation.

Not every airplane manufacturer, however, was convinced, and a few stuck with the age-old solution of a biplane powered by a Curtiss OX-5.

The Brunner-Winkle Bird A is an example of this apparent anachronism. It was the first plane produced by the Brunner-Winkle Aircraft Corporation of Glendale, N.Y. which sold for $3,150 with an OX-5 engine

The Bird A obtained Approved Type Certificate (ATC)#101 in January 1929. The subject of this article is based in Brodhead, Wisc.

Of very classic architecture, the Bird presented a few unusual features such as the use of aileron push rods in the upper wings, the all aluminum turtle deck, and its under chin radiator. Of the 85 Bird A’s built between 1928 and 1931, 12 have survived the passing of time.

One particularly original example is constructor number 1011 (N9181), which recently took to the sky after a 50 year lapse. The 12th Bird built, Ô81 was completed at the end of April 1929 and delivered to Colonial Flying Services of Utica, N.Y. in May.

The airplane suffered significant damage in an August 1945 landing accident, and returned to flying status in May 1946. In 1952, the Bird was overhauled by Gleridon Aircraft Services in Caledonia, Ohio.

At the time, the airplane had 766 hours total time, while its engine had 442.

In 1966, it was acquired by Alfred K. Young on behalf of the Alaska Wing of the OX-5 Club of America, of which he was the President. Along with a few association members, he planned on restoring the airplane and embark on the first flight from the lower-48 to Alaska by an OX-5 powered airplane in commemoration of Alaska’s 100th Birthday in 1967.

It appears that the project never came to fruition, however, and Young sold the Bird to Francis “Franny” Rourke, of Bartlesville, Okla.on July 8, 1980 as a restoration project.

“Dennis Trone saw the airplane advertised in Trade-A-Plane, contacted Franny, who said he would happy to sell the Bird to him, but that he wanted to restore it,” pilot Chad Willie recalled. “After completion in 1996, Dennis ran the engine for a couple hours to break it in and it started skipping, missing badly.

“We had to tear it down and redo all the cylinders. Now, the OX-5 has about 15 hours since overhaul, and runs perfectly.

“The only deviation from original configuration are the 30x5 wheels with brakes, in lieu of the 26x4 wire wheels with no brakes. It still has the original tailskid.”

After the very untimely passing of Dennis Trone in an airplane accident in 2008, Wille handled the dispersion of his collection, finalizing restoration work and flying the airplanes for potential new owners and his own enjoyment.

“I started flying in 1969, at age 14. At the time, I did not know you had to be 16 to solo. So I had to wait a couple of years after I took my first lesson.

“I always have been interested in Antique Aircraft and involved in building many WW I replicas working at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome as well as many antique engine restorations,” he continued. “I supported myself throughout my life as a professional pilot and a manufacturer of custom propeller for antique airplanes.”

One of the last airplanes of Dennis Trone’s collection to find a buyer, the Bird was sold to Richard Schwenker on October 1st, 2009, thus finding a new home and new lease of life for the foreseeable future.

(See sidebar for what it was like to restore and build this beautiful plane.)

SPECIFICATIONS

Bird “A” Specifications

as powered by a 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine

Length: 22 ft, 3 in

Height: 8 ft, 8 in

Upper Wing Span: 34 ft, 0 in

Lower Wing Span: 25 ft, 0 in

Upper Chord: 69 in

Lower Chord: 48 in

Upper Wing Area: 184 sq. ft.

Lower Wing Area: 82 sq. ft.