• The Biplane Forum is a large global active community of biplane builders, owners and pilots. From Pitts to Skybolts, to older barnstormers, all types are welcome. In addition to our active community, our content boasts exhaustive technical information which is often sought after for projects and maintenance. This information has accumulated over the 12+ years the forum has been in existence.

    The Biplane Forum is a private community. Subscriptions are only $49.99/year or $6.99/month to gain access to this great community and unmatched source of information not found anywhere else on the web. We are also a great resource for non biplane users, since many GA aircraft are built the same way (fabric and tube construction). Annual membership also comes with two BiplaneForum.com decals.



N822CH - Super Baby Great Lakes

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SFCHiatt

Some BIG thing come in small packages
*
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
484
Reaction score
1,089
Location
San Antonio, Texas
N822CH.jpg


My Dad was a Crop duster who flew and restored many Stearmans. He gave me my fist ride at 5 years old, on his lap, in an open cockpit Stearman. I’ll never forget that ride and I have always wanted my one biplane. Turns out my expendable income hasn’t yet risen to the Stearman range but I’m having a blast in my Super Baby Great Lakes.

N822CH was completed in 1981 by Colonel William Pratt of Colorado. The Oldfield Baby Great Lakes was designed by Barney Oldfield to use an A-65 or similar. Colonel Pratt was an F4 Phantom pilot and an Air Force Maintenance Officer who “acquired” a zero-time Lycoming O-290G military ground power unit that he decided to hang on the front of my 16-foot wingspan biplane.

The plane transferred from hangar to hangar and state to state until it eventually made it to my hangar in San Antonio, Texas. The list of test pilots stayed at zero and I acquired the plane with only 91 total hours.

I/we spent 9 months chasing off gremlins and I now (8/18/19) have 15 hours “riding” this beast that I have named Jekyll and Hyde.

It’s a blast to fly, but I’m glad I had nearly a thousand tailwheel hours before I took on this adventure.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top