My last Smith Miniplane was powered by the 80HP Franklin. The engine quit making power during flight at 800 over water in 2011. I three-pointed it in a marsh where the mains broke through the crust, rolled about 10 feet and flipped onto it's top wing due to the tires sinking 14" into the muck. The "G-Meter" was maxed at 12.5+ and 4.5-. THis is a true testimate of the little bipes strength. We flipped it over and rolled it out with the tail-wheel strapped to the four-wheeler. Wings and tail-plane intact. FAA/TPA did the investigation and pointed towards carb-ice.
I crawled out and walked home. About two months later I took possession of this Quisenberry-Hawkins "Hawk" Bi-plane which was built mostlyon the Smith Miniplane plans by two German machinists. Their workmanship has proven to be incredibly accurate. The airplane was built with SMP airfoils and fuselage with the feature of flapperons built into the ailerons. A bi-plane with flaps? I'm sure you're thinking, "why". I'm still wondering why. It drops like a polished rock without power but with the flapperons even onenotch, does carrier landings near that of a Cub.
The homebuilders installed an O-235 on the airplane and the second owner, WC Sisk had a certified O-320A1A installed in 1996. The airplane tends to be a little nose heavy with power off but still flies hands-off and level at 2600rpm. It lands on grass very nicely but can be a handful on hard surfaces if too fast. This aircraft will loop from level flight and I feel it rolls quicker than the S1C. This could be due to full length ailerons, total of two feet more than the Pitts.
I crawled out and walked home. About two months later I took possession of this Quisenberry-Hawkins "Hawk" Bi-plane which was built mostlyon the Smith Miniplane plans by two German machinists. Their workmanship has proven to be incredibly accurate. The airplane was built with SMP airfoils and fuselage with the feature of flapperons built into the ailerons. A bi-plane with flaps? I'm sure you're thinking, "why". I'm still wondering why. It drops like a polished rock without power but with the flapperons even onenotch, does carrier landings near that of a Cub.
The homebuilders installed an O-235 on the airplane and the second owner, WC Sisk had a certified O-320A1A installed in 1996. The airplane tends to be a little nose heavy with power off but still flies hands-off and level at 2600rpm. It lands on grass very nicely but can be a handful on hard surfaces if too fast. This aircraft will loop from level flight and I feel it rolls quicker than the S1C. This could be due to full length ailerons, total of two feet more than the Pitts.
