There is something about the Golden Age of aviation that makes homebuilders want to pay homage to those times.
That’s certainly true of Mark Gilmore of Muncie, Ind., whose Marquart Charger MA-5 is done up in livery inspired by famed race pilot Roscoe Turner.
Turner set several speed records and won air races in the 1930s. One of his most famous sponsors was the Gilmore Oil Co.
“Their mascot was a lion, and my name is Gilmore, so the name of my airplane is the Gilmore Red Lion,” Mark Gilmore explains.
Gilmore, who says his plane is a “more modern design with vintage roots,”
approached the design with the thought of “what would the plane look like if Roscoe Turner had it back in the 1930s? A lot of influences from the Gee Bee, such as the period scallops and the lion on the wheel pants, all kind of fit that period.”
Although it looks like it might be a handful, Gilmore says the MA-5, which is powered by an IO-320, is fairly docile.
“It flies at 115 knots if you are pushing the throttle, 95 if you are conserving fuel,” he says. “If you can fly a Cub or a Taylorcraft, you can fly this. It’s that easy.”