Kent Shoemaker submitted this photo and note: “I visited a motorcycle shop in Western Pennsylvania and to my surprise found this beautiful plane on display. I wonder if it will ever fly again.”
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Looks to be a Flybaby biplane. A Bi-Flybaby.
It’s not an “as plans” Fly Baby biplane. The wings are straight (Fly Baby biplane wings are swept), the Fly Baby puts a center section over the fuselage (which this plane doesn’t have) and the cabane struts are wrong. The side of the cockpit would cut the upper longeron on a Fly Baby’s fuselage side, too.
However, the lower wings looks a lot like a monoplane Fly Baby’s wings, and have flying wires below the wing that attach at the right location. The aileron is dead-on for a Fly Baby monoplane. The fuselage tail “skeg” that holds the tailwheel spring is missing, but the rudder projects below the fuselage, just like it does on the Fly Baby. The landing gear struts attach to the fuselage in what appears to be the same position as the Fly Baby.
I’m guessing this started out as a monoplane Fly Baby with a completely non-standard biplane conversion. Since the cockpit has a huge cutout on the side of the fuselage, which would have completely severed the upper longeron (weakening the fuselage structure), it’s possible this aircraft was put together for display purposes only.
Which motorcycle shop in western PA?
Does anyone know what this is?
It’s an Aircraft, Silly…!!!!!
There is a nice museum in North Central PA.
Eagles Mere Auto and air Museum.. It has limited hours on weekends during the summer but an awesome collection of planes and automobiles.
https://www.goldenageair.org/
If you get a chance stop at this airport.