Brown B-1 Racer
| Brown B-1 Racer | |
|---|---|
| |
| The B-1 Racer as restored postwar on display in the Wings over Miami aviation museum at Tamiami Airport, near Miami | |
| Role | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Brown Aircraft Co. |
| Designer | Dan Holloway |
| First flight | 1933 |
| Introduction | 1933 |
| Retired | circa 1948 |
| Status | preserved in a museum |
| Primary user | racing pilots |
| Number built | 1 |
| Variants | Brown B-2 Racer Brown B-3 |
The Brown B-1 Racer was an American-built small monoplane racing aircraft of the 1930s.
Design and development
[edit]The B-1 Racer was built in 1933 by the Brown Aircraft Co. of Montebello, California, which had been founded by Lawrence W. Brown, previously of Clover Field, Santa Monica, California.
The B-1 was designed by Dean Holloway and was intended for competitive flying at the hands of Ralph Bushey. The diminutive aircraft was a low-winged monoplane with an open single-person cockpit and a fixed tail-skid undercarriage.[1]
Operational history
[edit]Ralph Bushey raced the aircraft NR83Y in several prewar competitions in the United States, but the aircraft was damaged in a crash after the engine fell out during the race. It was rebuilt in 1947 with a removable closed cabin and powered by an 85 hp (63 kW) Continental C-85 engine.
The aircraft continued to compete as a "midget racer", named Suzie Jayne.[1]
The B-1 was withdrawn from flying in the late 1940s, and is currently owned by Kermit Weeks.[2] The aircraft was on public display at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida, alongside the Brown B-2 replica.[3][4]
Specifications (as rebuilt in 1947)
[edit]Data from Aerofiles.com
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
- Wingspan: 18 ft 9 in (5.72 m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental C-85 , 85 hp (63 kW)
References
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b "American Airplanes Bo-Bu." Aerofiles, April 2009. Retrieved: September 27, 2017.
- ^ Ogden 2007, p. 146.
- ^ "Fantasy of Flight." Rod's Aviation Photos. Retrieved: September 27, 2017.
- ^ "FAA Registry N-Number Inquiry Results." Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved: September 27, 2017.
Bibliography
[edit]- Ogden, Bob. Aviation Museums and Collections of North America, Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-385-4.