
In 1999, Dickinson laid out on his hanger floor in Santa Paula, California, the first piece of what would be a brand new Howard. The goal was to build the airplane he believed Benny Howard would have built had he continued to build Howards.
He wanted Mr Mulligan’s speed and performance, as well as the DGA-15’s handling qualities and stability.
Dickinson adapted the original Mr Mulligan wing configuration, which had been replaced in later production models, and up-graded the DGA-15’s 450 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine with a modern version, one that delivers 600 hp. He built every piece of the plane, or modified something from a DGA-15 or another airplane.
First flying in 2008, at 225 mph, it is 50 percent faster than the DGA-15. The designation, DGA-21 is the sum of DGA-6 (Mr Mulligan, and -15.