Washington Aeroplane Co Columbia

The Columbia monoplane was entered for the 1912 Gordon Bennett aviation race held in Chicago, to be piloted by Paul Peck, known as “The Birdman of West Virginia”, powered by a rotary rated at 50 hp. In 1912 Peck was killed while flying the Columbian at a Chicago exhibition. Peck started a steep spiral, ignoring a sudden storm, the engine came loose, cut through the pilot’s seat with its whirling propeller, and the airplane disintegrated in the air.

Warwick Bantam

Bill Warwick built his third plane, the Bantam, first flying in 1966. The first Bantam, N2258B, first flew in June 1966.

Designed for simple fabrication, the Bantam uses no compound curves and very few simple ones. The cockpit area is a steel tube structure taking all wing, gear and engine mount loads. The steerable front wheel has a spring leaf shock absorber. The remaining is wood construction with a plywood cover.

The Bantam is a single-seat, low-wing plane that can use any engine from 65 to 100 hp.

Blueprints cost US$55 in 1972.

Gallery

Engine: Lycoming O-145, 65 hp
Wingspan: 18 ft 6 in
Length: 13 ft 9 in
Height: 6 ft 0 in
Gross weight: 790 lb
Empty Wt. 535 lbs
Fuel capacity 11.5 USG
Top speed: 140 mph
Cruise speed: 105 mph
Stall 52 mph
ROC: 1000 fpm
TO run: 550 ft
Ldg run: 500 ft