Designed by Emmett M. Tally III, the Birdman TL-1 is an ultralight craft emphasiing ease of construction and light weight. The fuselage is a standard plywood monocoque, and the tail section is a V-type, and synthetic skin, Monokote heat shrink film, is used to cover the wood and foam-reinforced wings. It features sequential spoilers for lateral control. While the main gears are at¬tached under the wing, the pilot’s legs and feet take the place of a nosegear. The pilot is seated at the CG, enabling him to rotate into a standing position as an aid to ground handling. The standing pilot actually becomes the nosewheel.
The TL 1A was powered by a 15 hp McCulloch single cylinder air cooled engine. Two gallons of fuel give it a range of 320 km (200 miles) at 54 kg (120 lb), and marketed in 1980 by a Dayton Beach accountant who sells complete kits for less than $2000.

TL-1
Gross Wt. 350 lbs
Empty Wt. 100 lb
Fuel capacity: 4 USG
Wingspan: 34 ft
Length: 20 ft
Engine: 15-hp Tally Aircraft MC101 DT
Top speed: 60mph
Cruise speed: 54mph
Stall speed: 19mph
Climb rate: 350 fpm
Ceiling: 12,500 ft
Takeoff run: 75 ft
Landing roll: 25 ft
Range: 200 sm

TL-1A
Cruise 38 mph
Top speed: 44 mph
ROC: 300 fpm
Stall: 14 mph
Wing span: 34 ft

TL-1B

TL-1C

In 1989, Cory Bird was a shop fabricator at Scaled Composites, aviation designer Burt Rutan’s company, when he decided to use his knowledge of composite construction to build aeronautical art. Built by Patti and Cory Bird, after 14 years of on again, off again construction, Symmetry first flew in April 2003.
The aircraft took the Grand Champion award at Oshkosh 2004.

Top speed: 284 mph
Seats: 2