Country of origin:

Australia

Description:

Single-seat light sport aircraft

Power Plant:

One 28 kw (38 hp) Henderson four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

The Skybaby was a single-seat parasol wing homebuilt aircraft which was designed by the Clancy Brothers (William, Jack and Alan) at Rosebery in Sydney, NSW. The prototype made its first flight at Mascot, NSW on 15 February 1931. This was at a time when types such as the Heath Parasol, Pietenpol, and Luton Minor were the main designs being built. The aircraft was granted a permit to fly, which permitted flying within 5 km (3 miles) of the aerodrome.

Power plants suitable for these types were few and far between at that time, and usually motorcycle engines were converted for use in light aircraft, motor car engines being too heavy for the light designs. In any event motor-cycle engines were light, provided sufficient power, were easy to maintain, and met most requirements.

The Henderson engine was quite popular with Skybaby builders, being converted from side-valve to overhead-valve configuration. This involved new cylinders being cast in bronze with fins for cooling, and larger overhead valves, this increasing power from 20 kw (27 hp) to 28 kw (38 hp).

A number of Skybabys were built and flown in Australia in the 1930s, and a couple were completed in New Zealand. Inlater times the type was approved for construction by amateur builders. Plans and specifications were upgraded and a variety of engines were used. Most have been registered under AUF/RAA Regulations.

One example became VH-UMH (c/n 003) to its owner Mr E Shipton of Somerset Dam, QLD on 8 October 2010. One built by Keith Hilder in about 1936 used aviation materials in its construction, was built of wood and was fitted with an Anzani V-engine, becomng known as the KH-1 Cavalier.

One example, built in the US at Memorial Airpark, Grand Haven in Michigan with a Henderson engine (N211SB), was donated to the US Experimental Aircraft Association Museum (EAA) in Milwaukee in Wisconsin. In 1987 it was presented to the PowerHouse Museum in Sydney where it was placed on display. One was fitted with a Praga engine and after retirement was privately obtained, loaned to, and placed on display at the Australian Aviation Museum at Bankstown, NSW. One example was one of a number of light aircraft designs built by a group at Cooranbong, NSW near Newcastle known as the Skybaby Too.

The wing was built in two halves and consisted of two solid spruce spars, to which were fitted built-up girder ribs, the whole wing being fabric covered and internally and externally braced. The fuselage was a rectangular open box structure with diagonal cross-bracing and plywood turtle-deck formers with wooden stringers covered with fabric. The engine cowling was aluminium. The tail unit was edged with aluminium tubing, braced with wooden ribs, covered with fabric and had external bracing.

Another example was noted in 2008 for sale, being a 95 per cent complete Skybaby with a Jabiru 1600 engine at Boonah in QLD.

A American-built Skybaby (N211SB – c/n 6) was noted as having crashed on 7 January 1982 at Grand Haven, Michigan, USA.