Early Bird Aircraft Jenny Project of Don Truex

 
 
 

05/26/03 It Runs! New photos on the engine page.

I ordered the plans for the Early Bird Aircraft Jenny on May 17, 1996, and I started construction at the end of June that same year. The plane is a 2/3 scale replica of the Curtiss JN4 used as a trainer during WW1 and later for mail service and barnstorming. I have enjoyed the building process but am ready to finish and get in the air.

I selected the Jenny as my first homebuilt project for the following reasons (in order of importance):

1. Low Cost open cockpit biplane
2. Two seats. The minimium empty weight is around 420 lbs with Rotax 503. I expect, like most builders, to be quite a bit over that using the Geo/Raven. Adding the 900 lbs gross weight mods I will should still be able to haul a small passenger.
3. Easy to fly. With a stall speed around 35 MPH and VNE of 80 MPH, this is a low and slow aircraft.
4. Simple to build. The fuselage is constructed from welded 4130 tubing.  The wings use aluminum tube spar with stamped aluminum ribs.

Jenny plans are available from the designer Denis Wily. You can reach him at Early Bird Aircraft, 650 Cripple Creek Drive, Fruita CO 81521, 970/858-3568.

There is a mailing list for anyone interested in the Jenny. Click here to subscribe:

Jenny builders web site built and maintained by Rob Parsons: JennyBuilders.org

I want to say a few words of thanks to Frank Wilson and Harry Watson, both world class fabricators. Without the help and patience of these two gentlemen I would be nowhere near completeting this project.

I decided to document the construction process on this web page in hope that the prospect of one of the few million Internet users wandering through here will make me more diligent in my record keeping. My intentions are to update this page as major components are completed and use the pages linked to in the left frame as an archive of the construction process. So far it hasn't worked worth a damn but I'm still hoping.

Thanks for your interest and I hope to see you in the air soon.


4/31/00 Pictures of the Airframe.