The Aircraft That Started The Homebuilt Revolution...Twice!
Two decades after the Wright Brothers' first flight, flying had become a rich man's luxury. In 1923, Mr. Orland G. Corben began designing airplanes because he saw the need for an aircraft that was safe, easy to fly, and inexpensive for the average person to build and operate. Five years later, he marketed the first homebuilt airplane, the Baby Ace, and with it, the Homebuilt Revolution began. A year later, Mr. Corben built the two-seat Junior Ace. These aircraft become the first popular homebuilt aircraft.
In 1955, Mr. Paul Poberenzy, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association, built a modified Baby Ace Model C as a three-part series in Mechanix Illustrated. The success of the articles caused an overwhelming interest in the renewed homebuilt aircraft movement which continues to this day.
Today, you can fly an aircraft with an aviation history pedigree almost as old as powered flight itself. Indeed, Mr. Corben's dream of a well designed, inexpensive, and safe homebuilt aircraft is still being realized today.