The EAA Biplane, as it is known, is the
first airplane Paul Poberezny built when he started EAA.
He took a basic Piper Cub and put a pair of wings on it
to make it a biplane. When Gene attended the 1970 EAA convention in
Oshkosh, he saw an EAA Biplane in the display area and knew this was the
plane he wanted to build. He got a set of plans from EAA and studied
them for about a year. He lived in Kansas City at the time, and would be
doing the building in his basement workshop.
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The EAA biplane that Gene saw
at Oshkosh in 1970, which inspired him to build his project. |
He decided to build the wings first. The wings are made from Sitka
spruce, covered with Ceconite fabric, and rib stitched.
Next, he built the "tail feathers" out of 4130
tubing. The fuselage is also built from 4130 tubing, with
a single-place cockpit. The engine is a 125-hp O-290D,
which originally came from a Tri-Pacer. The landing gear
is from a PA18 Super Cub. It has Cleveland wheels with
hydraulic brakes, and a steerable tail wheel.
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Center wing section. |
Attaching left wing
assemblies to fuselage. |
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Upon moving to the Ozarks (to the new home
which Gene and his wife Jean built themselves), Gene
had to put the project on hold. Until a hangar was
built, it rested comfortably in his son's barn in Oologah, Oklahoma.
Gene has now built a small vintage-style hangar and workshop, with
an airstrip, on his property in Ozark County. Gene's daughter gave
him a brick mold for his birthday one year, and Gene has used it to
make the bricks for the floor of the hangar. This is what he does on
days that aren't suitable for working on the airplane itself. After
the hangar was mostly built, he brought the airplane home and
resumed work on it. It is nearing completion.
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Wing panels before
covering. |
Closer view of lower wing panel. |
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Taking shape, but no landing
gear yet. |
Quarter view, showing fuselage
skin and engine in place. |
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Landing gear and cowling are on. |
Another view, showing aileron. |
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Wing panel with covering on. |
"Tail feathers." |
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At present, the metal tubing
of the fuselage is painted with white Imron, covered with Ceconite
fabric, doped first with nitrate, then silver butyrate, dope. The
wings are also covered with Ceconite and nitrate dope, rib stitched,
then painted with silver butyrate dope. Contrary to conventional
wisdom, Gene has obtained a beautiful finish by hand brushing each
layer rather than spraying.
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During June 2002, in the
hangar on his place in Ozark County, Gene and Jean show a visitor
Gene's meticulous work. |
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These pictures mark progress
as of June 2003. The panel is simple but complete. |
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Airplane and hangar have
grown up together. |
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And here it is in December
2003, with flying wires, lower cowling, tail wheel, and more finish
coats. |
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The engine is currently in Oklahoma,
undergoing testing. Gene expects to bring it home in early spring,
and hopes to be flying later in the spring of 2004. In the meantime,
Gene has been building taildragger skills in a Taylorcraft owned by
fellow Chapter 1218 member John Zook.
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Considerations |
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A project of this type requires abilities
to weld, do some sheet metal work, handle fabric, do rib
stitching, doping, and have some spraying experience. It
also helps to have a lot of patience.
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