fixed and unsprung. The main landing gear struts are made of laminated wood with a steel axle. The only shock absorption comes from the tires themselves. (Some have been modified from, the original design, to use shock-absorbing, spring-steel landing gear legs.) Hydraulic wheel brakes are usually fitted. The aircraft was designed to be powered by a 65-horsepower (48 kW) Continental A-65 piston engine taken from a Piper Cub. Engines of up to 100 horsepower (75 kW) have been fitted, including the Continental O-200 and converted Corvair automotive conversions. While the instrumentation installed is up to the builder, most Fly Babys are equipped for visual flight rules (VFR) only. An electrical system is optional; many Fly Baby owners hand-prop the engine for starting, and use a handheld radio. Some of the components used, such as the fuel tank and engine, were designed to be taken from the Piper Cub, which were cheap and plentiful in 1962. Even today, the total cost of construction can be under US$10,000. Variants Bowers Bi-Baby A Fly Baby can be converted to a biplane Bi-Baby in less than one hour by adding the struts and upper wing to the existing aircraft (if the fittings were built in) or it can be built as a biplane version from the start. Regulations United States In the United States of America the FAA categorizes the Fly Baby as an Experimental Amateur-Built aircraft. It also fits the FAA's specifications for a Light Sport Aircraft and can be flown in the US by pilots holding a Recreational Pilot or Sport Pilot certificate. Canada In Canada the Fly Baby may be built as an amateur-built aircraft or as a basic ultra-light aeroplane. It may be flown with an Ultra-light Pilot Permit or higher aeroplane licence. Specifications (Fly Baby) See also Comparable aircraft Ameri-Cana Eureka Murphy JDM-8 Hanson Woodwind, Scott Ol' Ironsides - Construction methods based on Bower's Fly Baby plans. References External links Photo of the prototype Fly Baby in flight Digitized Bowers Fly Baby Model 1A Builders Manual at The Museum of Flight Homebuilt aircraft 1960s United States civil utility aircraft Light-sport aircraft Low-wing aircraft Bowers aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1962