Message #316

Date: Jan 29 2000 15:28:56 EST
From: "Billy Beck" <wjb3@mindspring.com>
Subject: FLy Baby Bulletin


Yo, Y'all,

	In one post, I'd alluded to The Fly Baby Bulletin, and last Tuesday,
William Koucky asked about it, saying he'd never heard of it.  He also asked
if I could copy it for him.  I now wonder how many people don't know about
the Bulletin, and would like to describe this a bit.

	When I took possession of my Fly Baby, Mr. Swenson also handed me a pile of
documents.  Among them was a manila envelope with about 100 pages copied
mostly on both sides.  It's about 16-18 issues of a monthly bulletin
published by an enthusiast, Mr. Hayden Ferguson of New Albany, Alabama, and
sent to Fly Baby pilots and builders.  The issues that I have range from
July 1967 to January 1970.  Some in bits & pieces, and others apparently
complete, they include material like:

	* B&W photographs of Fly Babies in various states of build and completion
as well as flying.  (N500F biplane, on floats, and upside-down on the
grass...)

	* Articles and letters including first flight and other PIREP's, builders'
reports on various hacks, fixes and experiences, and bits of correspondance
including letters and remarks from Paul Poberezny and Pete Bowers.

	* Sometime in late 1967, a Mr. Joe Pope began producing drawings for the
Bulletin, usually working from contributors' suggestions.  My collection
includes ten of his drawings of things like aileron stops, Donald Hoover's
modified aileron swing link mount, George Noble's Bowdens-controlled
elevator trim tab, Dr. Lloyd Roberts' spar filler block for rudder hinge,
and other stuff.  There are other drawings, as well, most notably one of Ed
Sampson's horizontal stabilizer carry-through.

	Now, I'm a *kook* about history and I realize that not everybody's like
that, but this looks like a pretty good resource, to me.  I'd love to
distribute it, but don't exactly know how to do it yet.  I think early in
the week I'll check on copy costs and I might be able to cough up a few sets
immediately out-of-pocket.  Watch this space for announcements, and we'll
see how it goes from there.


Billy