Brunner-Winkle Bird BK
United States — Air-taxi/sporting biplane

Archive Photos

1930 Brunner-Winkle Bird BK (N731Y, c/n 2039-19) at the Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA (Photos by John Shupek)

Overview ²

• Aircraft: Bird BK
• Role: Air-taxi / Sporting Biplane
• Country of Origin: United States
• Manufacturer: Brunner-Winkle
• First flight: September 1928
• Number built: 240

The Brunner-Winkle Bird was a three-seat taxi and joy-riding aircraft produced in the USA from 1928 to 1931. The Model A version was powered by the ubiquitous Curtiss OX-5, and featured a welded steel-tube truss fuselage with metal and fabric skinning. The wings, constructed of Spruce and plywood were also covered with metal and fabric skinning. The Model A had a reasonable performance for an OX-5 powered aircraft. The Model A’s ease of handling led to it’s entry into the 1929 Guggenheim Safety Airplane contest, where it was awarded the highest ratings for a standard production aircraft. The Model A was awarded Group 2 approval no 2-33 in January 1929 for the first nine aircraft serial no. 1000 to 1008. Aircraft serial no. 1009 upwards were manufactured under Air Transport Certificate no. 101.

Variants ²

• Model A: Original production version with Curtiss OX-5 engine (ca. 80 built)
• Model AT: Version with Milwaukee Tank engine (2 converted from Model A)
• Model B: Version with Kinner K-5 engine (1 prototype)
• Model BK: Production version of Model B (84 built)
• Model C: Version with Wright J-5 engine (1 built)
• Model CC: Version with Curtiss R-600 Challenger engine (1 built)
• Model CJ: Version with Jacobs LA-1 engine (6 built)
• Model CK: Version with Kinner B-5 engine (50 built)
• Model RK: Export version of Model CK (1 built)
• Model E: 4-5 seat version with enclosed cabin and Kinner B-5 engine (1 built)
• Model F: Version with Packard DR-980 (1 built)

Specifications (Bird Model BK) ²

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
• Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
• Wing area: 266 ft² (24.7 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,200 lb (544 kg)
• Max T/O weight: 1,900 lb (862 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Kinner K-5 air cooled radial gas engine, 100-hp at 1,810 rpm max
• Fuel capacity: 37 US gallons

Performance

• Maximum speed: 110 mph (177 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 90 mph (145 km/h)
• Range: 500 miles (805 km)
• Service ceiling: 14,000 ft (4,267 m)
• First flight: 1929

References

1. Shupek, John. Photos, copyright © 2009 Skytamer Images. All Rights Reserved
2. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Brunner-Winkle Bird, Brunner-Winkle Bird, 11 December 2009
3. Yanks Air Museum, Display Sign