Richard & Georgeen Smith | 1937 Monocoupe Clipwing 110 Special "Spirit of Dynamite" | cn 2 | NC2064
KSFQ (Suffolk Executive Airport) - 14 JUN 2008
This very rare aircraft, the first production Monocoupe Clipwing 110 Special "Spirit of Dynamite" NC2064 was on display at the 2008 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight.
It is owned by Richard & Georgeen Smith.
Background:
The mighty and legendary “ 110 Special “ was a breed of Monocoupe that pilots could only dream of, a few select Sportsman pilots of the 1930`s & 1940`s were the very fortunate few to have the funding and piloting skills to master the “ 110 Special “ with only 7 Clipwings being manufactured seeing one fly was a big treat in itself.
The brain child behind the very first “ 110 Special “ was famed Johnny Livingston , a seasoned air race and aerobatic master pilot who developed the basic long wing 110 Monocoupe into a Slick Speedster that in it`s class nothing could compete. During 1931 Johnny began a modification process which brought the “ 110 Monocoupe” into its element, beginning with adding a full cord NACA cowl, smaller wheels and wheel pants and removing anything that hung out in the slipstream such as cabin steps, a smaller tail wheel and even more.
Johnny’s search more speed came from removing the original 110-125 Warner Scarab engine and installing the new Warner Super Scarab 145, this plus the airframe clean ups pushed the top speed close to 180 MPH.
Prior to the 1932 National Air races in Cleveland Johnny returned the 110 Monocoupe back to the factory for more speed enhancements, the most radical being the build of a new wing of only 23` 2.5”, compared to the original of 32`, wing area was reduced to a diminuend 95 sq. feet. With these latest changes in NC 501W the mighty “ Clipwing 110 Special was born . Top Speed clocked in at Cleveland was an amazing 200 mph.
NC 2064 S/N 2 , was the first Production “ 110 Special” that went through group 2 approval for certification, completed in May of 1937 The Spirit Of Dynamite as her owner Pete brooks named her was custom built to Brooks request. A year later Brooks sold NC2064 to famed airshow pilot Leonard Peterson who flew NC 2064 in many airshows and air races around the US. In October of 1940 Peterson was performing his famous outside loop routine when he and the beloved NC2064 were dashed to eternity in a crash at a Richmond, Va. Airshow.
Enter many years later airshow pilot Fred Ludke of Freeland , WA after flying his beloved Moocoupe NC18166 a 1940 90AW 145 which Fred flew in over 100 airshows, Fred devloped the deadly disease, Monocoupliosis for a Clipwing 110 Special. Fred secured the title with bits and pieces of NC2064 sold his old mount NC18166 to finance the build of NC2064, four years later the Spirit of Dynamite was reborn.
Richard Smith of Senaca PA, was the first owner and the lucky caregiver who cared and flew NC2064 for the next 15 years and four hundred flying hours, Richard was very cautious with who was to be the next owner.
*** Update 2014 ***
This aircraft is now owned by, and on display at, the North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum in Concrete, Washington.
Richard & Georgeen Smith | 1937 Monocoupe Clipwing 110 Special "Spirit of Dynamite" | cn 2 | NC2064
KSFQ (Suffolk Executive Airport) - 14 JUN 2008
This very rare aircraft, the first production Monocoupe Clipwing 110 Special "Spirit of Dynamite" NC2064 was on display at the 2008 Virginia Regional Festival of Flight.
It is owned by Richard & Georgeen Smith.
Background:
The mighty and legendary “ 110 Special “ was a breed of Monocoupe that pilots could only dream of, a few select Sportsman pilots of the 1930`s & 1940`s were the very fortunate few to have the funding and piloting skills to master the “ 110 Special “ with only 7 Clipwings being manufactured seeing one fly was a big treat in itself.
The brain child behind the very first “ 110 Special “ was famed Johnny Livingston , a seasoned air race and aerobatic master pilot who developed the basic long wing 110 Monocoupe into a Slick Speedster that in it`s class nothing could compete. During 1931 Johnny began a modification process which brought the “ 110 Monocoupe” into its element, beginning with adding a full cord NACA cowl, smaller wheels and wheel pants and removing anything that hung out in the slipstream such as cabin steps, a smaller tail wheel and even more.
Johnny’s search more speed came from removing the original 110-125 Warner Scarab engine and installing the new Warner Super Scarab 145, this plus the airframe clean ups pushed the top speed close to 180 MPH.
Prior to the 1932 National Air races in Cleveland Johnny returned the 110 Monocoupe back to the factory for more speed enhancements, the most radical being the build of a new wing of only 23` 2.5”, compared to the original of 32`, wing area was reduced to a diminuend 95 sq. feet. With these latest changes in NC 501W the mighty “ Clipwing 110 Special was born . Top Speed clocked in at Cleveland was an amazing 200 mph.
NC 2064 S/N 2 , was the first Production “ 110 Special” that went through group 2 approval for certification, completed in May of 1937 The Spirit Of Dynamite as her owner Pete brooks named her was custom built to Brooks request. A year later Brooks sold NC2064 to famed airshow pilot Leonard Peterson who flew NC 2064 in many airshows and air races around the US. In October of 1940 Peterson was performing his famous outside loop routine when he and the beloved NC2064 were dashed to eternity in a crash at a Richmond, Va. Airshow.
Enter many years later airshow pilot Fred Ludke of Freeland , WA after flying his beloved Moocoupe NC18166 a 1940 90AW 145 which Fred flew in over 100 airshows, Fred devloped the deadly disease, Monocoupliosis for a Clipwing 110 Special. Fred secured the title with bits and pieces of NC2064 sold his old mount NC18166 to finance the build of NC2064, four years later the Spirit of Dynamite was reborn.
Richard Smith of Senaca PA, was the first owner and the lucky caregiver who cared and flew NC2064 for the next 15 years and four hundred flying hours, Richard was very cautious with who was to be the next owner.
*** Update 2014 ***
This aircraft is now owned by, and on display at, the North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum in Concrete, Washington.