Little Toot

[Tiger Tim]

Hi all, looks like I’ll have the opportunity to start playing with a Little Toot soon. Is there anything I need to know?

 

[TFF]

They are cool.

 

[TFF]

What is it’s name. They all have names.

 

[BJC]

Hi all, looks like I’ll have the opportunity to start playing with a Little Toot soon. Is there anything I need to know?

I don't know your experience, so forgive me if I state some obvious safety points.

If you haven't done flat spins in a small biplane, learn the hands-off spin recovery technique before doing any aerobatics. EAA - In the Loop - The Hands-off Beggs/Mueller Emergency Spin Recovery Procedure

Also if you haven done any stick forward spins in a small biplane, ensure that you look down the cowling for spin direction rather than above the top wing. Some modes of spins have the axis of rotation through the upper wing. Practice intentional inverted spins before doing hammerheads.

Getting out with a parachute in a rush will be different than getting out without the parachute. I always exit the airplane after a flight with the parachute still on, to reinforce the twisting position needed to exit.

Have fun.


BJC

 

[Tiger Tim]

I intentionally left out that it’s going to be a bit before she flies.


Thanks BJC, posts like yours are gold. I’ll be reading up on all that and filing it away for later.

 

[TarDevil]

I intentionally left out that it’s going to be a bit before she flies.
View attachment 103457

That's just criminal!

 

[TFF]

You don’t see them very often like that. It’s a very strange plane in that it can be made like a mongrel. Tail and fuselage can be pieced from
Various certified or made scratch. Meyer Aircraft Company - littletootbiplane.com if you haven’t contacted Tommy Meyer you probably should.

 

[don january]

I see you have a good bare bone to start with and will be a riveting mad man once all done. keep us all posted on progress.

 

[addicted2climbing]

Looked like this when new...

 

[BJC]

I intentionally left out that it’s going to be a bit before she flies.

Looks like a good project.

Whatever you do, don’t use T-88 to build new wings; the glue will melt and the wings will fall off, especially if you mix by volume rather than weight.

With faith in your BS detection skills,

BJC

 

[Rockiedog2]

I always loved the Little Toot. Best I remember it’s usually heavy, especially compared to an S1S

 

[Tiger Tim]

I always loved the Little Toot. Best I remember it’s usually heavy, especially compared to an S1S

Oh yeah, she’s built like a bridge. Just a little sport biplane good for +/-10G!

 

[TFF]

One thing historically you have to remember is the Pitts was not available to the public when the Little Toot, Starduster 1, and the Smith were introduced. There had been about five Pitts made for airshow pilots, mostly for women. They played small plane is cute as part of the act.

These alternate planes were designed because the want of a Pitts. When Curtis said aww shucks, people really are serious about wanting Pitts plans, did the S1C come out. Of course once Pitts plans were available, most dropped the substitutes for the real deal.

The Toot and Starduster being “bigger” airplanes were never going to have the performance of a Pitts head to head. The Smith gets into being pretty small. All the designs were educated guesses on how big a Pitts really was.

 

[Victor Bravo]

Are you interested because of the historical aspect, or the specific bang for the buck, or the flight performance, or what? Are you saving an old uncle's prize possession, like the Rush song "Red Barchetta"?

 

[Tiger Tim]

Are you interested because of the historical aspect, or the specific bang for the buck, or the flight performance, or what? Are you saving an old uncle's prize possession, like the Rush song "Red Barchetta"?

All of the above? I think the golden age of homebuilding (IMO) in the 50’s and 60’s is underrepresented, it looks like a sporty little runabout good for the occasional lazy acros, and there was a promise made to the previous owner’s widow.

Plus I’ve had the hots for a Little Toot ever since I built the Goldberg model.

 

[tralika]

That's a project not for the faint of heart. Good luck

 

[robertbrown]

One thing historically you have to remember is the Pitts was not available to the public when the Little Toot, Starduster 1, and the Smith were introduced. There had been about five Pitts made for airshow pilots, mostly for women. They played small plane is cute as part of the act.

These alternate planes were designed because the want of a Pitts. When Curtis said aww shucks, people really are serious about wanting Pitts plans, did the S1C come out. Of course once Pitts plans were available, most dropped the substitutes for the real deal.

The Toot and Starduster being “bigger” airplanes were never going to have the performance of a Pitts head to head. The Smith gets into being pretty small. All the designs were educated guesses on how big a Pitts really was.

Little Toot wasn't designed as a Pitts substitute. George Meyer was a big man and built the airplane big enough for himself. George was a master builder but not highly experienced as a pilot and made an airplane that a Cessna 140 pilot could jump into and fly. He also built it as stout as the Navy aircraft he'd been working on in Navy O & R. Being the 1950's, he designed it to be able to use parts from Cessna 140 and Luscombe as building a homebuilt inexpensively was a big part of the motivation back then. You can credit the Pitts for the inspiration of a small, fun biplane.