Oldfield Baby Great Lakes Homebuilt

Specifications
Aircraft Type:	Homebuilt
First Flight:	1954
Wingspan:	16 feet 8 inches
Length:	13 feet 9 inches
Height:	4 feet 6 inches
Weight:	475 pounds
Capacity:	One
Status:	Display - Flyable

Designed in the mid-1950s as a scaled down version of the Great Lakes 2T-1, the Baby is so small it takes only one step from the tarmac into the cockpit. Built by pilots and enthusiasts for aerobatics and Sunday cruising, the Baby Great Lakes has an unexpected high performance. The little speedster can be airborne in five seconds from a dead stop, and has a climb rate of 2,000 feet per minute. Earl Thorp built this Baby Great Lakes over a span of 27 years and flew it only once—on August 12, 1997. He donated it to the Museum in 1999.