Freeware Reviews

The original Brunner-Winkle company was formed in 1926 as the Royal Aircraft Factory located at Roosevelt Field in Garden City New York. In 1928 A. Brunner along with William E. Winkle renamed the company the Brunner-Winkle Company and moved the headquarters to 17 Haverkamp Street in Glendale New York with Winkle as president and Brunner as secretary. The Brunner Winkle Corporation was established in Glendale, Queens in 1928. The first type of plane the company produced was the Model ‘A' Bird, which was powered by World War One surplus Curtiss OX-5 engines, and sold for $3150. At the end of 1929 Brunner Winkle introduced the Model ‘B' Bird, with the more powerful Kinner B-5 engine. The Bird was unique in that it had a thick upper wing which allowed great control at low speeds and it also featured a radiator under the fuselage giving it the appearance of a Curtiss Hawk fighter Brunner was also involved with a major portion of the financial aspects of the company. In 1930, the company was reorganized as the Bird Aircraft Company with former commandant of the First Pursuit Group Major Thomas Lanphier as president. Continued financial difficulties forced the owners to sell to the Perth-Amboy Title Company who renamed the company (again) to the Speed Bird Corporation and relocated the headquarters (again) to Keyport New Jersey. The company closed for good in 1931. During their short history the Bird was considered to be a fine airplane. In 1929 Elinor Smith set a new world endurance record in a Bird and in 1930 Charles Lindbergh purchased one to teach his wife to fly as he admired the Bird's flying qualities. Of the 220 Birds built, about 70 survive.

The old song from the fifties, "Stroll", came to mind when I was flying this model. For those of you that don't know the song, it's a slow, smooth rhythm, and the words seem to fit to a tee! If you're a speed demon, you may want to change the pace of things and stick your head out of the cockpit for a breath of fresh virtual air! WARNING! Do not try this in an F16!

I was especially pleased when Paul Corish and Gil Halpin, the creators of this fine Freeware Model, the Brunner Winkle Bird, gave me permission to add their model to the Library Collection! I think bi-planes are wonderful for the slow site seeing adventures the GA pilot is usually fond of. They also have character, like my 1965 Chevy Truck! More often than not, the operators are probably characters also!

These guys have done a wonderful job, utilizing FSDS v2, to recreate this short-lived classic from the late 1920's. Beautiful colors are used for the livery, representing the Nebraska Centennial re-enactment of the first night airmail flight. A very clean and crisp job was done on the exterior. Wing supports and cables are present, with the support cables providing a very nice touch of realism. As you can see in the images, the landing gear is well suited for dirt and grass airstrips. Attention to detail can be seen inside the cockpit as well as outside. You can almost smell the oiled floorboards in this aircraft model!
The flying characteristics are what you'd expect from a five cylinder biplane, easy to handle, but not appropriate for aerobatics! So if you're not in a hurry, and enjoy the simpler things in life, this is an aircraft made just for you! Avionics are basic, as they should be! The sounds that are used are excellent and very authentic.

Credits (Quoted from the readme file):
We could not have made this model without the help and guidance of Steve Meyers and wish to extend our thanks for his advice and support. The base model file was his Fleet 2, a fine aircraft. We also wish to thank our beta testers, Roger and Tom from the Old Hanger Forum. The pilot figure is David Eckert’s freeware model and we thank him for maintaining his great website, supporting the hobby of modeling for FS9. The sound file for the BK model is the great Kinner radial sound file created by Aaron R. Swindle, Skysong Soundworks. WE also have been continuously inspired by the works of Bill Lyons, Tim Conrad, Milton Shupe, Rick Piper and others and thank them for creating an envrioment that encourages new model designers. The model was designed using Abacus' FSDS ver. 2

This model gets a five out of five for originality, paint, and detail. The only thing I could comment negatively on would be the roughness of some of the circular or curved areas of the aircraft, but even these items are not that bad. The overall beauty of the aircraft more than makes up for the slight polygon issue! Great job Gil and Paul! We're looking forward to your next creation! for a sneek peak at what they have up their sleeve for us the next time out, Click Here!

Excerpt from the readme.txt file:
The Bird is designed to fly low and slow and has a remarkably short roll out before becoming airborne. This is because of its huge 34 ft high lift wing. The Bird's stalling speed is approximately 32 mph, but with a healthy headwind, you'll find that the plane practically levitates leaving the ground. Taxi instructions: The Model A has no brakes. To taxi the rudder controls direction and the wheel skid braking force. When taxiing keep speed low and stick full back to keep skid in contact with the ground. The Model BK has limited braking and directional control may be accomplshed by use of rudder and differential braking. Our models are designed to simulate the characteristics of the planes as close as is practical. The Model A is modeled after the Cradle of Aviation's Bird and the Model BK in the livery of the Spirit of Stormville was owned by the father of Gil Halpin who soloed in that plane at the age of 16. Gil was responsible for the flight dynamics on both craft. The Spirit of Stormville still flies today in Stamford Ct, USA giving rides to enthusiasts from around the world. The remaining BK liveries are fanciful, attempting to recreate the classic liveries of Golden Age Biplanes.

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