User:Pdwiki314/TeenieTwo

The Teenie Two is a plans built airplane designed in the US by Calvin Parker. It is an all metal, single seat, open cockpit, low wing monoplane constructed primarily of aluminum material. It was featured on the cover of a Popular Mechanics magazine issue in May, 1971. The caption on the cover read, "Build a VW-Powered Plane for $750." While the cost of materials have increased since the article's publication, the Teenie Two remains one of the cheapest homebuilt metal airplanes that one may undertake. The Teenie Two may be certified in the Experimental category in the US. A pilot license is required to fly it, as it is not considered an ultralight aircraft in the United States. The airplane does however meet the Light Sport Aircraft requirements as defined by the FAA.

Development
Drawing from the experience with his previous design, the Jeanie's Teenie, Calvin Parker set out to refine the already vastly popular airplane. Improvements on the Jeanie's Teenie included adoption of a fixed horizontal stabilizer, over the all flying tail of the former machine. The aft fuselage was smoothed to follow a straight line from the cockpit to the tail, an aesthetic change that replaced the older plane's bent back appearance. Fuel capacity was increased as was horsepower, resulting in a heavier but faster airplane. Brakes were added as a requirement, as the lighter Jeanie's Teenie could get by without them. The end product was a smoother, streamlined appearance and better handling. The new airplane was named Teenie Two.

Design Philosophy
Teenie Two was conceived as an airplane that could be built using only hand tools, things that would be possessed by the average person in the early 1970s. The philosophy was Keep It Simple. It was intended to be within reach of someone with no previous experience in building an airplane, or in metal work. To this end, the parts are laid out in such a way that they do not require complex jigs or frames of any kind. The materials were also selected because they could be obtained at a typical hardware store of the day.

Engine
Power is derived from the ubiquitous air cooled Volkswagen automobile engine with modifications laid out by the designer in the plans.

Fuselage
The fuselage is a monocoque design.

Wings
The wings are detachable to facilitate transportation to an airport. Each wing rib is a single piece and slides onto the main spar. This helps in rib alignment. The main spar utilizes a special channel that allows the outer wings to flex and minimizes the amount of material required to brace the wings.

Landing Gear
The landing gear is tubular steel with springs for shock absorption. The landing gear is a fixed tricycle configuration with nose wheel steering through rudder bar deflection. The main gear is designed to fail in the event of excessive stress, thus preventing damage to the wing structure. The tricycle configuration also eases handling.

Cockpit
The cockpit is ideally minimal, equipped with instrumentation for simple, day, VFR flying. Aileron and elevator control is affected through use of a side stick. This makes ingress/egress of the tight cockpit simpler and prevents leg movements from imparting motion to the stick inflight. Rudder control is actuated by the use of a rudder bar rather than individual pedals, thus reducing complexity.

New designs have the luxury of materials and tools that did not exist or were not readily available to the builders of the 1970s. In principle it is possible to refine older methods, and utilize more diverse materials in construction but the Teenie Two is meant to be built as a minimal airplane, with minimal tools, complexity, skillset, and expense.

Construction
The Teenie Two is constructed primarily of aluminum, with stainless steel and steel making up the balance. Parts are made from sheet, angle, and tubular stock. The aluminum sheet and extruded angles are limited to two required thicknesses, thus simplifying purchases. Components are fastened using steel mandrel blind rivets of various length. The sheet metal is formed over wooden templates traced from the full sized plans. Very little welding is required, and is generally limited to the landing gear, motor mounts, and small control linkages. The airplane is small enough that it can be built in a garage, on a large table.

Builder Community
Since its introduction in 1968, many builders have shared their knowledge of the construction, maintenance, and flight characteristics of the Teenie Two. The advent of the World Wide Web allowed this knowledge to be shared via two online discussion forums and a pictorial construction gallery. There are also several personal web sites dedicated to the airplane.

Performance
The flight characteristics of the design were intended to be quick but not oversensitive, for mild aerobatics and handling in rough air. The side stick controller also necessitated full control authority by wrist movement alone. With a fuel capacity of 9 gallons and a typical cruise power setting, the Teenie Two has an endurance of nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Safety
The Teenie Two fleet has been flying for over 40 years. Built to plans, there has never been a Teenie Two lost to structural failure. The scale of the airplane requires careful attention to weight and balance. As the plane was intended for simple, cheap VFR flying, builders should resist the urge to install extraneous equipment or features that would increase the weight of the vehicle. It is a design that benefits greatly from frugality and minimalism. Deviation from the plans may significantly alter the flight characteristics of the airplane and present a safety hazard.

Plans
Plans for the Teenie Two take the form of seven full sized sheets, a bound construction manual, and a DVD. The plans may be obtained by contacting Ron Dixon at the official Teenie Two website. Plans are very economical for an airplane of this type and are available to builders outside of the US.