The Royal Aircraft Factory, established in 1926 by Joe & Harry Brunner and William E. Winkle, changed its name in 1928 to Brunner-Winkle Aircraft Corp.
In the same year, the first aircraft of the Bird family was introduced: the Brunner-Winkle Bird A model. This was a three-seat, single-strut biplane, powered by a Curtiss OX-5 engine. This design marked the beginning of an influential aircraft series.
Evolution of Bird Models
After building eighty production machines, two of them were reconfigured into the Bird AT variant, featuring a 115-horsepower Milwaukee Tank engine. Subsequently, the Bird BK model went into series production (84 units built) with a 100 k/c Kinner K-5 radial engine, and the Bird BW used a 110 hp Warner Scarab engine.
In 1930, the company was reorganized and renamed Bird Aircraft Co. This new company, after testing the Bird C prototype equipped with a 165 hp Wright J-5 engine, began constructing three variants of the aircraft simultaneously: the Bird CC (one aircraft with a Curtiss R-600), the Bird CJ (six machines with Jacobs LA-1), and the Bird CK (fifty units with Kinner B-5).
Notable Variants and Final Transition
In addition to the serial production variants, the five-seat Bird E model (1 unit) and the Bird F variant (1 unit), equipped with a Packard DR-980 diesel engine, are also worth mentioning.
In 1932, the company was sold and subsequently changed its name to Speed Bird Corp. This transition marked the end of the original Bird series production, but its legacy in aviation endured.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | Bird A |
| Wingspan, m | 10.36 |
| Aircraft length, m | 6.78 |
| Aircraft height, m | 2.64 |
| Wing area, m2 | 24.70 |
| Empty weight | 596 |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 975 |
| Engine type | 1 Piston engine Curtiss OX-5 |
| Power, hp | 1 x 90 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 169 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 142 |
| Practical range, km | 720 |
| Rate of climb, m/s | 156 |
| Practical ceiling, m | 3800 |
| Crew, crew members | 1 crew member |
| Payload: | 2 passengers |
Image and diagram gallery of the Brunner-Winkle Bird Aircraft Series
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