Sig Mfg. Co., Inc....401-7 South Front Street....Montezuma, Iowa 50171
Historically, the Smith Miniplane is one of the designs responsible for the current popularity of small homebuilt biplanes. In 1957,
before the E.A.A. BIPLANE, the SKYBOLT, the STARDUSTER, or the ACRO SPORT, homebuilding consisted mainly of the
FLY BABY design and a few PITTS SPECIALS. Out of a garage in Fullerton, California came a small biplane that was new,
simple and cute. Designed and built by Frank Smith, and designated DSA-1 (DARNED SMALL AIRPLANE), it was an
outstanding example of engineering with the amatuer homebuilder and pilot in mind. It could be constructed with tools easily
within reach of the average craftsman, and its nimble, yet stable, flight performance covered the capabilities of most week end
pilots. Powered by a 100 hp Lycoming. Frank's prototype proved to be fully aerobatic, cruised at 120 mph, and climbed at almost
2,500 ft. per minute. The top wing spanned 17 ft., the fuselage was 15 ft. long, and the empty weight was just over 600 pounds.
Work was started on a second Miniplane and on a detailed construction plan set for sale to the Miniplane's new enthusiasts.
Frank Smith died before either were finished, but his co-workers completed the plans which resulted in dozens of examples
being built.
In 1974, Glen Sigafoose, President of Sig Mfg. Co., acquired a completed Smith Miniplane that had been constructed in 1967.
Glen's Smith sports a dazzling red, white, and black paint scheme and was the inspiration for this mini version of the Miniplane.
About The Model
This Miniplane model was designed with easy, yet scalelike construction and good flight characteristics in mind. The exact
scale outlines have been modified where it was thought necessary to obtain optimum areas, moments, and cross-sections for
stable sport flying and aerobatics. Yet its strong resemblance to the full size Miniplane makes it a serious contender in AMA
Sport Scale.
