Kinner Sportwing

The Sportwing was an enlarged version of the earlier Sportster. In 1935 a larger four seat version was designed and built as the Envoy. In 1937 Kinner entered bankruptcy and the design rights of the Sportwing were taken over by the Timm Aircraft Company.

Power plant 1 x 125 h.p 5 cylinder Kinner R-5
Span 34'5" Length 24'2"
Max speed 122 mph Cruising speed 110 mph Range 450 miles

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At Bernard Airport in Youngstown, Ohio in the 40s was a Kinner "Playboy". Closed cabin, door on the right side, Heywood air starter and fully faired landing gear like a P-26 - very handsome and with a 220 Continental I'd like to have one.

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Go to Google and click on Kinner aircraft for a complete history of Kinner and his designs and manufacturing. He was related to my maternal grandfather, Charles Kinner.

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While riding as a passenger in this bird ( 1939-40 ) the top cylinder head broke loose fromthe engine case and was bouncing up and down retained only by the push-rod. Oil was everywhere. We had taken off from Fullerton,CA but made a forced landing at a small grass field in Cypress, CA. My first experience in an unintended landing. That old kinner K-5 engine could surely sling the oil.

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I saw a Sportwing fly many times at Rome, GA in the 50s.
While watching a takeoff one day the aircraft began a series of wild and seemignly uncontrolled aerobatics immediately after lift-off. The pilot finally gained control and turned back for a shaky landing. On takeoff
he had his head outside the cockpit and a blob of grease
from one of the cylinder rocker boxes hit him square on the nose and went into both eyes. He was a lucky guy!!
The old Kinner engines didn't have a pressure oil system and you had to pack the rocker boxes with grease for
lubrication.

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