WALTER VAN TILBORG MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 10103. Option Air Reno Acapella 200-S (N455CB c/n 002)
Photographed at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, ca. 1989, source unknown

Option Air Reno Acapella 200-S

10/31/2012. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Carl O. Barlow formed Option Air Reno to market kits of component parts that could be added to a Bede BD-5 fuselage, canopy, nose wheel, wings and tail-fins (two required) to produce his twin-boom Acapella. Design of the Acapella began in January 1978 and prototype construction started in June the same year. Registered N360CB, it achieved its first flight on June 6, 1980, and was subsequently pictured at Oshkosh.

Production of kits began in June 1981, they include an engine mount, glass fiber cowling, new 8 ft (2.44 m) wing center section, tail booms, tail plane, elevator, main landing gear, many smaller components, and all necessary plans for the conversion. The prototype Acapella was powered originally by a 200 hp Avco Lycoming IO-360-A1B engine driving a Hartzell Q-Tip constant-speed pusher propeller, and in this form was known as Model 200-S.

It was re-engined subsequently with an 118 hp Avco Lycoming O-235 and fitted with longer-span wings to become the Model 100-L, with increased fuel capacity. The 200 series aircraft were not being made available to amateur constructors to build from plans or kits. This is because the majority of builders expressed interest in the smaller-engined Acapella 100-L, for which plans, kits and glass fiber components were available.

However, only two aircraft were finished, the second one was registered N455CB on February 24, 1989, and it was this aircraft which was eventually donated to the EAA AirVenture Museum."


Created October 31, 2010