The Parker Teenie Two is a single-seat, single-engine sport aircraft first built in the United States in 1969 and marketed for homebuilding. It is a low-wing, cantilever monoplane of conventional configuration and fixed tricycle undercarriage. The cockpit was designed to be left open, but plans for a canopy to enclose it were made available, the use of which would increase the top speed of the aircraft. The Teenie Two was specifically designed to use a converted Volkswagen automobile engine for power. The outer wing panels can be detached for transport or storage. 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." The Teenie Two may be certified in the Experimental category in the US. A pilot certificate 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. 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. Power is derived from the ubiquitous air-cooled Volkswagen automobile engine with modifications laid out by the designer in the plans. The fuselage is a monocoque design. The empennage consists of a single vertical tail with a hinged rudder. The horizontal stabilizer is fixed, an improvement over Parker's earlier design, the Jeanie's Teenie. A hinged elevator is attached to the horizontal tail. The wings are a fully cantilevered design. The outer wing panels, 6 feet in length each, are detachable to facilitate ground transportation. To simplify construction, each wing rib is a single piece and slides onto the main spar, a technique that 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 for bracing. The Teenie Two is not equipped with flaps. The landing gear is tubular steel, with automotive valve springs and rubber hose inside, 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 wing center section design, makes up part of the main landing gear attachment. The tricycle configuration also eases ground handling. For more details on development design and variants, click here.
