Keane Ace (oz417)

About this Plan

Keane Ace. 1930s low-wing V-8-powered sport plane by Jesse Davidson from 1937 Flying Aces. This is a Golden Age Reproduction plan, dated 1973. The subject Keane Ace was originally a German design known as the Klemm. This version was circa 1937, and powered by a Ford V-8 engine.

Update 24/08/2013: Added supplement alternate version of this plan, from MB 07/83, thanks to theshadow.

Quote: "Old Timer of the Month: Keane Ace. Designed by: Jesse Davidson. Drawn by: Al Patterson. Text by: Bill Northrop

This rubber powered scale model of the Keane Ace appeared as a construction article in the June, 1937 issue of Flying Aces magazine. The clean lines and simplicity of construction of the model, as designed and described by Jesse Davidson, has kept me going back to it many times over the years. Its generous wing area now makes it a top consideration for electric powered R/C scale. A lightly built, 2-V2 limes up model (about 56-inch span) should be lust about right for a sport OS electric motor with six or seven cells.

As told by Davidson, the Keane Ace was originally a German design known as the Klemm. An American company secured manufacturing rights in the US, where it became known as the Aeromarine Klemm. Unfortunately, Aeromarine folded during the 1930 depression. Horace Keane later acquirecl the old Aeromarine plant located in Keyport, New Jersey, along with a quarter of a million dollars worth of tools, dies, jigs, etc, and went into full scale production of the Ace in time for the 1937 New York air show.

Keane powered it with a Ford V8 engine, and it was able to use ordinary automobile gas and oil. The entire aircraft was plywood covered, with an outer skin of fabric for added protection.

Our decision to select the Klemm/Keane model for OT of the Month, resulted from an MB reader's inquiry. John Breitenbach, of Silver Bay, New York (probably not all that far from Keyport, NJ) sent us a Chris Craft ad fram a ten-year old boating magazine. To illustrate its long time in the boating business, the company presented an old, brown tinted photo of an early, classic, mahogany finished Chris runabout, foaling next to - you've got it - a Keane Ace on floats.

The noticeable modification is the installation of a seven-cylinder radial engine. Of course, this might have been a stock engine. After all, the flying Aces article was written shortly after the aircraft's introduction, so Davidson could not know what devlopments came along later! The fuselage profile in the cockpit area also looks different. but there's no mistaking the one-of-a-kind fin/rudder shape and generous wingspan of 36 ft 8 in. I guess the above answers your question, John, and thanks for helping to make this month's OT plan selection."

Supplementary file notes

Alternate version of the plan with slightly different layout, redrawn in MB 07-83.

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