The story
Twin brothers Howard and Joe Funk had built gliders before the Model B, their first powered aircraft. It is a strut-braced high-wing two-seater with wooden wings and a welded steel-tube fuselage. Akron backers formed the Akron Aircraft Company to build it, and the B-75-L switched to a geared 75 hp Lycoming. In 1941 the company moved to Kansas as Funk Aircraft, and after the war the B-85-C Bee flew on an 85 hp Continental until production stopped in 1948.
Early Model Bs flew on the Funk E: a four-cylinder Ford Model B car engine the brothers turned upside down and converted for flight, making about 63 hp.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Funk B?
Sits remarkably low: the high wing is barely six feet off the ground at its highest point. The wing struts run parallel to each other instead of converging in a V, and the fuselage top and bottom lines are nearly symmetrical. A postwar B-85-C has a wide, guppy-like air opening in the cowling.
What does a Funk B sound like?
An 85 hp Continental purr from a plane that sits close to the grass.
How fast is the Funk B?
Top speed is 100 kts (115 mph) (B-85-C).
How many passengers does the Funk B carry?
Up to 1. A typical layout is Two seats side by side.
How far can the Funk B fly?
Range is about 304 nmi (B-85-C).
How big is the Funk B?
It is 20 ft 1 in long and 35 ft 0 in across the wings.
When did the Funk B first fly?
Its first flight was in Mid-1930s.
How many Funk Bs have been built?
About 365 to 380 (all models) built.
How rare is a Funk B in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Funk B catch is worth 25 points.
