American pilot and WWI veteran Hayden S. Campbell served as vice-president of Barling Aircraft Co., a small firm whose most famous product was the Barling Bomber (XNBL-1). In the 1930s, he founded his own company, Campbell Aircraft Co., located in St. Joseph, Montana, the same location as Barling.
Campbell distinguished himself by building a rather interesting aircraft based on a concept that emerged in the 1920s and remains relevant today. The idea was to create a cheap, reliable, simple, and comfortable aircraft at the “price of an average car.”
Innovative F Flivver Design
The Campbell F Flivver (where “flivver” is slang for a cheap car) was equipped with an 82 hp Ford V-8 automobile engine and a pusher propeller. This configuration reduced cabin noise and led to a twin-boom layout. The passenger and pilot sat side-by-side in a well-glazed cockpit, and the landing gear featured a nose wheel. Surprisingly, the aircraft was constructed from a magnesium alloy.
Flight, Promotion, and Legacy
The F Flivver made its first flight in 1935, flying successfully. It then embarked on a promotional tour across the USA, where it was unfortunately crashed and not rebuilt. Although there were plans to build a second aircraft, they never materialized.
The Campbell F Flivver was advertised as a very economical aircraft, achieving 22 miles per gallon (7.8 km per liter). It was also promoted as very simple to fly, requiring only three flying lessons and maintaining direction and height even with the controls released.
Technical Specifications
| Modification | F Flivver |
| Wingspan, m | 10.97 |
| Length, m | 5.89 |
| Engine type | 1 Piston engine Ford |
| Power, hp | 1 x 82 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 180 |
| Cruising speed, km/h | 156 |
| Practical range, km | 563 |
| Crew | 2 crew members |
Image gallery of the Campbell F Flivver
