12 Vol.4 No.5 / May 2015
PAUL'S PL ANES
POBER JR. ACE
Bringing the prewar Jr. Ace into modern times, the modifi ca-
tions included all of those included in the Model C. Plus the
wing was extended to 34 feet to keep the stall speed low and
climb performance up. The fuselage was widened to make the
airplane a true two-place, and there was an option on the aile-
rons: the original hinged type or the Frise ailerons that gave
snappier performance.
POBER SUPER ACE
The Super Ace recognized the need to use larger engines, which
in this case starts at 85 hp and goes all the way up to 150 hp. The
larger airframe was designed specifi cally to mount the heavier
engines, so the smaller ones require additional weight ahead of
the fi rewall to maintain the same lines and have the CG in the
proper place.
INTO THE 1960S
By the late 1950s, sport aviation had discovered the biplane, and
little birds like the Smith Miniplane, LittleToot, and Mong Sport
were magazine cover favorites. Their unabashed good looks
meant they also scored heavily with builders. However, the
extreme small size of some of the aircraft and the design param-
eters meant they not only couldn't be fl own by larger pilots, but
their landing characteristics might be beyond the reach of the
average pilot. So, Paul and EAA went looking for a solution.
Or two.
EA A BIPL ANE
Paul laid out the design and put together a team of engineers
and designers, led by Jim Stewart, who were tasked with
designing a homebuilt aircraft for the average man. It would be
larger (20-foot wingspan) and powered by at least an 85-hp
Continental with many being powered by the then-inexpensive
125-hp Lycoming O-290G ground power unit. Its larger-than-
normal cockpit easily fi t a 6-foot 2-inch pilot, and its wide gear
Pober Jr. Ace
Pober Super Ace
Photography courtesy of EAA Archives