The Mighty Wimpy: The Oregon Homebuilt Airplane that Inspired the Experimental Aircraft Movement

Designed in 1935 by Les Long of Cornelius, Oregon, this low-wing Oregon homebuilt named Wimpy helped inspire some of the most significant designs and the early history of the experimental aircraft movement. It also speaks to the innovative spirit of depression era pilots and amateur aircraft builders.
Learn how a team of volunteers with the Oregon Aviation Historical Society restored this beautiful airplane and have kept this story alive!
Please help support the Oregon Aviation Historical Society:
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If you have enjoy this content please like, subscribe, and share this video with others. We'd love to make more videos in partnership with the museum!
Production credit: James Krzmarzick, Cinematographer
Archival Materials from: Oregon Aviation Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, National Archives, and the personal collections of Annette Buswell Whittington and Dave Hedberg
Special thanks to Mr. John Patton for his oral histories of Beaverton Outlaws in the 1970s!
Editor and Producer: Dave Hedberg, Outdoor History Consulting
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[@Andernol]

As an engineering student at Oregon State, I'd love the opportunity to build and fly my own experimental plane. Oregon State has an incredible engineering program, and especially Aerospace Engineering and it's always really cool to learn more about Oregon's storied history with flying.

[@outdoorhistory]

@andernol, glad you enjoyed! In a future video I’d like to dive into BB Smith, an early Oregon State College engineering professor who designed several airplanes. I grew up in Corvallis, GO BEAVS!

[@TheIndyspace]

Look into the Experimental Aircraft Association...they can point you to a Chapter that's local to your area. 😊

[@mikmerl1]

fabulous video I had no idea that Oregon had such a rich aviation history his daughter said "The license plate .... that would be special .... It's hard to explain" no ma'am to some you wouldn't need to explain I love to restore old bikes and cars and I can relate completely ❤

[@elosogonzalez8739]

I grew up in Albuquerque, NM and as a boy, I was always hanging out at the different airports with my dad. There was a man that built about a dozen airplanes. All uniquely his design. Some fast; Most of them slow, and several as I remember were down right ugly, but each one was finished by a very talented man with a love for flight and a love of building something with his own hands. He was an inspiration to everyone at the airport and to this kid. RIP Lou.

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for sharing! I also grew up seeing a lot of builder’s projects as a kid in Oregon and Washington. I did not realize the historical significance until I got older.

[@michaelbare5380]

Outstanding presentation!

[@davidpirtle1076]

Very wonderful history. The Wimpy is a beautiful and timeless design and looks "just right"

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelbishton9439]

Thank you for putting together and sharing this important bit of experimental aviation history.

[@outdoorhistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@WilliamFHills]

I own a Fly Baby, great to hear this wonderful story of its heritage! Thank you!!

[@alexkalish8288]

Wonderful video, really a labor of love and aviation history. It's great they restored 'Wimpy', and saved it for the ages. The pioneer days are never coming back.

[@outdoorhistory]

Well said!

[@OregonAviation]

Hi Alex. I work at the museum that has Wimpy and I'm preparing our current newsletter. I would like to use your quote on an article about the video. Would that be ok?

[@jimpawa5793]

My parents moved to Lakeview in 1958 and I remember meeting Mr Buswell at the airport. I don’t remember why I was there (approximately 60+ years ago) what I do remember how he talked to us about flying. I left Lakeview in 1970 for a 20+ year career in the USCG. I found this video by chance and really enjoyed watching it and the great memory that brought back to me. My mother was with me, she had painted business signs around town, Mr Buswell happily showed us the logo for his business of a bee buzzing a well. All great memories that I felt I’d never recall again. He was a really nice person.

[@outdoorhistory]

@jimpawa5793 thank you so much for sharing this part of your history with Buzz! He was a special person! I remember meeting him as a kid at a fly-in for the first time and he told me to call him “uncle Buzz.” I also really enjoyed reading your stories about Lakeview!!! Thank you for your service!

[@jimpawa5793]

@@outdoorhistory I thought about what I said last night, however I didn’t stress his impression on me was short meeting him approximately 64 years ago ! When I saw his picture and heard his voice it was like I saw him yesterday. Truly a very great guy.

[@OregonAviation]

Hi Jim. I work at the museum that has Wimpy and I'm preparing our current newsletter. I would like to use your quote on an article about the video. Would that be ok?

[@jimpawa5793]

@@OregonAviation yes, rereading my comments brought back the memories that I’m so fond of.

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Funny how now the largest popular manufacturer of kit planes is located just down I-5 in Aurora, OR, Van's Aircraft. Great vid. Much of my flying has been done in Oregon. I now fly my homebuilt canard Varieze to Newberg, OR from Montana to visit my son occasionally.

[@outdoorhistory]

The connection isn’t accidental either! His father started flying out at Les Long’s place. Maybe a video on that coming…

[@arthurcharles936]

Thanks for sharing a wonderful presentation of a great story.

[@outdoorhistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JaymesEaston]

This inspired me. I started imagining how would I want to build my own Wimpy. The first thing that came to mind was I would use modern bamboo laminates. I had a 1/2" about four by 12, and it drilled, cut, sand, and glued up beautifully. Since that was all I had of it, I left it outside for a year or too in a bucket that filled up by the rain, dried by the sun. Other than a black mold staining, there was no deterioration. Anyway, thank you.

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for watching and I’m happy to hear you’re inspired to build your own!

[@dogsnmore]

Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing. I feel I have some indirect connections with this video. 1. The hot dog stand mentioned in the video, I currently own and operate a hot dog cart, 2. My father use to work at the B-24 bomber plant (Willow Run) during the war, so there's a change the Mr. Long flew in one of the planes that my father had touched. 3. I use to live in Portland and Milwaukee, Oregon, been to a few airshows in Beaverton, and 4. even flew out of some of the same airports that Mr. Long flew out of. Back in the mid-90's, at an EAA meeting at Troutdale airport, Dick Vangrunsven put on a presentation about the RV line of aircraft. Mr Vangrunsven went through the history of the RV and it's ties to the Fly Baby and the Space Walker. I'm sure Mr. Long and Wimpy was mentioned, but it's been so long ago now, and back then I was terrible at keeping notes, that I can't remember all the details. Thank you again for this video!!!

[@OregonAviation]

I work at the museum that has Wimpy and I'm preparing our current newsletter. I would like to use your quote on an article about the video. Would that be ok? If so, what is your name dogsnmore? Love the fact you took over the hot dog stand.

[@olinvermilion2227]

what a great video. never thought that oregon was the forefather of experimental aircraft.

[@outdoorhistory]

It’s a cool story and I hope to make more videos about these innovators! Thanks for watching!

[@jeffboatright]

@@outdoorhistory Great video, very well done - congrats and thanks! The Bogardus story would be interesting, too.

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks! We’re working on the Bogardus story. So check back here for that!!!

[@bigdad6993]

Nice video, thanks

[@outdoorhistory]

Glad you liked it!

[@nigelcopestake3618]

Excellent video and Story 👍👍👍

[@terryboehler5752]

Nice story🙂

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for watching

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

What a great piece of aviation history. Can we hear it run & fly somewhere?

[@outdoorhistory]

Sadly, it won’t fly. It’s got a bum engine and the museum is trying to get an e-107 engine but they are made of unobtainium… unless one of you has one! I used some recordings of an e113 for the video so pretty close to the real sound.

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

@@outdoorhistory What is preventing rebuilding the engine you have?

[@outdoorhistory]

Great question, I’m not the expert on it, but my understanding is that the current engine is on loan and is a e-113 model not the correct e-107. The museum is looking for another e-107 but they are hard to find and even harder to find parts for. Go to oregonaviation.org/membership to support the museum.

[@thamesmud]

There was me thinking "Wimpy" was the affectionate name for the Vickers Wellington.

[@Rileydelp_34L]

Becoming a pilot here in Eugene Oregon and it’s cool seeing history in Oregon

[@johnrisher3007]

I've read about Les , don't remember about what but I remember the name

[@tedstriker754]

Well it's confusing. The Pietenpol Air Camper was flying (1929) before Wimpy, and in other states. And apparently legally registered with the FAA as a homebuilt. I'm wondering what homebuilders could do in Oregon that wasn't allowed in other states?

[@Dreddip]

I never knew Swede was involved in home built airplanes.

[@paulbriggs3072]

The federal government has no authority to make laws concerning aviation. The framers of the Constitution knew that the future would bring many things that the federal government would use to grab power. So after stating what powers WERE delegated to the United States government by the Constitution, they added the 10th Amendment to the Constitution which plainly says: The powers NOT delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. In other words, whatever power ain't plainly laid out in the Constitution, belongs to the states.

[@paulhelman2376]

The stab looks a bit too small.

[@TROUROCKS]

i see carb heat

[@outlawflyer7868]

Affordable? not anymore. metal is expensive, the wood is expensive, the fabric is expensive, the gauges are really expensive. Engines aren't cheap, fuel is expensive. unless you got deep pockets, nobody can afford even this little plane. Not to mention what it takes to get any type of license or certificate. It's a joke really and I wish they would stop saying planes are affordable.

[@brent1041]

There are still planes that cost less than a car to buy. Operating cost can be made to be affordable if you try. I know plenty of people that spend more on their car than I do flying 100 hours a year in my own plane.

[@JK-zq9vw]

To go from man’s first powered flight to landing on the moon in a single century is amazing! These little planes inspired thousands to get behind a stick and fly. I’ve worked on a very large aircraft and luckily got to do some minor work on some historical as well(very little). I will say that I’ve been scared to fly in small aircraft. Still, the technology and the history is inspiring!

[@outdoorhistory]

Agreed! The low tech, light weight, stuff has its reliability because of simplicity. I keep thinking about my rubber band basswood airplanes as a kid, now I see my son doing the same thing, and I realize kids have been doing this for over a century with basically the same design. Thanks for your comment and watching!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Reading the Wright brothers history, btw, a piece of fabric from the Wright Flyer was actually taken on the Apollo mission that landed on the moon: wow.

[@jimmyhaley727]

LANDING ON THE WHERE???? SURELY YOU JEST

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

@@jimmyhaley727 You know, the moon, that photo they have mounted up above the flat earth. BTW, I have an ocean front airport for sale in Arizona.

[@marttimattila9561]

I have learned about Les Long from EAAs. Eperimenter magazines. This addet nice information about his career. I carve propellers, weld steel tubing and tinker with engines. Les money more skils. Thank You.

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for sharing!

[@captiannemo1587]

I hope it continues to get views. I tossed it in a few aircraft Discord channels.

[@outdoorhistory]

Thanks for sharing it with others!

[@williamroberts1819]

Wonderful!

[@haywardmKW]

As good as your extensive research was how could you not get the correlation with the of time Popeye cartoon character Wimpy especially yelling for burgers from the plane. That was Wimpy's addiction.

[@outdoorhistory]

12:23 absolutely, the Beaverton folks were into the popular cartoon of the time! Thanks for watching!

[@donaldparlett7708]

Tell me if Wimpy doesn’t look like a Bowers Fly Baby.

[@outdoorhistory]

Or does a Bower's Fly Baby look like a Wimpy? 33:38

[@mile1920]

great story/video

[@outdoorhistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!