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Although some of the original Rose, Rhinehart-Rose and Hannaford Parrakeet/Bee airframes are currently
registered under an FAA Airworthiness Type Certificate "Experimental", I have reserved this section for those aircraft which have been entirely amatuer built by individual Parrakeet enthusiasts from plans.
Although someone out there may have the original Rhinehart-Rose Parrakeet welding jigs and they may still be using them to build Parrakeets, to the best of my knowledge, none of the aircraft (airframes, wings, or
tail feathers) in this section were fabricated by Jack Rose, Doug Rhinehart or Foster Hannaford.
Having said that, it must be acknowledged that most of the amateur built Parrakeets are based on plans sold by Foster Hannaford from post WWII to the mid eighties.
Although Jack Rose and Doug Rhinehart always maintained that Parrakeet Plans were never sold for experimental certification, when challenged by Chuck Johansen (at a Chapter 179 EAA meeting circa '71 or '72), to
compare his set of Hannaford D-1 plans to Doug Rhinehart's Parrakeet A-4C plans, Doug grudginly admitted that there was very little difference. Enthusiastic home builders have been building Parrakeet
reproductions from Hannaford plans since they first became available. Aircraft built to these plans qualify as Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) under the new FAA Sport Light Aircraft Rules.
Because home builders often like to make changes (larger or squared rudders, turttle decks, four ailierons, pressure fitted cowlings, & etc.), some of
these experimental Parrakeets are not immediately identifiable as Rose Parrakeets. I have heard the story of two New Mexico builders (names long since forgotten) who completed a 125% larger (2 place?)
Parrakeet that flew so poorly it frightened the owners. Shortly after initial fights, they abandoned it to the scrap heap.
Built according to plans, with an appropriately sized power plant and a minimum of additional weight, the experimental Rose Parrakeets retain the fine
flying characteristics of the originals. For more information about Rose Parrakeet plans and construction, please go to our "Construction Pages".
If you own an experimental Parrakeet and would like to send photographs, anecdotes or historical information, please send them to me at the email
below. Thanks, Don Gillmore
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