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Clayton L. Stephens designed the Akro as a competitive aerobatic aircraft for the homebuilder market. The prototype was built for the late Margaret Ritchie, 1966 U.S. Women's Aerobatic Champion. The Akro's wooden wings and fabric-covered steel tube fuselage might seem flimsy, but it is rated to +12 g and -11 g loads, meaning the plane can withstand the violent stresses of aerobatic maneuvers. The Akro design is the basis for the development of many modified mid-wing aerobatic planes, such as the Lasers, Ravens, and Extras seen on the air show circuit today.
The Museum's example was built by Gary Zimmerman with a modified Lycoming 210-horsepower engine. In 1971, it became the first amateur-built Akro to fly. Five years later, in 1976, the Akro was purchased by the late aerobatic pilot Joann Osterud, who used the plane in hundreds of her air show performances. Osterud donated the Akro to the Museum in 1994.
Clayton L. Stephens designed the Akro as a competitive aerobatic aircraft for the homebuilder market. The prototype was built for the late Margaret Ritchie, 1966 U.S. Women's Aerobatic Champion. The Akro's wooden wings and fabric-covered steel tube fuselage might seem flimsy, but it is rated to +12 g and -11 g loads, meaning the plane can withstand the violent stresses of aerobatic maneuvers. The Akro design is the basis for the development of many modified mid-wing aerobatic planes, such as the Lasers, Ravens, and Extras seen on the air show circuit today.
The Museum's example was built by Gary Zimmerman with a modified Lycoming 210-horsepower engine. In 1971, it became the first amateur-built Akro to fly. Five years later, in 1976, the Akro was purchased by the late aerobatic pilot Joann Osterud, who used the plane in hundreds of her air show performances. Osterud donated the Akro to the Museum in 1994.
