FSX Corben Ace Baby On Floats

The Corben Ace Baby on amphibious floats offers an intriguing blend of 1920s-era homebuilt aircraft ingenuity and modern simulator adaptability. Originally introduced in 1929 as a set of build-it-yourself plans, its accessible design quickly resonated with aviation enthusiasts worldwide. This package implements those historic roots into both Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, effectively preserving the aircraft’s classic character while providing an immersive floatplane experience. Created by Craig Richardson, with gauges contributed by Robert Kerr (adapted from the “Pete” project), this freeware release delivers a unique opportunity to discover authentic homebuilt airplane operation from an earlier era.

Vintage Origins and Notable Innovations

The original Corben Baby Ace set a milestone as one of the earliest homebuilt aircraft readily available through commercial plans. Orland Corben’s engineering laid the groundwork for several related designs under the Ace Aircraft Manufacturing Company, including the Junior Ace and Super Ace. The Baby Ace remained widely recognized due to its lightweight architecture and straightforward assembly. Today, aviation enthusiasts continue to resurrect this historic model, constructing replicas that recapture the spirit of aviation’s pioneers. Floating capability brings another dimension of versatility, allowing virtual pilots to experiment with waterborne takeoffs and landings reminiscent of real-world bush flying.

Key Technical Details

Developed as a single-seat aircraft, the Corben Baby Ace focuses on simplicity and reliability. Builders traditionally relied on readily obtainable materials, reducing the overall cost and complexity. The fuselage often featured steel tube framing, while the wings employed wood or similar lightweight elements. This freeware simulation rigorously models these structural principles, illustrating how the aircraft’s airframe remains stable even under dynamic floatplane operations. The included floats are accurately positioned to maintain balance on various water surfaces, ensuring realistic handling from start to finish. Meanwhile, the plugin gauges—based on Robert Kerr’s work—enable comprehensive readouts for engine data and flight performance.

Corben Baby Ace for FS9 / FSX

Installation and Setup

To install, first extract all files into a provisional folder. Then, transfer the extracted contents directly into your simulator’s Aircraft or SimObjects folder, depending on your platform and file layout. This process preserves the original file structure and ensures successful integration of textures, model configurations, and necessary gauges. When loading the aircraft in your simulator, you will be able to choose between different liveries, including a crisp white finish and a vibrant blue-and-yellow scheme, each with fully functional floats.

Thank you to the comprehensive beta-testing team consisting of Damian Radice, Brian Farrington, Leyland Spurr, and Roger Law for refining this release. Special gratitude also goes to Brian Harrington, whose firsthand experience flying a real-life Baby Ace—fondly nicknamed Bits & Pieces—provided extremely valuable reference photos and performance data. Craig Richardson and Robert Kerr collaborated on this package to ensure authenticity, from the flight characteristics to the bespoke gauges.

This complete freeware package contains the base model, essential flight dynamics, and all textures. It is freely available for flight simulation enthusiasts to appreciate the historic style of the Corben Baby Ace merged with the distinctive capabilities of float-equipped flight.