Instead of paying 3000 Depression-era dollars for an antiquated biplane,
the young enthusiast could buy a Heath-Kit for $199, and build the plane
at home! In the wake of the "Lindbergh Boom" thousands of such projects
were started, in barns and basements, throughout the United States and a
score of foreign countries. This book recounts the personal experiences
of several such young "builders", offering a realistic insight into
their many trials and tribulations.
Heath's air racing career, which both promoted and financed his plane
manufacturing enterprises, was also a spectacular success. At the 1928
National Air Races his diminutive "Baby Bullet" won every race it
entered. With a top speed of over 150 MPH, it easily outran planes three
times its size and horsepower.
A mysterious crash of an experimental low-wing model took Heath's life
on February 1, 1931. Both the New York Times and Chicago Tribune covered
the story of the tragedy, but none could account for the unusual wing
failure of a previously trouble-free design.
Parked next to the Texaco Lockheed Air Express the small size of the
Bullet is readily apparent. Plans for the 1928 Baby Bullet first
appeared in the 1930 Flying and Glider Manual. When Heath introduced his
diminutive Baby Bullet in 1928 he swept all competition, posting 142 mph
around pylons at the National Air Races held in Los Angeles that year.
The racer was powered with a two cylinder 32 hp Bristol Cherub engine.