TWO NEW AIRPLANES FROM TIMBER TIGER

Retro designs complement company’s Ryan replica

BY ROBBIE CULVER AIRVENTURE TODAY STAFF

TIMBER TIGER AIRCRAFT of Montrose, Colorado, best known as the designer and supplier of the Ryan ST-L replica kit, announced two new aircraft at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. A reintroduced “early bird Jenny” replica and a r etro-looking classic called the Kay’s Speedster.

Company owner Nick Pfannenstiel said the rereleased early-bird Jenny now has kits open for sale and is not in a prototype phase, with kits ready to ship in three months. The airplane has been flying since it was originally designed in 1985, with numerous examples flying, and the design was recently purchased by Timber Tiger.

Pfannenstiel told AirVenture Today that he took the kit, upgraded the hardware, and increased the fuselage size for larger people, giving it a more advanced level of finish. Engines for the early-bird Jenny have historically been Suzuki or Honda conversions, with at least one example sporting a Franklin two-cylinder. Also available as firewall-forward options are the Rotax 582 and Rotax 912. Pfannenstiel emphasized he is supporting all of them, and he will help anyone working with an engine he has faith in.

Now that Timber Tiger is the sole kit manufacturer, support for generation one or generation two early-bird Jenny kits is also supplied by Timber Tiger.

Also released is the new clean-sheet design Kay’s Speedster, which Pfannenstiel emphasized is not a replica. Named for his wife Kayla, the design features a two-seat side-by-side cockpit “with vintage flair.”

Pfannenstiel said the goal was to build a lot of imagination around the airplane so customers can see what they want — like a Gee Bee Model R Super Sportster or a Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship, but redesigned for modern requirements.

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