One small step for a man, one giant leap for homebuilding — Part 1

At first glance, the Stits SA-3 Playboy of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario appears unremarkable. Its ordinary exterior masks "a most interesting story dating back more than 60 years," as shown in a photograph from the September 1957 Canadian Aviation magazine.

Homebuilding — aircraft construction by individuals at home using plans or kits — represented a distinctive aviation trend during the interwar period (1918–1939). While such activity emerged in the early 1920s, primarily in the United States, Charles Lindbergh's solo Atlantic crossing in May 1927 dramatically accelerated interest. The homebuilding movement exploded, particularly in America, which supplied nearly all aircraft plans and kits available across North America.

Image: Stits SA-3 Playboy — credit Renald Fortier, Curator, Aviation and Space.

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