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Thread: What Became of Bill Johnson and the Mini-Coupe

  1. #1

    Join Date
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    Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
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    What Became of Bill Johnson and the Mini-Coupe

    I posted this question as part of my first introduction post in these forums but had no replies. I've copied it across here. Maybe someone can answer my question for me.


    : and before any of them and the reason I'm posting here today I was building a Chris Tena/Bill Johnson Mini Coupe.

    I was the first and as far as I was ever able to establish the only Aussie to be building a Mini coupe.. I used to communicate with Bill (Johnson) by mail (no internet back then) and once as a special treat I phoned him in Hillsboro Oregon.

    I was going to install a new Revmaster 2100D engine which I'd purchased, had all the instruments, the fueslage and tail section were completed and it was on it's undercarriage but sadly I never got to complete it and sold it. For many years was out of aviation entirely. That was a long time ago and to this day I've never seen nor heard of my Mini Coupe again nor known of any others that got built over here.

    Feeling nostalgic I thought I'd join up with the EAA forums for some chat and reminiscing but especially to ask what became of the MiniCoupe and Bill and Jerry Johnson, did they go onto bigger and better things or fall into history? Are there many Minicoupes (of Bills original design) flying.

    I'd be really interested to know what became of Bill and his design.

    Thanks,
    Mike

  2. #2
    Ron Dixon now ownes the Minicoupe design, he lives in Bowie, MD USA and his email used to be rhdixon1@bellatlantic.net. I am not sure if that is still current

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Delmarvair View Post
    Ron Dixon now ownes the Minicoupe design, he lives in Bowie, MD USA and his email used to be rhdixon1@bellatlantic.net. I am not sure if that is still current
    Thanks for that. I'll shoot him off an email. I don't suppose anyone hears from Bill & Jerry Johnson? Are there many Minicoupes flying in the States now?

    Mike

  4. #4
    See: http://www.theminicoupe.com/

    a
    nd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Coupe

    According to the Wiki article, Bill Johnson was the second "keeper" of the design, following Chris Tena. After Johnson, it was passed to "Buck Sport Aviation".

    I don't have any personal knowledge of the design. I'm just an avid Google.com user.

    hope this helps,

    Blake

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by av8rBlake View Post
    See: http://www.theminicoupe.com/

    a
    nd: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Coupe

    According to the Wiki article, Bill Johnson was the second "keeper" of the design, following Chris Tena. After Johnson, it was passed to "Buck Sport Aviation".

    I don't have any personal knowledge of the design. I'm just an avid Google.com user.

    hope this helps,

    Blake
    Thanks,
    I first became aware of the Minicoupe from an article in 1974 in the "Homebuilt Aircraft" magazine. I think Don Dwiggans might have been the editor back then.
    I first tried contacting Chris Tena aircraft corp. and after a few unanswered letters they replied they were no longer dealing in the aircraft. I eventually made contact with Bill Johnson whom I subsequently purchased the kit from.. All postal mail in those days, no internet.
    Bill was always the one I dealt with when I had a construction query and have always been under the impreesion he was the designer, though I may stand to be corrected on that. From anything I was ever to read Bill was the man behind it all.

    Mike

  6. #6

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    Feb 2012
    Location
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    The MiniCoupe still has a small following and as was stated, Ron Dixon is indeed the keeper of the keys – still sells plans, DVD and manual for around $100. The MiniCoupe doesn’t have the broad following of the smaller Teenie Two (rights also owned by Ron Dixon), but there is one builder approaching the finishing point – had a minor mishap last summer when the bird broke its tether on an engine run-up, but is repaired and nearing completion.

    A VW powered MiniCoupe was recently for sale and last summer Ron let me crawl all over his. Ron has tweaked his MiniCoupe here and there over the years, flush-riveting in strategic places, extended wing tips, not to mention Ron is not a small guy and built his many years ago with a wider cockpit (one of the reasons I wanted to see his, as I am generously proportioned). Ron divides his flying between a pristine Luscomb and his MiniCoupe – he has flown his MiniCoupe across much of the U.S. over the past 40 years and runs a 85hp Continental (I think, can’t recall, but something in the C85-C90 range). Another recent rebuilder installed VGs with good results I understand.

    The Yahoo site stay’s intermittently active – but usually if you pose a question, Ron will answer as he monitors both the Teenie Two and MiniCoupe sites.

    The main site:
    http://theminicoupe.com/id2.html

    Some others:
    http://vamutantcruiser.blogspot.com/
    http://wday6511.home.comcast.net/~wday6511/
    http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/min...guid=244371447

    -- Larry
    Last edited by dcstrng; 12-13-2012 at 06:43 AM.

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