Restorer Glenn Peck airborne from Creve Coeur in the pretty little Mono Monosport, N4799E, on April 2.

The world’s only surviving Mono Monosport flew for the first time in 60 years on March 31 at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum at Creve Coeur, Missouri, USA, following a 20-month restoration by Glenn Peck. The Monosport was a slightly larger version of famous Monocoupe 113, with elliptical wingtips, a more modern undercarriage and either a 110 h.p. Warner Scarab or a 100 h.p. Kinner K-5 in place of the rather anaemic 55-56 h.p. Velie M-5 that powered the earlier machine.

Built at Moline, Illinois, in August 1929, N4799E was the fourth of 16 examples built, and the second of seven Model 2 versions, fitted with the Kinner engine. Restoration work started after the Antique Association fly-in at Creve Coeur in September 2010. Glenn Peck says: “We had several pictures of three different Monosports, which was a help, and a number of years’ experience with the techniques and materials of the era. We had all the big parts, but none of the little parts that go between the big parts. The Monosports were quite fast for their size, and won or finished in the top three of every air race they entered. We haven’t flown it enough yet to determine the performance characteristics.”