MONG MS1 SPORT – N1174

Ralph Mong, Jr., of Tulsa, Oklahoma, designed and built the Mong Sport. It took Ralph three and a half years to build the aircraft, which was finally completed on May 1, 1953. The MS1 was the first homebuilt certified in the FAA’s Southwest Region.

Ralph originally designed the MS1 for his own personal use, but after such success with the performance of his prototype, he made the plans available for purchase. In the plans, Ralph gave a good basic design to follow, but left out details such as a specific nose piece or exact fuselage fairings. That way, the builder could add his own flair to his airplane and each Mong Sport would be unique.

The MS1 was powered by a 65 hp Continental engine. The wing ribs were built of 3/32 inch high carbon welding rod, silver soldered at all joints. The Mong Sport had a single lift strut, rather than flying wires, so the builder could make up the strut himself. Building a strut from new materials or old airplane scraps was less expensive than flying wires, which had to be special ordered. One strut also had less drag and vibration than many wires when the airplane was in flight. Many novice homebuilders constructed the Mong Sport without any previous aircraft experience. Approximate time for construction ranged from six months to three years, depending on how much time the builder had to devote to his aircraft.

The prototype MS1 was used by Ralph himself and registered under the number N5098N. The plane was later sold and fell out of license for a period of time. John Young acquired the MS1 in 1960. John extended the fuselage and re-licensed the airplane under the number N1174. In 1975, James Weiss bought the MS1 and kept the biplane in good condition. After eleven years of flying, James decided to donate the Mong Sport. EAA accepted the MS1 in 1986, when the little biplane was still in airworthy condition. The aircraft is currently on long-term loan to Aircraft Spruce of Atlanta, GA.

• Mong MS1 Sport Specifications