Twin brothers, Howard and Joe Funk were born in Akron, Ohio. They took up glider flying in 1929, and developed the first two-seat training glider in 1933. During the depression, they won funding from the New Deal economic development program to develop the Funk B model aircraft. In 1940, they developed a 75hp Lycoming air-cooled engine. They moved their production facilities to Coffeyville, Kansas in 1941 where they manufactured aircraft components. Following World War II, they resumed airplane production with an 85hp Continental engine. Of the 365 airplanes built by the Funk brothers, approximately 200 remain in existence. Many of them return for the annual Fly-in at the Coffeyville Airport. The Smithsonian Institute of Aviation honored the brothers as Aviation Pioneers in 1978.