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NASDAQ GRMN Contents JUNE 2005 VOLUME 22, NUMBER 6 On the cover: Sherwin Eng photographed builder Mike Friend’s Twister near Arlington, Washington. Story begins on Page 6.

Flight Reports 48 PERFECT PAINT JOB, PART 2 Have design, will paint. By Rick Lindstrom. 6 A NEW TWIST 65 ENGINE BEAT The Silence Twister has arrived. And it wants to play; Oil Basics, Take 2: Special lubes for high-revvers; by Marc Cook. by Tim Kern. Cost-of-Flying Special 67 AERO ’LECTRICS 24 SAVING BENJAMINS Run two VOR receivers and a glideslope Tips, tricks, tactics and theories on cheaper fl ying. from just one antenna; by Jim Weir. 25 BUDGET BUILDS Designer’s Notebook Yes! You can build and fl y a “real” plane for the cost of a new SUV; by Dan Johnson. 73 WIND TUNNEL Drag Reduction 101: Cleaning up your fl ying cactus; 33 THE TRUE COST OF BUILDING by Barnaby Wainfan. A primer on calculating real building costs; by Marc Cook. 38 FEELING USED? Exploring You’ll fi nd these common designs on the secondhand 2 AROUND THE PATCH market—know what to look for; by Brian E. Clark. Getting seriously hands-on; by Marc Cook. 40 HOW I SURVIVED THE RV-4 FROM HELL 4 WHAT’S NEW One buyer’s story provides insight on the pitfalls of Exxon debuts multi-grade break-in oil; purchasing a used homebuilt; by Ed Wischmeyer. edited by Brian E. Clark. 46 REFLECTIONS ON A FRIEND MOVED ON 55 LANCAIR U The opposite perspective—parting with your Approved training equals insurance ; by Jack Cowell. pride and joy; by Ken Balch. Builder Spotlight Kit Bits 60 MASTER & COMMANDER: THE ELITE 582 3 LETTERS This builder opted for easy assembly 64 LIST OF ADVERTISERS and open-cockpit fun; by Howard Levy. 69 BUILDERS’ MARKETPLACE Shop Talk 72 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 16 FANCY PANELING, PART 1 75 THE CLASSIFIED BUILDER Preparing yourself for what could be the biggest and 80 KIT STUFF most expensive part of your project; by Ken Balch. Drawing on experience; by cartoonist Robrucha.

67 48

KITPLANES June 2005 1 Around the Patch BY MARC COOK

Getting seriously, genuinely antsy for some hands-on.

ou have no idea how tough sengers at ease. pany advertises in this magazine. You this is—or, perhaps, you do. But there’s another factor— guys are so cynical!) Y Here I am, a certifi able me- resale. I don’t think many amateur Put simply, I’m happy to see a chanical nutcase, working for the builders—and I use that term as it’s well-run business thrive. During the premier magazine about building your meant; i.e., no professionals—ever in- time I was building my Pulsar XP, I own airplane, and have no airplane tend to sell their airplanes. But life can made many trips from my home (and project to show for it. There’s noth- get in the way and one day you may then hangar) in Long Beach, Califor- ing of interest in my garage/shop fi nd yourself with a three-person fam- nia, to the Aircraft Spruce warehouse in besides a bunch of motorcycles—al- ily in a two-seat airplane. I did. an old orange-packing plant in some- most all of them made in Japan, so Ultimately, this means that you what nearby Fullerton. To appease my there’s nothing that really needs to may not give your airplane’s exterior employers, I made the trip around be done to them, and one Italian job fi nish much thought as you’re building, lunchtime and, with remarkably few with an engine made by Rotax, which but it should eventually come around exceptions, arrived back at the offi ce amounts to essentially the same deal. to being as important as worrying about with the parts I needed in time to have So for this month, I’ll have to live structure, systems and engine. a quick sandwich before getting back vicariously through this magazine’s ex- Of course, there’s the other side to to work. In many cases, I found what cellent contributing editors. I’ve always the argument, wonderfully illustrated I wanted at prices that were competi- believed that good, solid how-to infor- in Ed Wischmeyer’s recollection of his tive and, often, lower than from other mation was the heart and soul of an fi rst homebuilt, a somewhat star-crossed sources. And I can’t even begin to add enthusiast’s magazine. We are, after all, RV-4. Seduced by good cosmetics, he up the hours poring over the catalog, here to build something with our own purchased an airplane that would even- which has grown to 600-plus pages, hands. (Either that or you are among tually require a tremendous amount of looking for solutions to the inevitable the many seriously considering such effort and reconditioning to meet his gaps in the builder’s manual: Electrical a project.) And there’s nothing better (admittedly) high standards. It’s a tale system? You’re on your own, bubba. than watching someone else perform a worth remembering if you’re consider- The popular story goes that Flo task to give you a better idea of how ing buying someone else’s homebuilt. Irwin started the company when she it’s done. His story begins on Page 40. discovered that homebuilders of the This month we continue Rick 1950s were having trouble obtaining Lindstrom’s excellent series on get- Happy 40th Birthday, Sitka spruce for structural members. ting the perfect paint job. I don’t think She brought a load from Canada and, there’s any way to understate the Aircraft Spruce probably unwittingly, began some- importance of a good fi nish in your In the course of a typical month, hun- thing of an empire. The company is homebuilt. Smooth paint and clean dreds of electronic press releases show now run by her son, Jim, in a large lines will not just make you proud of up in my mailbox, some interesting building near the Corona airport. I the work but carry additional benefi ts. and some, well...not so much. (Who confess that it’s a much nicer facility It’s been my experience that hesitant put us on the Ayn Rand Institute mail- than Fullerton, a rabbit warren of of- fl yers are much more willing to jump ing list, anyway? I barely got to the end fi ces and warehouse space connected into an airplane that’s clean and tidy of The Fountainhead way back when. to a will-call room that always seemed than one with fl aking paint and wavy Still, I can’t argue too much with the bursting at the seams. I liked the “rus- trim lines. late philosopher’s theory that “produc- tic charm” of the old place, but I didn’t I know this through my test sam- tive achievement [is man’s] noblest ac- have to work there. ple of one. My wife, among the most tivity.” Sounds like an excellent excuse Rarely—and I do mean rarely— intrepid people I know, scrunches her to go build something, if you ask me.) did Aircraft Spruce fail to have the parts nose when we fl y certain rental aircraft But one release that struck home or supplies I wanted, and I was always that are, while utterly sound mechani- was the one pointing out that Aircraft treated with respect by the staff. It says cally, cosmetically challenged...so to Spruce & Specialty turns 40 this year. something that I recognize several of speak. Like it or not, a shiny exterior I’m glad to see it, and not for merely the will-call agents from the Fullerton and clean carpets can put queasy pas- the reasons you think. (Yes, the com- store of a decade ago.

2 KITPLANES June 2005 Letters

June 2005 Volume 22, Number 6

April 2005 Volume 22, Number 4 EDITORIAL A True Gearhead Editor-in-Chief Marc Cook I’m a long time subscriber and avid reader. Keep up the good work! [email protected] I read with interest the article in the April issue by Ross Farnham, Editor Brian E. Clark “Subaru vs. Lycoming.” The article is well written and detailed. I’m sure Ross Technical Editor Ed Wischmeyer is a technical person or engineer by the writing style. However, on page 49 Contributing Editors Ken Armstrong, Mary Bernard, Cory Emberson, Dave Higdon, Dan Johnson, under “Reduction Drive and Propeller” he writes, “The gears are of the inter- Gary R. Jones, Geoffrey P. Jones, John M. Larsen, nal helical spur type, putting the gear inside a ring-shaped output gear.” Howard Levy, Rick Lindstrom, Dick Starks, To my knowledge the gears can be either helical or spur, but not “heli- Barnaby Wainfan, Jim Weir cal spur type.” The most common (and cheapest) type of gear is the spur Senior Art Director J. Anthony LaGrasta gear where the teeth are cut or formed straight across, or parallel to the rota- Webmaster/Data Manager Julia Downie Cartoonist Robrucha tional axis of the gear. A helical gear is more expensive to make, but is much smoother than a spur gear. The teeth of a helical gear are at some angle not ADVERTISING perpendicular to the rotational axis of the gear. Publisher/Ad Director Cindy Pedersen There are also such gears as herringbone, bevel, worm, double helical, [email protected] Senior Advertising Manager Chuck Preston spiral bevel, hypoid, etc. These are all different types of gears designed for [email protected] specifi c needs, but generally costing more than spur gears. His reference to putting the gear inside a ring-shaped output gear refers to a single internal BUSINESS OFFICE and single ring gear, but planetary gears are also another system commonly 531 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 105, Encinitas, CA 92024 using “ring gears.” Also, in the business a “gear” is the driven part, and a Main Number: 760/436-4747, fax 760/436-4644 Editorial: 973/227-7660, fax 973/227-7630 “pinion” is the driving part of a gear system, but most of us commonly refer to both as gears. PRODUCTION & CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Dennis English Production Manager Marsha Blessing 717/433-7985 [email protected] What’s That In Furlongs Per Fortnight? SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT My letter is in response to another letter. In the April 2005 issue, Paul Lipps’ 800/622-1065; 386/447-6318 www.kitplanes.com/cs letter “Pounds Count” makes a statement that we should be considering Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 pph instead of gph when comparing a diesel engine to a gasoline engine. For Canada: Box 7820 STN Main, London, ON N5Y5W1 While his ideas are correct, his fi gures are not all correct. The density of diesel is not correct, and the percent reduction in fuel fl ow fi gures are BACK ISSUES wrong. Going from 5.5 gph to 4 gph is a 27.3% reduction. 32 pph to 27 pph P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 800/622-1065 is a 15.6% reduction. Aviation gasoline is 5.97 lb/gal, jet fuel is 6.76 lb/gal, www.kitplanes.com and diesel typically is 7.09 lb/gal. There is one argument for comparison on the basis of volume (gallons QUALITY REPRINTS AVAILABLE or gph). That would be cost. We buy Avgas and Jet A, as well as gasoline and Minimum Order: 500 Contact Mona Kornfeld, 203/857-3143 diesel, by the gallon. Tom Osmundson

CHANGE OF ADDRESS? BACK ISSUES: Call 800/622-1065 MISSING ISSUE? WEB SITE INFORMATION: SUBSCRIPTION QUESTION? General homebuilt aircraft information, back issue availability, online directories ordering info, plus a KITPLANES® article index and selected articles can be found at www.kitplanes.com. Visit www.kitplanes.com/cs. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome on an exclusive basis, but none can be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. No responsibility is assumed for loss or damage to unsolicited material. Or call 800/622-1065 from the U.S. and Canada. KITPLANES® (ISSN 0891-1851) is published monthly by Aviation Publishing Group, LLC, an affiliate of Belvoir Publications, 800 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854-1631, Robert Englander, Chairman and CEO; Timothy H. Cole, Exec. Vice Pres./Editorial Director; Philip L. Penny, COO; Greg King, Exec. Vice Pres./Marketing Dir.; Marvin J. Cweibel, Senior Vice Pres., Marketing Operations; Ron Goldberg, CFO; Foreign, call 386/447-6318 Tom Canfield, Vice Pres., Circulation; Michael N. Pollett, Sr. Vice Pres., General Counsel. or fax 386/447-2321. Periodicals postage paid at Norwalk, CT, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright© 2005 Aviation Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Printed in USA. Revenue Canada GST Account #128044658. Canada Publishing Agreement #40016479. Subscriptions: One year (12 issues) is $29.95 U.S. $41.95 in U.S. funds in Canada, includes GST. $41.95 in U.S. funds for Foreign surface mail or $57.95 in U.S. funds for Foreign Air Mail. Single copy price $4.99 U.S., $5.99 Canadian. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes and subscription inquiries to: KITPLANES®, P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235 or call 800/622-1065. KITPLANES® and SportPlanes™ are registered trademarks of Aviation Publishing Group, LLC.

KITPLANES June 2005 3 What’s New

EXXON DEBUTS Multi-Vis Break-in Oil ExxonMobil Aviation Lubricants announced the introduction of Exxon Aviation Oil 20W-50, a non-dispersant lubricant for the break-in of new or newly overhauled aircraft piston engines. The multi-grade oil can be used year-round in high- and low-temperature climates, and was designed for use before switching to the company’s Exxon Elite 20W-50 oil. “Aviation engine builders and overhaul companies recommend or require a non- dispersant oil for break-in during an engine’s fi rst hours of use, but non-dispersant oils are generally available only in monograde formulations that perform best at a narrow temperature range,” said Ken Fritz, global marketing manager for the company. “In the past, this has meant that pilots often had to use a break-in oil that was too viscous for their operating environment.” According to the company, the all-season, all-weather multi-grade 20W-50 solves that problem. The new oil is approved by Teledyne Continental and Textron Lycoming. It’s compatible with all commercial non-dispersant and ashless-dispersant piston-engine oils and can be mixed in any proportion with any other certifi ed aviation piston engine oil. Exxon aviation oils can be purchased at FBOs nationwide or directly through the company by calling 888/22-TIGER; or visit www.exxonelite.com. AeroSuper UV Protectant and Polish for Fabric-Covered Designs rich, high-gloss shine, fabric conditioning, color retention AeroSuper, Inc. announced the availability of its AeroSuper and dust repellent. UV Protectant and Polish. Specially formulated for use on Two formulas are available: Creamy Gel, which should aircraft with painted or dyed fabric coverings, the product be used fi rst for a base coating because it is designed to applies particularly to ultralight aircraft. These fabrics include fi ll the small voids present in a painted fabric surface, and Dacron, polyester, Mylar and painted cotton surfaces. The Liquid, which is great for touching up for a great shine. company says it works on vinyl and plastic surfaces as well. The polish is packaged in 12-ounce, 32-ounce and 1- According to AeroSuper, the protectant features a new gallon sizes. Cost for a 12-ounce gel version is $24.95, and formula to aid in blocking, absorbing and refl ecting the a liquid polish in the same size costs $22.95. Order by call- sun’s damaging UV rays. Benefi ts include UV protection, a ing 570/341-9400 or visit www.aerosuper.com.

“Chopper is Born” Series Available on DVD The popular Discovery Wings television series “A Chopper is Born” is now available on DVD. The 15-part series has aired worldwide and features the building of an Exec 162F kit helicopter from RotorWay International. The series follows the step-by-step process of constructing the helicopter from initial manufacturing of the kit at the RotorWay factory through painting, upholstery and ﬁ rst ﬂ ight. It also features vignettes on the world of helicopters—a trip to Oshkosh AirVenture and interviews with other helicopter builders is a highlight—all presented with a healthy does of humor. The program runs 180 minutes, and the DVD includes bonus materials and outtakes from the production. Cost is $30 plus shipping, and it can be purchased through RotorWay (480/961-1001 or www.rotorway.com).

To submit a press release on a homebuilt-related product, e-mail a detailed description and high-resolution photograph to [email protected]. Mailing address is KITPLANES® Magazine, New Products, 239 New Road, Suite B-201, Parsippany, NJ 07054.

Visit www.kitplanes.com/freeinfo.asp for instant information on “What’s New” items and advertised products. Select the issue in which the item appeared, and then select the categories of information or individual advertisers you’re interested in. You’ll receive an e-mail response from the companies selected and have the option to receive printed catalogs or brochures if they’re available.

4 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com EDITED BY BRIAN E. CLARK

Pillar Point Avionics Introduces All-Digital Fuel Level Gauge SKY BUDDY Heading and Altitude Reminder Pillar Point Avionics announced its new all-digital Fuel Gauging System, which comprises one or two fuel probes from P2 and a controller/display unit. The controller displays P2 Inc. Aviation Technology announced the recent the fuel quantity in gallons or pounds, and computes introduction of the portable Sky Buddy electronic head- and displays the fuel consumption rate based on the ing and altitude reminder, a product designed to make remembering instructions from ATC easier. Instead of change in volume (or weight) per hour. The large, bright jotting down assignments on paper, the Sky Buddy display (with auto-dimming for night fl ight) illustrates fuel allows the pilot to quickly set these values into an remaining, consumption rate for either tank and the com- illuminated electronic display with a twist of a knob. bined quantity and consumption rate for both tanks. To install, just plug the 5.5-ounce Sky Buddy into The FGS features user-programmed low- and high- a power source (12- or 24-volt), and you’re up and level alarm points for each tank that can be used to alert running. The unit can be fl ush-mounted with hook- the pilot of a low-fuel condition using a light or annun- and-loop tape or an optional dash mounting bracket ciator, or activate other functions such as fuel transfer can be ordered for $16.95. pumps, or both. Operation is simple. By turning either knob The probes are long enough to span the entire clockwise the numbers increase, and vice versa. When a knob is pushed in momentarily, the pilot can change width of a typical fuel tank. While the typical shipping the resolution to suit the situation—for example, head- length is 48 inches, probe lengths of up to 12 feet can be ing can be set to 5° or 1° increments, each of which as accommodated. The FGS probes are user-cut to length appropriate for a each situation. and user-bent to allow the probe to conform to the inter- According to the company, the easy-to-read LED nal baffl e confi guration of most tanks. displays ensure clear viewing in day or night condi- A typical FGS system—two 48-inch probes, the tions. The illumination has fi ve levels to suit the pilot’s controller/display, two low-fuel alarm indicators, manu- preference and is quickly changed by pushing the DIM als and hardware—sells for $400. For more information or button. Price for the Sky Buddy is $345, and a one-year to order, call 541/350-2683 or visit www.ppavionics.com. warranty is standard. For information or to order, call 888/921-8359 or visit www.p2inc.com. NEW HELICOPTER INSTRUMENT from Safari Kit Manufacturer

After two years of research and testing, Canadian Home Rotors, manufacturer of the Safari helicopter kit, has announced the availability of a new helicopter instrument that combines two gauges formerly used in the Safari. Three years ago, CHR unveiled a high/low rotor alarm for pilots of any helicopter. It was enthusiastically received, especially by low-time helicopter pilots. The latest instrument—a dual-rotor tach gauge and alarm—retains those advantages and adds tachometer information as well. With the small instrument panels on most light helicopters (compared to ﬁ xed-wing air- Powergenie craft), the space and weight savings are helpful. Starts and Stops The instrument can be ﬁ tted to most helicopters Hour Meter Automatically and it will be included with all Safari kits. Each system Highland Industries has introduced Powergenie, a power control unit for comes with a one-year warranty and includes complete Rotax engines (503 through 912) and other two-stroke engines. Accord- ing to the company, with Powergenie installed, your hour meter will run installation instructions. only when the engine itself is running, eliminating the need to rely on Introductory cost is $597, the master or engine switch. which offers a built-in You can power up the airplane’s electrical system on the ground for radio work or general maintenance and testing without clocking aircraft savings of $240 compared time. In addition, you can use Powergenie to power other equipment like to separate purchase of beacons, strobes and landing lights for automatic operation when the the two instruments. engine is running. Weighing less than an ounce, the For more information Powergenie sells for $29.98 plus $3 ship- or to order, call CHR at ping; it carries a six-month guarantee. 807/222-2474 or visit For more information or to order, call 604/530-9799 or visit www.powergenie. www.acehelicopter.com.

KITPLANES June 2005 5 A New Twist The Silence Twister has arrived. And it wants to play.

BY MARC COOK

6 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com an we just come out and admit generator, but the technology simply further on the planned capacity. (The something? Flying is—should had not caught up with the desire to current airplane carries 19 gallons in C be, must be, just has to be—about keep the airplane light. (And may still two wingtanks.) having fun. If you’re not enjoying it, not have, as the burgeoning league of there’s something wrong. Are we all hybrid automobiles—part gas engine, Brought To You By DG agreed? Good, moving on. Why is it, part electric motor—will attest.) According to the owner of Twister No. then, that we spend so much time and Wanting to keep the pointy, 5, Boeing engineer Mike Friend, around effort justifying our purchase decisions? fi ghter-like proboscis, the brothers the time he was ready to plunk down So many pilots look at Experimental installed a 65-hp Wankel rotary en- his hard-earned, DG Flugzeugbau, a designs and ask: Can I travel in it? Will gine. (Not to be confused with the late successful sailplane company based in the signifi cant other fl y with me? Can I Felix Wankel, inventor of the design, Bruchsal, Germany, had also caught haul the family? this was Wankel GmbH of Germany.) wind of the design. At the time, the C’mon now—who cares? Unless The two-rotor powerplant was indeed sailplane market was going through a you’re getting paid to do it—and possi- light and narrow, but development of rough patch. DG saw an opportunity bly even then—fl ying should be always it ceased when Wankel, the company to open new markets and worked a be about the simple, glorifi ed act of producing it for aviation use, encoun- deal with the Strieker brothers to pro- rising above the earth. Going some- tered economic hardship. The story duce the airframe. where is about the journey, not the goes that the engine was promising but This fortunate turn of events destination. That you may arrive at a soon unavailable. Another, single-rotor should not be underestimated. DG lovely airport in a beautiful part of the engine of 55 hp was tried as well. brings a long history of composite world is the mint after the meal; nice to expertise to the table as well as facili- consider, but really not the point. Welcome the Jabiru ties to produce Twister parts to a very By the third prototype, the brothers high standard. If It Feels Good... had landed on the Jabiru 2200, four- Walk around the Twister and If you grasp this hedonistic philosophy, cylinder, 80-hp piston engine. Although you’ll see the sailplane infl uence in a single-seat, all-about-the-fun—and certainly compact and commendably a lot of places, from the smoothness making no excuses about it—airplane light, the Jabiru is still considerably of the skin to the simple, stout con- like the Silence Twister makes a lot wider than the rotary envisioned for struction methods. Chris Klix, former more sense than you’d fi rst think. the Twister. head of customer service for Stoddard- Indeed, many pilots see the words Remove the top cowling of the Hamilton (now Glasair Aviation) and “single seat” and reach for the red pen Jabiru-powered model and you’ll no- owner of Pacifi c AeroSport, the exclu- to cross it off the list. What they’d be tice that the fi rewall tapers noticeably sive North American distributor for missing is the chance to fl y a high- behind the engine but the cowlings are the Twister, is intimately familiar with performance, lightweight airplane that’s noticeably wider. Still, even with the the airplane’s design ethics. “It’s really chock full of great design elements and opposed engine in the nose, the shape well done,” he says, walking around gifted with a Spitfi re-like elliptical wing is pleasing. a table displaying raw parts as they that completes the mini-fi ghter profi le. But the Jabiru had other advan- come in the kit. I have to agree: The It was with this fun-is-all philoso- tages including good support and wide honeycomb-core, prepreg fi berglass phy in mind that brothers Thomas and acceptance among pilots. It would pieces are smooth and fl aw-free. While Matthias Strieker designed the Twister. not be as diffi cult selling Twisters most of the structure is of standard pre- In fact, if you think a single seat isn’t with a more familiar engine. What’s preg glass, there are select elements of enough, you’d be unhappy with the more, the Jabiru is comparatively fuel carbon fi ber in high-stress parts of the Twister’s progenitor, a scale model effi cient, so the Twister wouldn’t have structure and Kevlar in an innovative with no seats. Reportedly, the airplane to carry so much fuel—or could fl y safety scheme. (More on that later.) fl ew so well that the brothers decided it would be worth riding in, hence the The Twister’s tall, egg-shaped bubble canopy allows tall pilots ample headroom. There’s no denying move to bring the Twister up to full the airplane’s sleek lines. size. The overall idea ran along the lines of building an aerial motorcycle, a sort of Ducati 999 monoposto (one seat) with wings. The full-size Twister would have to be quick, nimble and a joy to fl y. (Here is where a designer’s task is the most diffi cult. There’s no excuse for a single-seat, minimally practical airplane to handle like a truck.) Just as motorcycle engines tend to be daring, so too was the Strieker brothers’ choice for the fi rst Twister. The original idea was to pack the airplane’s sleek nose with an electric motor powered by a light, effi cient diesel-driven

Photos: Sherwin Eng, Marc Cook KITPLANES June 2005 7 Twister continued

According to Mike Friend, his airframe, the fi rst in the states, went together in a two-week surge thanks to the help of the Strieker brothers (plus a third sibling, Norbert) and Klix. “During this time, I was treated to a stream of Strieker-isms, as the brothers educated me and my fl ying buddy Chris Klix on the intricacies of putting together a composite airplane. I was continually amazed by the clever design touches and by how effortlessly Thomas and Matthias came up with solutions to the inevitable problems of an airplane making the progression from prototype to production standard.” Under the formed cooline plenum is an 80-hp Jabiru 2200 engine, a smooth-running, fuel-effi cient prime mover for the Twister. Clever Design Throughout a wheel at the end of a pivoting boom; The Twister employs a lot of clever the inboard side of the wing rides in a thinking. For example, the retractable cradle in the trailer fl oor. Slide the wing main landing gear is operated by a sim- most of the way out, reach in and grab ple jackscrew device. An electric motor the mainspar. Then you can pivot the turns the jackscrew from one end; when wing around on the tip roller and walk up, the gear is supported by blocks in the toward the airplane. Then it’s a matter gear track. When down, the gear’s loads of rotating the wing fl at and pushing are taken through the legs into the air- the spar end part way into the carryth- frame. In this way, the gear is supported rough structure in the fuselage. by the jackscrew only in transit. The fuel tanks are designed so The maingear pivots so that the that the vents will not spill fuel when wheels turn 90° and sit nearly fl ush with the underside of the wing in fl ight. Handsome mini fairings—should we call them spats?—smooth airfl ow over the exposed wheel. Although the gear appears to be part of the wing structure, it is in fact pivoted on the fuselage—for a couple of very good reasons. One is that this is often the simplest, strongest way to mount the gear; there are no landing The optional BRS ’chute works with a unique loads transmitted through the wing- “safety cell” of Kevlar-reinforced fi berglass to spar, for example. The other is so that provide improved crashworthiness. the wings can come off the Twister to Small instruments make the best of limited make it genuinely trailerable. panel space. Note the beautifully CNC-machined control mixer at the bottom of the stick. The molded seat has been removed for this shot. trailered, so it’s not a requirement to Take It With You drain the tanks after fl ight. A quick- A great many of the Twister’s ingenious disconnect fi tting joins the fuel in the design touches center on the airplane’s transit. But many of these features are wings to the fuselage. Plug in another ability to be disassembled and rolled also designed to make it possible to as- couple of wires for the fuel-level send- into a custom Cobra trailer, just like semble the airplane single handedly. ers, tank ground and wingtip lights— a sailplane. Follow along as Chris Klix First you roll out the fuselage, all accessible up through the maingear demonstrates for me the process of get- which is riding on the gear. The wings opening—and you’ve got a wing ready ting the airplane out and ready to fl y. are loaded alongside the fuselage. Roll to be fi rmly in place. The trailer comes equipped with the fuselage clear and then slide out And the controls? Here’s where myriad racks and fi xtures to hold the the wings one at a time. They are cra- the Strieker brothers and DG cribbed airplane and aero bits securely during dled at the tips by special booties with liberally from sailplane designs. The

8 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com ailerons are operated through beefy car- With the technology of the VM1000C in your cockpit, bon-fi ber pushrods that poke through the wingroot area and into the cabin. the difference is The inboard ends are then pinned to the control mixer in the cockpit. (The prototype Twister still uses AN bolts for CLEAR this function.) The fl aps have two bullet-nosed pins on the wing side that mate to a torque tube in the fuselage. There’s no way for the fl aps to be installed incor- rectly and the assembly has remarkably Since the introduction of the little slop in the mechanism. VM1000 in 1992, you’ve come Once Klix completed install- to expect unique and superior ing both wings into the fuselage, he technology. Vision showed me one of the slickest tricks Microsystems’ raises the bar in the Twister book. Normally with re- with our newest cockpit display, movable wings, installing the main spar the VM1000C. pins can be a real hassle, with lots of wing rocking and cussing and knuckle This new display boasts user scraping. (I had done this process sev- programmable illuminated eral times on my Pulsar and still have the scrapes to prove it.) But the Twister range marks that are visible uses clever eccentric pins that can be night and day, a percent slid into place with one hand and then power and manifold rotated to snug the wing up tight with pressure display, dual the structure. In fact, the spar pin car- fuel level that works with ries no load; the spar itself is resting on floats or capacitance systems, structure inside the carrythrough. The onboard data logging pins merely pull the spars hard against memory and much more. their internal cradles. Move back to the tail to install the With these great new features horizontal stabilizer/elevator assembly and brilliant color display the and the rudder. (The vertical stabilizer difference is clear, the VM1000C is the best display technology for both day and night flying. See for yourself.

Visit our website to find out more about Vision Microsystems products and the new VM1000C. 360-714-8203 • www.visionmicrosystems.com

Standing 6-foot-4, Twister owner Mike Friend has found a willing playmate. The airplane’s registration is N787M. Mike was an advanced-projects engineer on the Boeing 7E7, which, well after the Twister ﬂ ew, was ofﬁ cially named the 787. Hmmm.

KITPLANES June 2005 9 Twister a carrythrough in the tail, while the over a receiver above the tailwheel and continued elevator actuators are hexagonal stubs is pinned in place. In all, the Twister that ﬁ t into like-shaped receivers in the can be up and running in less than an surface. As such, there’s no way to get hour; probably a lot less with practice and tailwheel, obviously, stay on the the rigging wrong and no need to re- and the lack of a pesky journalist stand- airplane in the trailer.) The horizon- set or reinstall any of the permanent ing around asking questions. Trailering tal tail has tubular spars inserted into elevator hardware. The rudder slips made truly feasible.

Paciﬁ c AeroSport owner Chris Klix begins the process of un-trailering the Twister and ready- ing it for ﬂ ight.

10 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com How’s She Run? Putting the airframe together from parts you pulled to the airport behind your car is one thing; enjoying the Twister’s performance is something else. For the moment, I’m sorry to say the experience for me is totally secondhand. The reasoning is simple: This Twister was, at the time of my visit, the only one fl ying, This is the inboard fl ap receptacle. The fl ap owned not by a company that could itself has matching prongs that fi t into the afford to write off the damage in an holes inside the machined ears. accident, but by an individual who clearly cherishes the airplane. My visit to Pacifi c AeroSport in Arlington, Washington, was also on a day with low clouds and blustery winds. I would have felt absolutely terrible had anything happened to the one and only

The wing slides into a tight-ﬁ tting carryth- Fitting the tail follows a now-familiar rough structure that actually handles all routine. The tubular spar slides into a mating This is the clever eccentric locking pin. It slides the ﬂ ight loads. The locking pins—shown carrythrough. The forward edge is located by into holes in the wing spars and serves only to later—serve only to hold the spars tight into a simple pin. The elevator actuator rides over draw the spars into their load-bearing slots. the carrythrough socket. a hexagonal peg.

KITPLANES June 2005 11 12 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Twister continued

Twister fl ying in the U.S. When the fl eet is larger, I’ll push for some fl ying. In the meantime, we’ll have to take the factory numbers at face value. Fortunately, they pass the sniff test. With 80 hp driving a very light 1.25” Depth Available* Now With HP Readout A MUST Have Instrument airframe—maximum gross weight is a mere 910 pounds—graced with good aerodynamics, the Twister’s listed maximum cruise of 130 knots true (150 mph) is, in my view, completely in the ballpark. Economy cruise, during which the Jabiru can be coaxed to consume less than 4 gph, is listed as 115 knots true (133 mph). Climb performance is as expected, too, posting a max rate of 1275 fpm, * Optional UBG-16 remote display makes the mounted depth of the display 1.25” which is right in line with expectations All Instruments STC’d/PMA’d, many TSO’d as Primary Replacements. from the low weight, given power and reasonable amount of wing area. (The You’ll be money ahead to invest in EI instruments, which will protect your Twister’s elliptical and symmetrical engine and save you money! Here’s how: airfoil is 93.9 square feet big.) The only downside I can see Head off major problems. Find minor problems (clogged injectors, worn rings, concerns the Twister’s low wing load- fouled plugs, sticky valves, etc.), before they become major repair bills or safety issues! ing. While a lot of wing is great for low Gain significant fuel savings. It’s vital to lean your engine properly. If you’re stall and landing speeds—with 30° of leaning “blind,” you could be taking a chance of causing preignition, detonation, excessive fl aps down, stall speed is 43 knots (49 buildups on valves and cylinder walls, or overtemping the valves and heads.

Reduce maintenance costs! Running your engine at proper temperatures and pressures WILL keep your engine running healthier and longer. SILENCE TWISTER Stop adding extra legs to your flights. How much time have you wasted with Price (may vary according to exchange rate) . . . . .$36,900 unnecessary fuel stops because of a lack of accurate fuel information? Estimated completed price ...... $55,000 - $65,000 Estimated build time ...... 700 - 800 hours Number flying (at press time)...... 5 Stop harming your engine with inaccurate RPM readings. You could Powerplant ...... Jabiru 2200 be cruising at redline and not even know it! Mechanical gauges are notoriously inaccurate. 80 hp @ 3300 rpm Propeller ...... Sensenich two-blade, fixed-pitch Pre-diagnose your engine problems. This will substantially minimize the Powerplant options ...... none troubleshooting time and costs of your mechanic. Just imagine being able to tell your mechanic to check cylinder #3’s injector for a clog or a fouled plug! Airframe Wingspan ...... 24 ft 6 in Wing loading...... 9.69 lb/sq. ft Electronics International Inc. Fuel capacity ...... 19 gal EI Phone: (541) 318-6060 Fax: (541) 318-7575 www.Buy-EI.com Maximum gross weight...... 910 lb Typical empty weight...... 550 lb Typical useful load...... 360 lb Full-fuel payload ...... 270 lb Seating capacity...... 1 Cabin width...... 29 in Baggage capacity ...... 40 lb

Performance Cruise speed...... 150 mph (130 kt) 8000 feet @ 75% power, 4 gph Maximum rate of climb ...... 1275 fpm (at max. gross) Stall speed (landing configuration) . . . .49 mph (43 knots) Stall speed (clean) ...... 54 mph (47 knots) Takeoff distance...... 400 ft Landing distance ...... 600 ft

Specifications are manufacturer’s estimates and are based on the configuration of the demonstrator aircraft. As they say, your mileage may vary.

KITPLANES June 2005 13 Twister I tried the cockpit as well, and continued came away impressed. The reclining seat is comfortable and visibility over the nose is excellent. Friend reports mph)—this light loading would suggest that he does not have to make S-turns an active ride in turbulent air. Owner during taxi. Mike Friend says it’s not bad, but those In the way it feels and smells, of you living in the Turbulence Belt the Twister cabin is like that of a sail- should think twice about where the plane. The central stick is right where Twister fi ts into the grand scheme of you want it. A clever trim system—also things. It has, after all, lower wing load- used on sailplanes—amounts to a small ing than a Cessna 150. lever under your pinkie that releases tension on a spring pack. Move the Open It Up, stick to get the desired attitude or airspeed, give the lever a quick tweak, and You’ll Get a Surprise stick pressure is magically relieved. The Twister is a compact, light air- There’s not a lot of room on plane, but by clever use of composites the panel for a full IFR gear, but that and a large bubble canopy, there’s a ton would be out of character for the of room inside. Mike Friend is 6-foot-4 Twister anyway. Friend and Klix have and 240 pounds, and fi ts the airplane used miniature instruments to good Thin nostrils allow the Jabiru to breathe. So far, cooling has not been a concern, although a few extremely well. “It was one of the pur- effect, including a collection of UMA’s versions of oil-cooler location have been tried in chase decisions,” he says. “I wanted tiny 1-inch engine instruments. They an attempt to optimize cooling. something that I fi t into comfortably.” are really compact but amazingly legible. A Becker com radio and transponder fi ll out the avionics package— do we dare call it a suite? Beneath your left hand is the Jab- iru’s throttle and a clever brake system. The tailwheel is tied to the rudder for precise steering without the need for differential braking. Instead, the hand lever operates both brakes at the same time, and its position ensures that at takeoff power you cannot be dragging the binders. In all, the cockpit is smartly arranged and quite accommodating. The Belt & Suspenders Approach to Safety Keep looking around the cockpit and your eyes will eventually fall on the prominent red T-handle for the optional BRS ’chute system. It’s housed in a bay between the cabin and the

The Twister production facility in Germany is accustomed to turning out high-quality sailplane components. The workmanship on the Twister is ﬁ rst rate.

The BRS ’chute ﬁ ts into a recess between the cockpit and the ﬁ rewall. Cables buried under the skin lead back to hardpoints in the fuselage that will allow the airframe to hang level under the canopy.

14 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Aviation Consumer Awards ECi TITAN® Cylinders “Editor’s Choice” for 2004

FAA-PMA Replacement Cylinders for Lycoming Parallel Valve, TCM C-/O-200,300/GO-300 Series, and 470/520/550 NEW AIRCRAFT CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES Exclusive TITAN Features • TITAN® Advanced™ Aluminum Alloy • Nickel+Carbide™ Barrel Coating The guts of the machine—it’s a design intended • Plasma Sprayed Top to be simple to repair and cheap to keep. Compression Ring • Valve Guide Ballizing • and many others... ﬁ rewall, and employs a set of cables that are laid just under the fuselage Call for a FREE booklet on these and other exclusive skin so that the airplane descends in a features not found on OEM or other PMA cylinders. level attitude under the canopy. ©2005 ECi. But there’s more. The entire cockpit area is actually Kevlar tub within Recognize Excellence. a tub, a structure entirely separate Ask for it by Name. from the fuselage sides and consider- SALES HOTLINE ECi is recognized for Quality Management System Registration to ISO 9001:2000. 1-800-ECi-2FLY ably stronger than them. This feature ENGINE COMPONENTS, INC. | 9503 Middlex | San Antonio, TX 78217 | 210-820-8101 www.eci2fly.com provides a sort of survival cell, and includes signiﬁ cant reinforcements up around the forward edge of the cockpit TITAN® KitEngine™ opening and up around the roll hoop • All Parts and Components are FAA-PMA Approved • Air Cooled TITAN Cylinder Assemblies • Horizontally Opposed, Fixed Pitch or Constant Speed KitEngine • Wide Deck Crankcase with Dynafocal Type "1" 30º or 160-180 HP ENGINE FOR THE KIT BUILDER Conical Engine Mounts • All Dynamic Parts are Balanced • Available at highly-qualified and certified custom KitEngine shops • and much more... Previous versions of the Twister were powered by rotary engines, hence the pointed cowling. Call for your FREE KitEngine Information Packet (MKIT101) for suppliers nearest you. behind the pilot. Friend also reports that the extra material makes the cock- ©2005 ECi.

pit quiet and comfortably temperate— SALES HOTLINE like a Thermos bottle you can fl y. 1-800-ECi-2FLY ECi is recognized for Quality Management System Registration to ISO 9001:2000. Mike Friend got exactly what he www.eci2fly.com ENGINE COMPONENTS, INC. | 9503 Middlex | San Antonio, TX 78217 | 210-820-8101 wanted: A quick, agile airplane that fi ts his large frame. Plus, it’s a unique shape that’s both modern and classical at the same time. There’s little doubt that many pilots will walk on by the Twister Mark Frederick because it’s just a single-seater—and, 80 CR 406 • Taylor • TX 76574 perhaps, because at $36,900 for a fi xed- Phone (512) 352-6979 gear version and approximately $4000 Fax (512) 352-5080 more for the RG, it is not an inexpen- [email protected] sive kit—but they’ll do so at the risk of missing having a huge good time in an DESIGNED & PRODUCED BY airplane. It’s their loss. • Easy to Build - Great to Fly • 250.2 lap speed at Reno (2004) • Great Builders Association Network For more information on the Twister, High Performance Aircraft visit www.pacifi caerosport.com or call [email protected] www.teamrocketaircraft.com www.international-hpa.com 360/474-9394.

KITPLANES June 2005 15 here comes a time in every builders to undertake it themselves. questions in your own mind. The most homebuilt project when the de- With that, we begin our series on important of these, and the one from T sign and construction of the in- do-it-yourself panels. By the time we’re which all other considerations will de- strument panel must be tackled. For a done, several months from now, you’ll volve, is: What is the basic mission of some, this is a process long anticipated, be better equipped to make purchase the airplane? With respect to panel de- perhaps as an opportunity to express decisions and, just as important, have sign, that boils down to a fairly simple their creativity and vision for their air- seen an actual instrument panel come question: Are you going to ﬂ y VFR or craft. For others, possibly even the ma- together. In other words, I’ll show you IFR? While we’ve all seen VFR panels jority of builders, it’s a process that, if not how it’s done. equipped with every gadget under the actually dreaded, is met with consider- sun and IFR panels getting by with able trepidation. The unknown can cer- So, What Do You Want? little more than a single navcom, those tainly be intimidating and it’s my hope Before buying any of the components airplanes represent the exception, not that a clear, step-by-step examination of for your new instrument panel and the rule. Generally speaking, the reverse the process of designing and building an long before beginning to cut metal, is far more common—that is, builders instrument panel will encourage many you should have settled a number of seem to know what they want and how Paneling Fancy Part 1: Preparing yourself for what could be the biggest and most expensive part of your project.

BY KEN BALCH

16 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com they’re going to fl y the airplane. With- These are diffi cult questions to When you’ve got the dough for really high-end out belaboring this somewhat obvious answer, but you need to address them stuff, you might as well go all the way. This Chel- point, suffi ce it to say that the basic now, before you’ve started to bust open ton multi-screen EFIS group provides impressive integration and amazing capabilities. But you weather mission of the nascent panel the checkbook. And certainly well behave to plan for such a panel from the very start. should be given extensive consideration fore you’ve begun to make design de- and a solid conclusion reached. cisions on the airplane and, naturally, Be truthful with yourself. If you long before you’ve started up the drill ing with analog instruments and their don’t have an instrument rating and press to cut metal. interpretation has long been automatic. won’t plan on making cross-country Flying with electronic instruments will fl ights in your airplane, save the money require a period of acclimation as you and payload and do it the simple way. What Else Is There? learn to both manipulate their con- (Yes, that will be the only part of this It’s not as simple as deciding what trols and interpret their data in fl ight. series that has what you might call a you’d love to have and then running Perhaps a combination of both types penetrating glimpse into the painfully up Mr. Visa. Here are some other topics will suit your needs best? Detailing the obvious.) The rest of you, in possession to consider up front: pros and cons of each sort is beyond of instrument ratings and places to go Budget. It is, for most of us, if the scope of this article, though you in a hurry, will have to play a game of not our primary concern, at least one should come to your own conclusions devil’s advocate. Just where are you go- of the most important. Having decided before beginning the layout process for ing to go? What time of year? Do you to spend a certain sum of money on your new panel. travel there now in some other kind of an airplane project, it’s all too easy to Will you incorporate gyro- airplane? How is it equipped and what fi nd oneself going around and around scopic instruments in your panel? would you love to have that that air- over where and how best to allot those The answer to this question will follow plane so blatantly lacks? funds. Suffi ce it to say that budgetary directly from the conclusion you drew concerns will likely affect all other de- as to the weather mission of your air- cisions made on the project. plane. If you’ve opted for a VFR panel, ϟ This is fast becoming the typical light-Ex- Do you prefer analog or elec- you may or may not plan to install perimental instrument panel, with a combina- tronic gauges? Both will do the job, gyros. The simplest panels will forego tion of conventional mechanical gauges fl ying alongside new-tech alternatives like the Dynon but each type of instrument presents them entirely, though there’s nothing EFIS and the Advanced Flight Systems engine its information to the pilot in different wrong with including gyros if you’re monitor. This is Dan Checkoway’s RV-7. ways. Most of us are accustomed to fl y- accustomed to fl ying with them. An

Photos: Marc Cook, Howard Levy, Dave Martin, Jim Raeder, Jim Hergert, Cliff Shaw, Larry McFarland KITPLANES June 2005 17 Paneling continued

argument could certainly be made that the presence of gyros in a VFR airplane provides some measure of safety in case of an inadvertent encounter with weather. If you’ve decided on an IFR panel, then you’re going to be installing attitude and heading gyros, as well as a turn coordinator. If gyros are going to be a part of your panel, how are they powered? Are they going to be vacuum or electric? Vacuum gyros will require the installation of a vacuum system (pump, regulator, fi lter and suction gauge), adding weight, complexity and possible failure modes (usually pump failure) to your airplane. Electric gyros obviate the need for the supporting system hardware, but are much more expensive. They also represent an additional load on your airplane’s electrical system with their own possible failure modes. Which- ever type of gyro your choose, if you’re Notice how this “six pack” panel has been designed to accept the Dynon EFIS from the start. While the going to be fl ying IFR, you should give unit fi ts into a conventional 3-inch hole, it is slightly wide, so you must increase horizontal spacing some thought to a backup system. slightly to make it work. This panel could have fl own with a conventional attitude indicator.

18 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Screens dominate this Europa’s panel. The Experimental category affords pleny of opportunity to try something different, such as permanently mounting components designed to be portable.

The Layout (if using one). The advantages of cen- Attention should tering the primary fl ight instruments be paid in the plan- in front of the pilot should be obvious, ning stage to the though some tandem designs may re- confi guration of quire a slight offset if you want to fi t your airplane. Side- your radios in the main panel. Cen- by-side and tandem tering the radios themselves, if panel confi gurations each space will allow it, permits the stack to have their atten- dant panel space limitations. A side- Will you be fl ying aerobatics by-side airplane will have more panel in your airplane? If so, you’ll want real estate available and may be more to include a G-meter in your panel easily adaptable to an IFR installation. plans. Also, if you decided to install Tandem airplanes will have correspond- gyros, you should give some thought ingly smaller panels and, though it’s to protecting those expensive instru- certainly possible to equip one for IFR ments, possibly by building a remov- (especially with the utilization of some able sub-panel to hold them. When it’s electronic instruments), they’re gener- time to yank and bank, simply remove ally better suited to VFR installations. the sub-panel from the airplane—and Give some thought to a couple of Here’s another basic VFR panel that has enough go have some fun. Incidentally, mod- other design considerations: the overall real estate to encompass IFR instrumentation if ern gyros can handle the occasional concept of symmetry and whether or necessary. Notice the use of inexpensive, auto- loop and roll. not to center the traditional “six-pack” based engine gauges to the right.

You’re looking forward to the fi rst fl ight. We’re looking beyond it. Considering EFIS for your panel? Well, consider this— only Chelton provides forward looking 3-D synthetic vision with terrain avoidance and an integrated GPS. As you near the end of your building process and begin looking forward to the fi rst fl ight, we’re looking further beyond to give you an aircraft that will exceed your expectations and its usefulness. Adding EFIS, and specifi cally Chelton EFIS-SV, to your plane will give you so much more in safety, ability and long-term resale value. Whether you’re fl ying IFR or weekend VFR, no one can offer a better value—one screen or two. Introducing the single-screen EFIS-SV Pilot for $15,90000. Or for even more value get the dual-screen EFIS-SV Sport for $25,90000 and receive Free WSI weather.* That’s a value of $350000! Don’t consider too long, this offer expires July 31, 2005. For more information or to purchase, visit us online at www.direct2avionics.com or call 541-504-8300.

Introducing the single screen EFIS-SV Pilot. Packaged and priced speciﬁ cally with the builders of Van’s aircraft in mind.

See us at Oshkosh for demos, specials and give-a-ways! YOUR ONE-SOURCE NETWORK FOR EFIS

Copyright © 2005, Direct To Avionics. All rights reserved. Speciﬁ cations and offer subject to change without notice. *WSI AV-100 limited to quantity on hand. Offer good while supplies last. WSI monthly subscription not included.

KITPLANES June 2005 19 Paneling continued

be easily accessed by either pilot in a side-by-side design, or manipulated by either hand in a tandem airplane. Don’t forget to take note of any structural members behind the panel and plan ahead to avoid interference with your instruments and avionics. I’ll address the actual laying out of a panel later in the series, but you should be thinking about your options now so that you know what’s possible and what is not. Never Too Early To Talk About Finish Now that the basic structural work on the panel has been considered, a decision must be made on how to fi nish it. Some builders choose to have their panels commercially powdercoated, which makes for an attractive and du- rable fi nish. It’s also possible to purchase custom-made panel overlays of various materials (including exotic woods, if that look appeals to you). Having come this far along, however, toward completing the new panel unassisted, why not paint it yourself? A fi ne fi nish can be achieved in a home workshop with the use of a spray gun. Some builders prefer a matte black panel for its anti-glare properties, while others fi nd a light gray to be similarly glare-resistant and more attractive to boot. The choice of a light gray panel

A utility airplane need not be bare bones. The GlaStar Sportsman 2+2 carries a molded ﬁ berglass panel with metal inserts. This construction WWW.EGGENFELLNERAIRCRAFT.COM allows for fairly easy upgrades and is worth considering over a monolithic metal panel.

20 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Simpler times. A basic VFR panel sets down few requirements of the builder. For an uncomplicated panel, it’s not so necessary to be thinking very far ahead for upgrades.

will also add some fl exibility to your labeling options. Something Else Various labels and placards will To Keep In Mind have to be affi xed to the panel and As you’re mentally designing your several methods of accomplishing the dream panel and working through the task are in common usage. Professional possibilities, consider this: If you ever silk-screening is certainly an option, as (ever!) plan to sell your airplane—hey, is the purchase of a backlit panel over- it happens!—seriously consider stick- lay. Great results can also be achieved ing as close to a stock or conventional on your own with the use of a dedi- panel as you can stand. Secondhand cated label maker such as the Brother buyers don’t want to learn your “spe- P-Touch device. (Use a Dymo labeler cial system” or discover that you’re at your own risk. Aesthetics are impor- double-jointed the fi rst time they reach tant.) The P-Touch will print custom for the elevator trim. labels in various sizes on a wide assort- The great benefi t of building your ment of available label stock. own airplane is the freedom in such ar- This is the Van’s Aircraft RV-10 panel, which is strictly for VFR fl ight. Van’s philosophy is to keep the airframe light for best performance. While in fl ight-testing, this airplane can’t go IFR so why bother loading it up with gyros?

22 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Fancy Paneling continued Coming Up eas as powerplant choice and panel design. But you’ll want to end up with something that works, not just something that’s different. Take the time to look at a lot of other panels In the Series to see what others have come up with. Is your pump primed yet? Good. Next time, I’ll get • The Big Picture. We take a critical look at EFIS systems and tell you how planning your panel will be deep into the issue of EFIS vs. conventional ﬂ ight instru- different than for “steam” gauges. ments. See you then. • Engine Instruments. We’ll look at the new technology appearing for keeping tabs on your engine as well as consider some more conventional alternatives. Needles are cheaper so what are you giving up?

• Laying Out the Panel. We’ll try to answer the tough questions: Where will everything go? How will I make all my boxes ﬁ t?

• Cutting the Panel. See the metal chips ﬂ y as author Balch cuts an actual instrument panel. Learn how to avoid common mistakes.

• Wiring. Join us for an in-depth discussion on the dos and don’ts of aircraft wiring.

• Painting, Labeling and Final Preparations. Your wiring may be perfect and the layout ergonomically correct, but if it looks junky you’ll never be happy. Follow along for an inside look at the best ways to ﬁ nish and label This WT-9 Dynamic shows off an inexpensive panel intended for VFR that an instrument panel. could be updated for light IFR should the builder desire.

KITPLANES June 2005 23 SavingBenjamins

High cost of fl ying got much from us—time, commitment, else’s homebuilt. Our Technical Edi- money. We can’t drive a wedge into the tor, Ed Wischmeyer, learned the hard you down? Follow along space-time continuum and give you way about the pitfalls of buying into as we look into ways more hours in a day, but maybe we can another’s problems. Learn from him, help you with the economic aspects. starting on page 40. To continue that to keep your fl ying On the following pages, we’ve as- theme, we’ve asked industry experts budget from consuming sembled a group of features designed to give us the fi ve-minute rundown on to help you make the most of your fl y- what to look for on the most common all your presidents. ing dollar. We start by looking at a few Experimentals found in the classifi eds, kits that could conceivably be built for starting on page 38. $40,000 or less. Yes, it’s possible. Turn Finally, because you may be to page 26 to see how. buying your next airplane directly here is no single long-term in- Next up is analysis of the true costs from the builder, we’ve included Ken fl uence on fl ying as powerful as of building your own Experimental. While Balch’s heart-rending tale of parting T money. For the majority of us there are too many variables to contem- with his beautiful Van’s RV-8. It helps who do not get paid to fl y or cannot use plate all the possibilities here, we’ve tried to see the other side of the story, aircraft in the commission of our work, to break down where the money goes so which begins on page 46. fl ying is the ultimate hobby, the unbeat- you know what questions to ask the kit Every month, we fi eld calls and able getaway from the daily grind. For manufacturers and how to budget for the emails from pilots wanting to buy the every pilot worthy of the description, entire project. See page 33. Experimental of their dreams. Let us easing away from terra fi rma is nothing Because sometimes the limiting know if you’d like move coverage of short of religion. factor is time more than money, we’ll prebuilt Experimentals by dropping us But it’s an endeavour that requires get into the issue of buying someone a line at [email protected].

24 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com BudgetBuilds

Yes! You can build and on a reasonable budget. craft that’s roomy and reliable for this Our $40K benchmark is designed sum of cash will take some effort. You fl y a “real” airplane for to narrow the fi eld for builders on a may have to forego all the bells and the cost of a new SUV. budget—and that benchmark means whistles (high-tech instrument pan- a completed, ready-for-fl ight airplane. els, luxurious interiors, award-winning BY DAN JOHNSON We’re not going to play the market- paint jobs and souped-up powerplants), ing game and list $39,900 airframe but the following kit manufacturers ontrary to popular opinion, kits that will approach or exceed the insist that you can reasonably expect airplanes don’t have to be outra- $100,000 mark by the time they’re in to get these airplanes into the air for C geously expensive—at least not the air. It’s not an easy goal, but it can the target amount. We are assuming, all of them. The Sport Pilot/Light-Sport be achieved. To prove it, we’ll detail however, that you’re starting with an Aircraft initiative is one program that more than a dozen interesting ma- average stock of tools and a decent promises to lower the cost of ready-to-fl y chines from across the spectrum. workshop to build in; starting from aircraft. But many of these Special LSAs But what’s so special about scratch can add thousands to any and Experimental LSAs will be priced $40,000? After some contemplation, project. And we’re omitting things like well more than $40,000 and can run we determined that $40K provides the sales tax on the kit and local use taxes. upwards of $85,000. best estimate of what a typical, median- To choose from the hundreds of One way to get airborne for less income builder might be able to afford kit aircraft available, we established than $40K is to choose an ultralight, without being forced to sacrifi ce the some basic criteria for our selections. powered parachute or weight-shift rest of his or her life. In today’s mar- These rules weren’t written in stone, trike. But if you want something more ket, this fi gure might buy you a fi ne but we tried to limit the fi eld to conventional, more comfortable or automobile or (extra-fi ne) motorcycle, proven designs that will appeal to the larger, you’re likely to fi nd what you a mid-level SUV, or even a small boat. fl ying interests of a wide number of want in the world of kit aircraft. After If airplanes can remain in the same cat- KITPLANES® readers. all these years, building an Experimen- egory, price-wise, as these other luxury tal/Amateur-Built airplane still quali- items, they’ll have a lot more appeal to The Criteria fi es as one of the least expensive ways that average builder. To help defi ne our target, we elected to get a get a great airplane into the air But to have a cross-country air- to specify a minimum cruise speed of about 100 mph—even though as a practical measure we all want more. Why this requirement? We fi gured that most pilots would want an aircraft that was capable of at least short cross- country trips and one that would get them there faster than an automobile. Many otherwise highly enjoyable aircraft weren’t designed for such speeds and were not included; on the other hand, reaching toward 200 mph will dramatically raise your powerplant and prop costs. We also searched for aircraft with interiors that invited two people of normal size (pilot plus one passenger) Zenith Aircraft President Sebastian Heintz says that 90% of the company’s builders complete their to fl y for 2-3 hours in relative comfort. airplanes for less than $40K. Builders of the Zodiac CH-601 (left) usually spend a bit more money than Many pilots will prefer side-by-side their CH-701 counterparts due to more sophisticated instrument panels and fancier interiors. seating, but we included some tandem

Photos: Dave Higdon, Howard Levy, Richard VanderMeuelen, Ed Wischmeyer, Courtesy the Manufacturers KITPLANES June 2005 25 Budget Builds struments. Some of these units are in 2004 edition of KITPLANES® and also continued the $3000 (or less) range for a surpris- available in electronic format at www. ingly capable unit that also does not kitplanes.com. take up much panel space. Our candidate list represents a wide aircraft. We wanted full enclosures, Or, you can opt for only the range of types and design styles. The air- the preference for most pilots who necessary analog gauges and put planes are not presented in any particu- wish to pursue cross-country fl ying. together a functional panel on a re- lar order—choosing the right airplane Seeing America from an open-cockpit ally tight budget. for you is ultimately a personal decision airplane is great in the summer and for based on your individual situation. short periods, but this kind of adven- ture eventually wears quite thin. Our Candidates And, for the purpose of staying But fi rst, a disclaimer... Using the above Zenith Aircraft within budget, we’ve eliminated any criteria, we selected nine companies According to Zenith Aircraft President quickbuild kit options from the equa- and nearly 20 aircraft models from a Sebastian Heintz, “$40,000 is more than tion. Unless noted, prices listed and large fi eld (more than 600 kit/plans most of our customers spend on their used in calculation are for the airframe aircraft are available). Winnowing projects. Ninety percent of builders keep alone with no quickbuild components this group to a few aircraft forced us it under $40K.” Continuing the com- or optional add-ons. This is where you to omit other choices. Consider this a mon theme heard while in researching save money, but contributing your sampler more than an exhaustive sur- this story, Heintz said the only thing that own efforts to the cause. vey of what’s available. Moreover, pay pushes the fi nal price above $40,000 is Most pilots prefer four-stroke en- particular attention to our selection the builder’s choice of avionics. gines. This eliminates many ultralight criteria so you can use it on models not Heintz broke down the typical aircraft that make good use of the high presented here. cost for a CH-601 or CH-701 (the lat- power-to-weight ratio of two-stroke Are you ready to build? Expand ter Jeep-like airplane typically costing engines. When we limit ourselves to your search beyond these airplanes, less because interior appointments four-stroke engines, however, the pow- but keep in mind some of the follow- and fancy avionics are rarely added): erplant cost alone can hit or exceed ing points as they apply to many de- $12,000-16,000 for the airframe kit; half our budget. signs. As always, a good place to start $17,000 for Rotax or Jabiru power- You can choose an 80-hp Rotax is the 2005 Directory of Homebuilt plants with propeller and accessories; 912 for about $12,000 or lower your cost Aircraft, published in the December $1000-2000 for paint using a local signifi cantly with the similarly powered AeroVee engine from Sonex, Ltd. for less than $6000 (it’s a kit engine, so you have to build it). However, if you insist on Lycoming or Continental, a used engine will be required in all cases to keep within budget. Lycomings in particular are available in large numbers on the used market in various states of time remaining before overhaul. Other economic engine choices include the Jabiru line—the company’s 120-hp 3300 model ($15,400) will lift any of the following aircraft without problems, and some will do fi ne with the 85-hp 2200 model ($10,400). Others may be interested in VW, Subaru and other auto conversions. Most pilots are awed by the impressive capabilities of fancy glass cockpit avionics. Ken Scott of Van’s Aircraft says RV builders are installing more avionics than in the past: “With IFR panels, you can spend $40,000 in the panel alone,” he said. With avionics consuming a sub- stantial percentage of many builders’ budgets, will you have to suffi ce with ordinary instruments? Probably not, unless IFR fl ight is your desire. New software-based electronic instruments are available that have far better prices The RANS S-6ES Coyote II kit ($14,700) features a Dacron wing and fuselage covering, which eliminates for features even including attitude in- the need for paint—a built-in budget saver.

26 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com auto-body shop; and anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $3000-4000 for upholstery depending on how fancy builders want their airplane to be. The 701’s interior is typically simpler with some seat cushion and carpeting; the low-wing 601 might use leather or other higher-quality materials, which raises the cost. Assuming the averages, that leaves more than $5000 to devote to an instrument panel while allowing the builder to come in at less than $40,000. And Heintz says that builders can even take advantage of some of the company’s quickbuild components with a target $40K maximum.

Figure 1 illustrates how the six airplanes from Sonex, Ltd. can all be built for less than $40,000. RANS Aircraft With more than 1500 fl ying, one of the most popular light planes in the world is the RANS S-6ES Coyote II. The S-6ES features a Dacron wing and fuselage covering, which saves the need for paint—a built-in budget saver. The S-6S model is essentially the same airplane with dope and fabric covering. Another popular RANS model is the tandem- seat S-7 Courier. Both the Coyote II and Courier airplanes can be built and fl own for less than $40,000, one more easily than the other. An S-6ES kit costs $14,700. If you opt for the common Rotax 912, you’ll add about $12,000 plus a $3000 motor mount kit for a total of around $30,000. Since you don’t have to paint (unless you choose the S-6S) and be- According to Sonex GM Jeremy Monnett, you can expect to easily build a Sonex for less than $40K un- cause the interior can remain basic, less you plan to install a state-of-the-art instrument panel. you can spend the balance of your budget on propeller, instruments, avionics, radios, wheelpants and other goodies. $34,000. That leaves $6000 for paint and get airborne for $40,000 or less? In other words, it’s pretty easy to stay (this model is fabric-covered), propel- His answer? Yes, all six Sonex airplanes within your means. One option—a ler, instruments and other options. It’ll (the Sonex, Waiex and Xenos models, thermal-formed interior—adds $650 be a tight squeeze and you’ll have to do each with two engine choices) can be but will greatly speed your interior without many extras, but you can still built for that amount. fi nish. You can either select from the build an excellent Cub-like airplane for Monnett supplied a spreadsheet extras mentioned or order the quick- the allotted budget. illustration (Figure 1) for specifi c cost build kit (about $5000 more) without Both the S-6 and S-7 series aircraft breakdowns of the Sonex models. Each breaking budget. began life behind two-stroke Rotax en- total price includes full paint and inte- The S-7S is the kit version of the gines. And if you’re willing to sacrifi ce much-refi ned C version of the Courier. rior treatment and a Sensenich wood horsepower and opt for a two-stroke, It retains the keep-it-simple theory that propeller, plus you can select most of you’ll have a lot more money left to company founder and leader Randy the company’s more popular ameni- devote to extras. Schlitter designed into it from the be- ties. In coming up with these estimates ginning. Keeping the S-7S below $40K Sonex allocated $2500 for a basic in- is possible but more of a challenge Sonex, Ltd. strument panel that includes a Strato- than with the S-6. As with all the manufacturers, my fi rst master EFIS system for instrumenta- The base kit costs $18,265. Add question to Sonex General Manager tion, plus a radio and handheld GPS. the same 80-hp Rotax 912 plus a $4000 Jeremy Monnett was straightforward: Improvements and additions must be engine install kit and you’ve spent about Is it possible to build any of your kits factored into the leftover funds.

KITPLANES June 2005 27 Budget Builds continued

“Unless they choose exotic or expensive avionics, nearly every Son- ex builder achieves this ($40K benchmark)” during the build process, Monnett says. Mustang Aeronautics According to Mustang President Chris Tieman, “One of the advantages of building a kit airplane is that the builder can confi gure the airplane to fi t their budget as well as their needs. Our kit builders have spent anywhere from $25,000-$90,000 to fi nish their airplanes.” A good portion of Mustang II builders complete their airplanes for less than $40,000. Tieman noted that avionics really don’t need to be a huge expense for a good cross-country aircraft. “A handheld GPS, radio and a transponder will get you anywhere you want in the country.” He also noted that avionics can easily be upgraded later, after the initial fi nancial hit of build- The Mustang II has always offered great performance for a limited (monetary) investment. Mustang ing the airplane has been absorbed. Aeronautics President Chris Tieman says a willingess to spend time doing the airframe, avionics, paint When it comes to powerplant job and interior yourself is key. selection, Tieman mentioned that many builders attempt to save money by opting for automotive conversions, himself, doing his own avionics, paint 235 and O-320 are popular choices. but end up spending more in the long job and interior, the cost for a fi nished The slightly smaller and mostly run because “the cost and complexity of Mustang II can be limited to less than lighter Maverick kit costs $15,036. As doing so are more than using a simple $40,000,” Tieman says. “So for the you can see, there’s no large price dif- mid-time Lycoming.” Most Mustang price of a nice sports car, a builder ference between the Maverick and Reb- builders purchase used Lycomings for can have a 200-mph airplane that can el even though the latter is perceived $7000-12,000. “There is no break-in pe- carry them, a friend and 80 pounds of by many to be a larger airplane. “Noth- riod with a used engine, no unknowns baggage coast to coast in a day while ing is more expensive than lightness,” as compared to a conversion, and it can burning less fuel than they would in Murphy explained. The factory Mav- be overhauled a few years down the the family sedan.” erick is powered by a two-stroke Rotax line, deferring this major expense.” 503 and other options include the 582, Mustang’s quickbuild options HKS, Jabiru and even the 912. Any of can be broken down into less costly Murphy Aircraft these engines will allow you to get air- segments so a builder can pick and When I spoke with Darryl Murphy, borne on our target budget. choose according to his or her budget. founder and boss of Canada’s Murphy One of the company’s most popular Aircraft, he didn’t hesitate to answer: options is the assembled outer main “Oh yeah, you can build a whole slew wingspars, which cost $665. The main of our models and get airborne for un- spars for all three wing sections come der $40,000. The Maverick, Rebel, Ren- complete from wingtip to wingtip. egade can all qualify.” Most Mustang builders paint their The Rebel kit is priced at $17,000 own airplanes, though Tieman notes plus $3000 for the engine mount (all that doing the prep work yourself can Murphy prices listed in U.S. dollars), help save a lot of money even if you leaving you $20,000 for engine, propel- opt for the expense of using a profes- ler, paint, interior and instrument pan- sional paint shop for the exterior. el; not much margin, but achievable. Murphy Aircraft’s Rebel is one of three models In short, “If a builder is willing to Lots of Rebels are fl ying behind the 80- that can be built for less than $40K. A Rotax 912 spend 15 hours a week for three to four hp Rotax 912 or 100-hp 912S, and other or used Lycoming is your best bet if you hope to years assembling most of the airframe builders opt for used Lycomings. The O- build to our target budget.

28 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Polished Mavericks are often 30- and everything else except for paint, 40 pounds lighter than their painted engine and propeller. Only fi nish col- brothers. Such a fi nish must be redone or paint is needed, so you’d add about every year: “The more you do it, the $400-500 for materials. less effort it takes,” Murphy says, as That price is for a quickbuild you steadily remove slight imperfec- kit, “basically a bolt-together air- tions in the metal. However, Murphy plane,” O’Neill says. You get basic says paint costs for those against the fl ight and engine instruments such as polished look can be as low as $500 for a compass, ASI, tach and altimeter. A materials, if you purchase carefully. standard J-3 seat and cushion plus in- Mary Carlson of SkyTek says that none of the 60 Murphy’s Renegade biplane terior is also included. fl ying Sparrow II XTC airplanes has cost more than $40K to build. All SkyTek kits, including the comes in quickbuild format and sells O’Neill estimated that a rebuilt $18,000 II XTC, provide quickbuild components for $16,700. “Almost everybody puts Continental A-65 might cost $6000 at no extra charge. in a Rotax 912,” Murphy says, which with an A-85 at about $8000. A new pushes the total to about $29,000. wood propeller costs about $1200, regardless of engine. Total cost, Wag Aero depending on engine, would be According to Wag Aero technical $36,345 or $38,345. That leaves a advisor Tom O’Neill, two Wag Aero de- small chunk of change for other op- signs can be built for $40K: the Sport tions like fl oats or avionics. Trainer—an exact replica of the Piper O’Neill also mentioned the J-3—and the Wag-a-Bond, a replica of Wag-a-Bond, which is primarily a the Piper Vagabond PA-17. plansbuilt aircraft (with some sub- When it was introduced in 1974, kits available) that can easily be built the Sport Trainer was called the Cub- for less than $40,000. bie. Piper Aircraft didn’t appreciate that moniker and sued Wag Aero; Wag Aero’s Sport Trainer—an exact replica of the Piper J-3—has been offered since 1974. hence, the name change. A Sport Builders have the option of installing the Con- SkyTek Trainer airframe kit costs $28,645 and tinental A-65 or A-85; a rebuilt engine should SkyTek/Carlson Aircraft proprietor includes engine mount, instruments keep the cost of the plane under $40,000. Mary Carlson continued on with the Affordable Avionics For Your Homebuilt

as low as $595!

Digiflo-L, Microflo-L, Miniflo-L AMS-2000 Fuel Flow Management Connect to your GPS or Loran Altitude Management DigiData receiver for real-time display of Audio and Visual Alerts, Target Fuel Flow, Fuel Used, N/M Per Gallon, Altitude, 100’ Increments, Gear Down Panel Mounted Fuel Remaining, Fuel to and Reserve at Reminder, MDA, DH, Deviation Alert, Fuel/Air Data Destination, Low Fuel and Low Time and Level-off Warning. Fuel Flow- Warnings. Features all the functions of our Fuel Management Systems PLUS: Air Data - Automatically calculates True Airspeed, Winds Aloft, Wind Component, Combine with a Shadin Falcon Pressure Alt, Density Alt, IVS, MACH, OAT, Ground Speed, Heading, and Encoder or High-Resolution Serializer more! 1-800-328-0584 for Instant IVS, Time Based Warnings, www.shadin.com and 10’ Increments! 6831 Oxford Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55426 U.S.A. KITPLANES June 2005 29 Budget Builds continued

family business after her husband, Ernie, was killed during development of the Criquet in early 2000. “You can build a complete Spar- row II XTC for less than $40,000—most defi nitely,” Carlson says. “No one has exceeded $40,000 among the 60 completed aircraft fl ying in the USA and around the world.” A kit for the side-by-side Sparrow II XTC sells for $18,000 plus the cost of an engine. The 100-hp Continental O-200 is a common powerplant choice—scads of them were built for the Cessna 150— , and a new one will cost $18,000. Since that brings you close to the $40,000 If you’re willing to get a little creative, it’s feasible that you could complete a Van’s RV-9/9A for $40K. number before paint, propeller, interior Choosing a Lycoming O-235 instead of the larger powerplant choices is a step in the right direction. and instruments, you’ll want to look for a remanufactured O-200. According to Carlson, many Spar- row II builders have been able to fi nd Fisher Flying Products $30,000,” leaving you $10,000 for up- these for about $8000. If a used O-200 Gene Hanson of Fisher Flying Products grades and options. You won’t use a isn’t available or you prefer otherwise, says that nearly all of the company’s Lycoming or Continental engines on a Rotax 912S (100 hp) or 914 (115 hp) builders fi nish their projects for less many Fisher airplanes—chiefl y because are alternatives that should allow you than $40K. And with many of the they’re too heavy—and this helps keep to remain under our target. Should you wood-based Fisher kits costing around total build cost down. go with the used O-200, you’ll have in- $10,000 (or less), building a Fisher kit is Likely Fisher candidates include vested only $26,000. one situation in which you won’t have the Dakota Hawk, Horizon 2 and Ce- All of the SkyTek kits include to skimp on any of the other niceties lebrity. Even the company’s steel-tube quickbuild components at no extra you desire. RS-80 Tiger Moth using all quickbuild charge; welding is done, ribs are built, In fact, Hanson says with most of kits can be completed and fl own for and full-sized patterns for components the two-place wood airplane kits, “You about $35,000, Hanson says. In particu- like the windscreen are included, can build with our quickbuild option, lar, he referred to one airplane built by making the job of construction less use the Rotax 912 and still complete customer Gerald Bougher using the burdensome than some kits. the project and get airborne for under Jabiru 3300 and all quickbuild kits that

Fisher Flying Products offers a number of two-place designs that are regularly completed for our target price even when a new engne is used and quickbuild options are purchased. The wood-based Dakota Hawk (left) and the steel-tube RS-80 Tiger Moth are two of the company’s more popular choices.

30 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com got airborne for less than $30,000. “And, it’s a great performer with that engine,” Hanson added. Van’s Aircraft When KITPLANES® Editor Brian Clark and I set out thinking about candidates for this article, the popular Van’s Aircraft RV-4 came to mind. After all, the RV-4 kit is a throwback to kits of the past, with less of the work com-

Ken Scott expressed some Van’s Aircraft philosophy that applies well to our $40K project: “Costs are under your control. They depend not on the airplane but on the choices you make.”

pleted by the factory than subsequent designs from Van’s. But Ken Scott of Van’s threw a wrench into our plan to detail the RV- 4: “The RV-9 and 9A could certainly qualify,” he said. “They are designed to fl y on an O-235, which produces 170 mph fl at out on 118 horsepower.” With Van’s reputation for speedy birds, that may not surprise you but the engine choice helps our $40,000 project build. The RV-9 works well with the O-235 due to a bigger wing. This also slows it in pattern and lets it haul more weight. “An O-235 engine sells for $6000 to $8000,” Scott guessed, advising readers to check the classifi eds for a more precise quote. “And, it’s fairly easy to get an O-235” because the larger Lycoming engines are much more popular with RV builders. Once you have your engine, you’ll need about $5000 to complete the fi rewall- forward work—hooking up the engine

KITPLANES June 2005 31 Budget Builds continued Contact Information with the exhaust system, baffl es and other hardware and installing a fi xed- FISHER FLYING PRODUCTS pitch wood propeller. 701/493-2286 Added to an airframe kit priced at www.fi sherfl ying.com $17,430 (RV-9, tailwheel) and $18,200 (RV-9A, trigear) our total spent adds up to about $30,000, leaving $10,000 for MURPHY AIRCRAFT instruments, interior and paint. You 604/792-5855 might not end up with a luxurious www.murphyair.com instrument panel like some RV builders fl y behind, but you should have MUSTANG AERONAUTICS enough for a functional panel. Keep 248/649-6818 in mind that the estimates here are for www.mustangaero.com the standard kit only—the quickbuild kit for the -9/-9A will add about $8000 RANS AIRCRAFT and put us over budget. 785/625-6346 Scott says that most RV builders www.rans.com aren’t devoted to a budget as small as $40K. But, he says, there are exceptions SKYTEK and RVs have been built for much 330/426-3934 less by builders who got creative and www.sky-tek.com conserved wherever they could. For example, you could do without an elec- SONEX LTD. trical system and then you wouldn’t 920/231-8297 have to buy a $1000 transponder. If www.sonex-ltd.com you don’t fl y at night, you don’t need lights. Really basic instruments cost VAN’S AIRCRAFT only a few hundred dollars, and you 503/678-6545 can use a handheld GPS and radio. www.vansaircraft.com Most, however, will want an electric starter and other amenities; but WAG-AERO build carefully, and you can still end up 262/763-9586 with a nice RV-9/9A on our budget. And, www.wagaero.com Scott says, it will fl y well on the small engine thanks to its lighter weight—an ZENITH AIRCRAFT O-235 right out of a C-152 will power 573/581-9000 the RV-9/9A much better than the fa- www.zenithair.com mous Cessna two-seater. “It’ll climb 1000-1100 fpm,” Scott says.

Take Your Pick ers and ﬁ nd out where they spent and Our goal was to illustrate the feasibil- where they skimped. ity of building a “real” airplane—two Finally, keep in mind that money seats, short cross-country capable, 100- is often a direct trade for time. If you mph cruise on four-stroke power, fully can get creative and are willing to de- enclosed—on a reasonable budget. If vote a few extra hours in the workshop, none of these airplanes matches well you can end up with a solid airplane with your ﬂ ying habits, there are plen- on nearly any budget. Ken Scott ex- ty of others to choose from. But keep pressed some Van’s Aircraft philosophy these guidelines in mind. that applies well to our $40K project: One suggestion, regardless of “Costs are under your control. They design choice: Contact the factory depend not on the airplane but on the and ask if the company can provide choices you make.” a list of builders that were able to TO REVIEW ALL Dan Johnson articles keep within your anticipated budget, that have appeared in KITPLANES®, visit whether it’s our $40,000 benchmark www.ByDanJohnson.com, which links or another number more applicable to the KITPLANES® web site with articles to your situation. Talk to those build- of interest.

32 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com The True Cost of Building How to keep yourself from being surprised in the end.

BY MARC COOK

here aren’t too many absolutes in That’s it, thanks for coming; we’ll see homebuilders traditionally have gone the process of building your own you on Page 38 for the next feature. off the economic wagon, if you will. T airplane, although a few well- Hold on, it can’t be that easy, worn theories come amazingly close: It can it? In truth, it’s much, much more The Kit Itself will probably take more time than you complicated, but the three-times rule For starters, the kit manufacturers have think; you will learn more than you of thumb will get you close. However, taken to doing more and more of the anticipate; and, it will cost more than you there are many complications to this work for you, which has gradually fi rst imagined. (It is also true that you will simple theory and shifts in the market- ratcheted up the cost of the basic air- have a vastly better time—overall—in the place that suggest caution in applying frames. But they’re in good company, as process than your hangar mates have sug- the rule with your own money. everything in aviation—engines, props, gested, and you will be as proud as can be Because there are so many vari- fuel—has become more expensive with when you’re done. Relieved, too.) ables in play, there’s simply no way we the passage of time. Believe it or not, there’s a rule can give you cut-and-dried numbers The critical questions you need to of thumb about the fi nal cost of your on how much your project will cost. be asking are these: What—exactly— Experimental. It is not even remotely Sorry, we’d love to help, but... How- comes with the kit? And, how expensive complicated. Take the cost of the air- ever, we can help you along in the is the quickbuild option? frame kit (not quickbuild) and triple it. planning phase by pointing out where The fi rst of these questions is

If you want to build a Van’s RV-10, you’ll have the choice of powerplants. Choosing the right one could save you money in the short term—from a lower purchase price—and in the long term from lower fuel consumption. This is the second factory RV-10, powered by a 210-hp Continental IO-360.

photo credit ???? KITPLANES June 2005 33 True Cost and up for push-pull controls. continued • Does it come with an exhaust system? And if so, are you planning to use a “high performance” alternative? perhaps the most important you will Specialized exhaust systems can run to ask in the whole airplane-building $2000 and you’ll need to check in ad- endeavour. If you don’t know exactly vance what kind of credit you’ll get if what comes with the kit, you will have your kit comes with a standard system. no chance—none—of completing a reasonable budget. Powerplant Choices We’ll come back to the bits and Generally speaking, the more power pieces you need to consider to com- you need (or want), the more you’re plete your budget, but fi rst a word going to pay for it. For example, a about quickbuild kits. In just about factory new 160-hp Lycoming O-320 every instance we’ve seen, they’re is close to $23,000 outright, while a worth the money for the builder who 180-hp O-360 is not quite $2000 more. wants to become a fl yer. If you work Adding fuel injection raises the price out the per-hour cost of the work done pretty dramatically; the 180-hp IO-360 for you, it’s probably less than you’d be that’s a popular option in the Van’s RV- willing to do it for yourself. 7 and RV-8 is nearly $30,000. This does, of course, imply a prag- One exception to this is the Su- matic course; that you’ll want to fl y perior XP-360 engine, which is essen- more than build. For some—possibly tially the same price in its three basic you—it’s the experience that counts. forms: low-compression, 175 hp; stan- By all means stick with the basic kit. dard-compression, 180 hp; and high- However, every kit manufacturer we’ve compression, 185 hp. Few builders consider the cost implications spoken to strongly recommends the There are other considerations of subbing out specialized task such as quickbuild version of the kits for fi rst- installing fabric. when shopping for a new engine. Are time builders primarily on the basis you planning to use a fi xed-pitch or that the critical structures are likely to constant-speed. Engines intended to pitch-change mechanisms.) be done for you, which increases the use conventional hydraulically operat- What’s more, some engine-and- safety margin signifi cantly. ed constant-speed props need to have prop combinations are unsuitable. If the appropriate oil-transfer mecha- you want to run a constant-speed prop The Odds And Ends nism—the so-called hollow crank- on some four-cylinder engines, you may shaft—as well as the appropriate acces- need to get one with a counterweighted Checklist sory pad on the crankcase or accessory crankshaft or suffer with rpm limita- When you’re comparing various kits, case to drive the prop governor. Gener- tions. Naturally, the counterweighted you need to determine what is included ally speaking, you can use an engine engine is more expensive and, as you in the basic kit. Break it down by area designed to run a constant-speed prop might guess, heavier as well. This is a and be realistic about building a budget. with a fi xed-pitch prop, but not the subject to take up with the kit manufac- • What’s in the fi rewall-forward part of other way around. (The exceptions are turer and pilots already fl ying the kind the kit? Many manufacturers sell en- props that use electric or mechanical of airplane you’re considering. gine mounts separately on the assump- tion that you’ll have a wide choice of powerplants. Don’t assume that the engine mount is part of the base price. It could cost $500 to $1000 extra. Simi- larly, fi nd out if engine isolators—those rubber biscuits between the engine and the mount—are included. If not, budget for $300 to $500 extra. • Hoses. Does your kit come with fuel and oil hoses? • Does the kit come with engine controls and cables? If not, budget $200

One of the costs seldom considered in the initial plans are confi guration changes. The Sportsman 2+2 can be fl own on tricycle or conventional gear, as well as on fl oats. Having an extra set of gear is nice, but you need to budget for it sooner rather than later.

34 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Props Make a Difference One of the big ways to save money is in the propeller choice, and this is because there is an additive relationship to moving up from a fi xed-pitch prop to a constant-speed model. For one thing, the constant-speed prop itself is considerably more expensive. A typical Hartzell two-blade constant-speed model sells for between $5000 and $7000. (The variations include hub style, blade style and length, and application.) A Sensenich fi xed-pitch metal prop sells for around $2000. Wait, you’re not done. With the constant-speed prop, you’ll need a governor—plan on around $3000 for a certifi ed governor or about half that for an Experimental-class governor. As for performance, the primary

Money to is there to be saved in the most obvious places. By choosing a simple ﬁ xed-pitch wood prop, you can save hundreds of dollars over a metal prop, and thousands over a constant-speed unit.

benefi t of a constant-speed prop is at takeoff and during the climb. That’s because it allows the engine to turn maximum rpm for the most power. A fi xed-pitch prop is a broader compromise, allowing the engine fewer rpm initially but often matching the speed of the constant-speed model in cruise. In addition, a metal fi xed-pitch prop

KITPLANES June 2005 35 True Cost Ask other builders how the installation ity of the aircraft and your overall in- continued went and honestly evaluate if it’s worth tentions with the avionics suite. Van’s the money to put the fl aps down with Aircraft estimates a basic electrical sys- a switch rather than a handle. tem could be done for $400, and it’s can be had in several pitches and, in hard to imagine coming in under that many cases, can be modifi ed if you dis- Avionics Gone Wild number unless you do a lot of shop- cover you need more initial climb per- ping at Radio Shack. Elsewhere in this magazine, we open the formance or greater cruise speeds. (But, By the time you’ve added basic topic of do-it-yourself instrument panels usually, you can’t have both.) VFR exterior lighting, analog engine and will follow all the steps necessary in The bottom line on prop choices gauges and basic fl ight instruments, considering a typical avionics package. is that you pay a lot extra—initially you’ll have at least $2500 wrapped up That said, avionics is the one area and in weight and ongoing mainte- in the systems exclusive of radios. where builders tend to go absolutely nance—to have a constant-speed unit. wild. As is discussed in Ken Balch’s The best way to tell if you really need story (Page 16), it’s vitally important to it is to fl y another airplane like the one Building Space consider the mission of your airplane. you’re considering so equipped. If it If you’re a VFR pilot, make the airplane And Tools meets your performance requirements, VFR only. What’s more, consider hold- The next question you have to ask then you’re well advised to go the sim- ing off on your avionics purchases yourself is: Where am I going to build ple route with a fi xed-pitch prop. until very late in the building process. this airplane? Most small planes will Like computers, avionics are changing slide into a double-car garage without Upgrade Costs fast, getting ever more capable and, in too much diffi culty, especially if you’re Be wary of loading up front the op- real terms, less expensive all the time. organized enough to build a section at tions book. There are many examples Wait and you’ll be happy. a time and fi nd a safe storage location of extra-cost options being well worth Even beyond the magic boxes, for the parts not undergoing construc- the money for the time saved, but you’ll need to budget for basic electri- tion. Be prepared for the usual com- that’s not always the case. For exam- cal—wiring, circuit breakers, connec- plaints from the family about the cars ple, you may fi nd that the kit you’re tors, and so on. This fi gure will vary, of sitting outside, however. considering has an electric fl ap option. course, depending upon the complex- If you can organize your home life to accommodate an airplane project, you’ll be time and money ahead. Hangars—particularly in the city—can Don’t Forget the Taxman be outrageously expensive. And while it’s true that you can outfi t the hangar to be an airplane-produc- When you sit down to sharpen your pencil and tion facility only—not think about the total cost of building and own- also a place to put the ing an Experimental, it’s worth considering the lawn mower and patio tax implications. For starters, depending upon where your kit is produced and where you live, furniture—you have to it’s likely that you will be liable for the sales tax on take into account the time the transaction. Check with the kit manufacturer it takes you to get to and to see how it handles these transactions. In some from the hangar. If you cases, taking delivery in a state other than where work near your house, the manufacturer is located will transfer the liability to you and your own state. you’ll be more time ef- Just such a tax will, of course, apply to fi cient overall if you can everything you buy, but it will hurt the most with build at home. the large chunks—the airframe, engine/prop and avionics. At some point, though, the air- In addition to or in lieu of sales tax, you may be liable for a use tax. You may be liable for this use tax for “using, storing, distributing or otherwise consuming tangible plane will become too big for the personal property” for products on which a state tax was not collected. Some states, house and, after all, you’ll want to fl y such as California, are extremely vigilant about collecting every cent its bureaucrats it some day. It seems a shame to leave think you owe. Incidentally, most states believe you owe the use tax as soon as you your pride and joy outside in a tie- have purchased the kit, not when the airplane is actually fl ying. down spot, so you should have a plan Sales tax on the kit is easily assessed but in states where a use tax is computed on the value of the asset, the situation can be much more complicated. The assessors in place to obtain a hangar around the don’t usually know much about aircraft and have to rely on the standard price guides. time you’re ready to start fl ying. This Unfortunately, these guides, while fairly accurate for production aircraft, either don’t may be easier said than done, with the list homebuilts or don’t have accurate information on their value. We have heard of long waiting lists at many airports, but one state that assessed a value to a homebuilt at some multiple of the actual investment because another “similar” aircraft was valued for more. housing is something you’ll want to Moreover, you may be liable for a local personal property tax, which is usually keep in mind when you’re laying out determined as some percentage of the value of the aircraft. Again, you need to do the budget. your homework and document what your airplane is worth when the tax is assessed, Also build a line item into your no what someone in the assessor’s offi ce thinks it’s worth. budget for tools. The manufacturer of A word of advice: Do not try to duck the taxes if you are genuinely liable. Aircraft are notoriously public and the tax man will fi nd you. your kit can give you general guidelines about tool costs depending upon

36 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com A large proportion of your overall budget will go right here, in the instrument panel. Planning wisely for the mission—eschewing high-end avionics you’ll never use to the fullest—is one of the best ways to stay on budget. the specialized tools you’ll need—and airplane to a pro is the fi nal product— it’s likely you’ll need fewer of them if how it looks to you and to your picky you buy a quickbuild, but check this to friends—but to improve value. Not be sure. Specialized tools and shop sup- that you plan to sell it any time soon, plies—including a strong air compres- but some day you just might. It’ll be sor, an absolute necessity of you’re riv- worth more with a properly applied eting or spraying primer at any stage of paint and an interior that doesn’t look the process—realistically start at $1500 purloined from a 1970s Buick. and go up from there. While we’re discussing the interi- or, do you know if your kit comes with Paint and Interior a cabin vent or heater system? This is an option for some kits, and it’s worth Ask most builders and they’ll say that checking ahead of time. You most farming out paint and interior is the defi nitely don’t want a cabin without overall smart thing to do. And while decent ventilation and heating. painting is a skill that’s not all that diffi cult to learn, it is one more skill that you haven’t really explored during the The Final Word basic construction of your airplane. You’ve crunched the numbers and The motivation for sending your discovered that building your own airplane is in the cards. Now, here are two pieces of advice given to us by a variety of manufacturers and builders, veterans all with indisputable perspective. Number one: Build the airplane according to the plans. Every deviation, every “better idea” you succumb to will cost you something—probably money, most certainly time, very likely both in great quantities. The absolutely safest route to having a completed airplane is to do it by the book. End of story here. Number two: Keep after it. The more the project is put off, the more of life that wedges between you and your project, the less likely it will be completed. This is not a suggestion to rush. It is an urging, as heartfelt as they Planning on going IFR? Have you priced a heat- come, to budget not just money but ed pitot tube lately? New ones from traditional time and emotional commitment to sources will set you back nearly $500. your homebuilt. It’s the only way.

KITPLANES June 2005 37 aerobatic airplane). If the canopy has been snapped open by wind or prop blast, it can damage these rivets and Feeling Used? create a situation where the canopy may leave the airplane in fl ight. Avid Aircraft Mark IV You’ll fi nd these popular sport fl ying. It’s fast, comfortable up Dean Wilson introduced his Avid Fly- to altitudes in the mid-teens and has er in 1983, and more than 2000 air- designs on the second- good short-fi eld characteristics. These planes are fl ying today. The Mark IV is hand market—here’s qualities make it a practical cross-coun- a two-place high-wing utility airplane try plane, but baggage space is limited, designed for low-time VFR pilots who what to look for. and its light controls mean it isn’t wanted to build and fl y on a budget. BY BRIAN E. CLARK particularly suited for IFR fl ight. Sport- Most Avid pilots use their airplanes for type aerobatics (not snap maneuvers or local recreational fl ying rather than ifteen or 20 years ago, there heavy negative G stuff) are a common travel to cross-country destinations. weren’t many alternatives for passtime among RV-4 pilots. Consider And, the design’s folding wings make F pilots who wanted an Experimen- a used one if you’re comfortable with it road towable. tal category airplane but didn’t want to the idea of a quick, responsive tail- build. Sport aviation, while not a young wheel airplane. Pilots looking for the hobby, had only recently entered its equivalent of a faster Cessna should prosperous phase. But with tens of thou- look elsewhere. sands of airplanes built since the 1980s, Here are the key areas to inspect: the stock of used aircraft has grown sig- •Damage or cracks on the brack- nifi cantly, providing another avenue for ets attaching the lower longerons to the non-builders. inside of the fi rewall. These were im- While they may be outwardly proved fairly early in the RV-4’s history, similar, each airplane on the market but you might fi nd cracks in older high- •Flaperon counterweights. All is host to a number of design-specifi c time airplanes, particularly if they’ve Avids need them—the fl aperons don’t considerations for the potential buyer. been operated from rough strips. have enough torsional stiffness, and Sure there are the obvious things to •Engine mount cracks. Again, they will fl utter. Early kits did not inspect—paperwork, avionics, engine on high-time airplanes operated from include counterweights, though a bul- condition, airframe quality, etc.—but rough strips, loads transferred to the letin was issued to add them. there are also the many quirks unique engine mount through the landing gear •Push-pull tubes with rod ends. to a particular design. can eventually damage the mount itself. On some airplanes, rod ends do not We decided to take a look at fi ve have swiveling capability throughout homebuilts commonly available on the control movement (the rod end the used market. For each airplane, we bottoms out before the control travel spoke with a combination of build- reaches its limit). This creates stress, ers, company representatives, industry which can cause the rod end to fail. gurus and other wise individuals to Inspect all rod ends for free movement gain insight on specifi c spots to check, throughout the control travel. should you elect to evaluate one of •Wing rivets. Rivets used to these airplanes for purchase. install internal wing structure—lift- For each airplane, you’ll fi nd strut brackets, drag tubes—and the a brief introduction followed by •General landing gear condition. spar attach bracket used stainless steel some specifi c recommendations—these Gear is somewhat lightweight and can pop rivets. Make sure they’re not alu- should serve as a starting point only. bend on tough landings. Are the gear minum. The only ones visible from And if none of these designs moves legs still straight? Is tire wear even? the outside are on spar doublers where you, do your research and create a Does the airplane taxi without trying they attach to fuselage, but if those are comparable list for the aircraft you’re to pull one way or another? stainless steel, then the correct rivets interested in. Just make sure you do it •Cracks in elevator and rudder were probably used throughout. before you visit the seller to check out skins—the most common problem. •Wing trailing edge. Early kits had his airplane. You won’t be as under- Usually these can be stopped with sim- a stainless steel cable that ran through standing when you fi nd trouble spots ple stop-drilling. If they’ve been left to the back of the trailing edge. If that’s not after you’ve written that check. propagate or there are just too many, sealed properly and the airplane is left out the surface may be re-skinned without in weather, the wood wingribs can rot. Van’s Aircraft RV-4 great diffi culty. Avid later changed to a glued-on solid Nearly 1000 of the fi rst two-seat RV •Canopy attach. The canopy is trailing edge to eliminate the problem. have been fl own since its 1979 debut. fastened to the side rail with soft pop •Rear spar attachment. Early Avids Light, nimble and responsive, the RV-4 rivets designed to tear away if the pilot had potential fatigue problem on the is best suited to someone who enjoys needs to bail out (remember, this is an rear carry-through tube where the spar

38 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com attaches to the fuselage. Eventually the brackets can be tough to access, but company changed the tube geometry, the lower ones are seen easily from Glasair II Stoddard Hamilton debuted the Gla- but check the weld cluster closest to the the fl oor behind the fi rewall. Hard sair II in 1986, incorporating a num- spar attachment for integrity. landings and heavy installations con- ber of design improvements over the tribute to problems here. original Glasair design. These changes Zenith Aircraft resulted in a larger cockpit and numerous Kitfox Model IV labor-saving tweaks to the kit itself for Zodiac CH 601 Unveiled at Oshkosh 1991, the Kitfox a lower build time. The 180-hp Lycom- The Zenith Aircraft Zodiac series Model IV featured a new airfoil ing Glasair II is truly a high-performance includes all the 601-designated planes designed for better STOL capabilities aircraft—high speeds, crisp handling, produced since its 1984 debut. The and handling with an increased top high-altitude capable and robust (+9/- side-by-side design is truly a light speed. Like the Avid Flyer, the Kitfox is 6 G). It’s ideal for cross-country travel, aircraft, with a typical empty weight ideal for active pilots who want to do and most airplanes are IFR equipped. of around 700 pounds compared to a more than simply fl y from Point A to Glasair Aviation boasts a fl eet of more Cessna 150 at more than 1000 pounds Point B. Utility is key, and the Kitfox than 1200 airplanes. empty. Yet both planes carry nearly Model IV is adept at back-country •Nosegear. This is a trouble spot the same weight, fuel and have similar fl ying on wheels, fl oats or skis as well as for Glasairs, many service bulletins ranges, depending on powerplant se- short cross-country fl ights. More than have been issued. Make sure the seller lection. And the 601 will fl y faster and 2000 Model IVs have been built. adhered to the bulletins, which are out-climb a 150 easily. Well-suited for available on Glasair’s web site. low-time pilots, the Zodiac series is an •Composite work. Look under ideal compromise between STOL oper- the instrument panel at all of the fi re- ations and short cross-country fl ying. wall laminates, the fi rewall support rib More than 600 are fl ying. and the forward fuselage support rib. •Powerplant choice. Normally If all of the laminates are clean and powered by the Rotax 912 or Jabiru straight with no large air bubbles, this 3300, the Zodiac series has always been will provide a good indication of the accommodating to builders with alter- quality of the build. native engine ideas. To avoid structural •Too much fi ller. Builders looking risk, make sure any engine is within •Shock cords. Assuming the for an award-winning fi nish tend to weight (265 pounds maximum) and Kitfox you’re considering has bun- load up on Bondo (fi ller material) and power (65-125 hp) limits. gee-type landing gear, examine the then sand down for a slick fi nish. Filler •Rivets and metalwork. The shock cords. UV, oil and exhaust gas- adds weight and can alter c.g. beauty of an all-metal airplane like ses can corrode the rubber. SkyStar in •Instrument panel weight. In the Zodiac is that you can’t hide the fact recommends that these should be high-performance aircraft, some build- workmanship. Make sure rivets are the changed during annual inspection but ers add too much weight in creat- correct type and even that the correct builders are lax in doing so. ing their dream instrument panels. aluminum alloy was used, especially if •Tailspring. Is the plane a Again, check weight and balance to you’re dealing with a plansbuilt plane. taildragger? Then check the tailspring. be sure the airplane has the payload These get hammered hard during land- you need. The only good thing about ings. Look for cracks or elongated a bulging panel is that it moves the mounting holes. empty c.g. forward and affords great- •Bent longerons. Repeated hard er fl exibility in carrying baggage. landings can bend the longerons where the gear attaches, and you’ll see a wrinkle beneath the door. Look under the seat, and you’ll see that the through tube is also bent. On bungee gear systems, cables were used as arres- •Control stops. Check to make tors so you wouldn’t damage your prop sure they’re present and installed per on a tough landing, but these can bend the Zenith plans. the through tube and longerons. •Canopy attachment. Are there •The fabric. Get the plane out in any small cracks in the acrylic run- the bright sun and check various spots ning from canopy attach screws that for light coming through the fabric. •Modifi cations. Builder modifi - haven’t been stop-drilled? This can be If you see light coming through, the cations often come with unintended an expensive and challenging replace- fabric won’t last long if the plane is left consequences, especially when you’re ment. Does the canopy set fairly fl ush out in the sun. Recovering the plane is dealing with a high-performance on the cowling? a big job. composite airplane like the Glasair II. •Engine mount and attach •Flaperon counterweights. Like the Check with an expert if the airplane brackets. Check to make sure they are Avid, every Kitfox should have fl aperon you’re considering has many or signifi - not cracked or fatigued. The upper counterweights to avoid fl utter. cant deviations from the plans.

KITPLANES June 2005 39 How I Survived the RV-4 From Hell One buyer’s story provides insight on the pitfalls of purchasing a used homebuilt.

BY ED WISCHMEYER

ilt your recliner, grab a tall one taxied out to the end of the longest blast tubes to keep the mags cool, and and get ready—as Rod Machado runway, ran it up and took off. Fifty they took turns overheating and failing. T says, “Truth is stranger than fi c- feet in the air, the engine quit, but the (This is a well known issue among RV- tion because fi ction has to make sense.” pilot managed to get it going and he 4 owners. Had this second owner been My fi rst airplane was a Van’s RV-4 that I continued on his evaluation fl ight. savvy to the fact, he would have known bought used. With the passage of time, I Half hour or so later, the plane what to look for.) miss it more and more. Yet, when I saw landed and taxied in. Sometime later, the plane was pictures of it for sale on the Internet Seller: “So whadya think?” up for sale again, and I hopped on it. recently, I wasn’t even remotely inter- Potential Buyer: “Flies good. By the I’d been tire-kicking for a year or more ested in reclaiming old times. Why? Be- way, how much time you got on her?” while learning about RVs, and multiple cause I remember the four problem areas I Seller: “Oh, that was the fi rst RV-builder Alan Tolle had graciously experienced with this homebuilt: engine, fl ight.” spent hours on the phone with me, systems, airframe and fl ight controls. Exit the prospective buyer in a huff patiently explaining what was what. A bit of history. This RV-4 was and in a screech of tires. There was one beautiful (at least in built by a good old boy in Florida. I photos) RV-4 I had lusted after with think he knew that he wasn’t going Changing Hands a prop that was alternate laminates to be fl ying it much—I don’t know After a while, the plane was sold to a of dark and light wood. Fortunately, I why, I didn’t think to ask—so he ad- pilot in Oregon. The second owner told didn’t buy it, especially since I found vertised the plane for sale. A potential me that on the ferry fl ight, the engine out that it was overpriced by $10,000 buyer came along soon, looked it over started running rough. Doing an infl ight and that the seller didn’t volunteer that and asked if he could take it up. “No mag check, he discovered that one mag it had had to have the wings reskinned problem, here’s the key.” The prospect had failed. Turns out that there were no after somebody pulled 8 or 10 Gs in it.

Doesn’t look so bad, does it? The author didn’t think so either during his pre-purchase inspection.

40 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com (Perhaps this is Rule No. 1 in buying a used homebuilt: Never become infatu- ated by the cosmetic appearance of the airplane. There’s a whole lot more to it than a shiny paint job or sexy prop.) When “my” RV-4 came up for sale, coworker Bill Jacobs fl ew me to Oregon in his Swift, and we inspected the plane. This one had a reputation as being one of the better-built RVs in the fl eet (standards have improved dramatically since then), and my hour-long pre-purchase inspection and reading of the logs went well. The exhaust system was cracked, but the seller agreed to pay for that. Pieces of paper swapped hands, the seller disap- peared on the commuter fl ight home, and I was the third owner of this RV- 4. I had asked why the RV-4 was for sale, and the seller told of his history of aircraft ownership, a different plane every few years. He had fl own this RV-4 a reasonable amount and had fi xed a A rear spar problem resulted in the author’s disassembly of the airplane shortly after purchase, and he took the opportunity to replace the poorly wired panel with a new IFR-capable suite of instruments. number of items, so he didn’t appear to be dumping a lemon. This is a critical point in the negotiations that a lot annoyed by this omen of quality to of buyers seem to skip—determine the bottom wingskin and rib, but no note expect, I took the RV-4 home—literally seller’s motivation. and no phone call. You can guess my emotions! (We’ll save the sermon on in pieces. The fuselage fi t in the garage supervising anyone new to working on with 4 inches to spare after I removed Mine...All Mine your airplane for another time.) the spinner, a wing went into the It was 106° in Oregon that day and after Several extraordinarily well quali- living room (I was a bachelor at the one leg toward home, I was pooped— fi ed friends insisted that the easy way time), and the other wing went to a some from the heat, some from the to get the skin fi xed was to pull the retired sheet-metal man’s house. Even excitement and stress. Bill and I fl ew in wing. Trouble is, if you’re not in a han- by myself, I soon got tired of fl ying loose formation to the fi rst fuel stop. gar, after you pull one wing, you need surfaces in the living room. This is a most prudent idea; you’re to pull both wings to keep the plane Meanwhile, this was my chance seldom at greater risk than the fi rst few from keeling over to one side and to to put a real instrument panel in the hours in a new (to you) airplane. Bill have something to attach the tiedown RV-4 instead of that VFR hodgepodge fl ew home in his Swift, and I spent the to. Then the plane is nose-heavy, so it came with. The original panel had a night at a motel. I’m as much a meat you need to take it home. We all met row of 3-inch instruments on the bot- and potatoes guy as the next fellow, one Saturday, disassembled the RV-4 tom and some 2-inch instruments in but dinner was a half dozen glasses of and found a few more surprises. a top row, those holes cut in another water and a fruit plate. The aft spar attachment on the piece of aluminum attached to the Once safely home, I had the damaged wing had been mis-drilled main panel. After I took things apart, plane inspected by a number of trusted and then re-drilled, resulting in two I discovered why the helper panel was sources. There were a few little things overlapping holes. The part of the required—the panel had originally we found to fi x, but nothing major. I hole that wasn’t in use had a half- been cut for 3-inch holes in both the loved the handling, and if the takeoff moon fi ller, creating an enlarged hole top and bottom rows, but the holes acceleration was mediocre with that and doing who knows what to the were packed so closely together, like a massive cruise prop, it wasn’t really the normal stress patterns in the rear spar. beehive, that you couldn’t possibly fi ll airplane’s fault and I could live with it. None of this would have been visible the holes with instruments. Enter this fable the local shadetree on a pre-purchase inspection without As I dismembered the old panel, mechanic, recommended by several removing the bolt. I found Radio Shack-style vinyl wiring people. He was doing something on doing most of the electrical honors, the plane one day that involved getting and I recall that at least one connection one wheel up in the air. When I came to Back Into Pieces comprised two wires twisted together fl y the plane the next day, there was a Glad to have found this safety-of-fl ight and wrapped with electrical tape. If tear in the upper wingskin, a hole in the discrepancy, but much more than my inspection technique were more

Photos: Ed Wischmeyer KITPLANES June 2005 41 Used RV-4 checked the alignment. straightened and heat-treated. continued On cars, you want the front For the next step, good friend wheels slightly toe-in for stability, but George Ganschow machined the bolt on a taildragger, you want the wheels holes straight and silver soldered in thorough, I might have noticed this either neutral or slightly toe-out. Why? 4130 plugs. I fi led the ends into align- discrepancy and fi gured on a complete If the plane has one wing down—as in ment with the gear legs, clamped rewiring as part of the negotiations. Or a crosswind landing or an incipient everything together in perfect align- I might have walked away. ground loop—toe-in will be destabiliz- ment, and drilled. Tire wear dropped to Eight months later, the RV-4 was ing. Specifi cations for the RV-4 call for a reasonable range, and the addition of ready to fl y again, now with IFR gyros, the wheels to be neutral (parallel) up to a passenger no longer made a difference a glideslope and a lot of pride in that 50 /1000 inch toe-out. Both of mine were to the airplane’s ground handling. panel. The fi rst fl ight went well, but 5 toed-out nearly /16 inch—about six my hopes of using the RV-4 to build times too much. No wonder my light- the last few hours towards my ATP weight RV was positively eating tires. Is It Supposed certifi cate were unmet, as I had the The decision was made to ATP in hand by then. To Do That? realign the landing gear, which meant Sometime down the line when the pulling the engine off the mount, fi ll- plane was disassembled for its annual What’s Wrong ing the old holes and re-drilling. But, condition inspection, a sightseer came with the motor mount off, why not by to check out the action. Mindful of With This Gear? magnafl ux it and check for cracks? how much I had learned in my tire- As I fl ew and enjoyed the RV-4 more Good idea—I found three. kicker/wannabe days, I never turned and more, fi rst solo and then dual, it When it came time to take the such people away. He leaned against became apparent that there was some gear legs off, the bolts simply would the top of the fuselage just behind the kind of landing gear problem. When not come out, even after penetrating fi rewall, and it gave. landing dual, the plane always felt oil and turning them with a wrench Says he: “Is it supposed to do twitchy, like it was ready to ground while tapping. It turned out that that?” loop, though it never budged from the holes through the gear legs had Says me: “No, it’s not supposed to the centerline. More distressing, I not been made on a drill press, but do that.” found that every 15 hours or so, the apparently with a hand drill instead. There are four steel brackets aft tires were worn out on the inside. I So the hole had been drilled from of the fi rewall that rivet to longerons, got profi cient at taking the tires off both sides, and the bolt wouldn’t skins and fi rewall, and each engine the wheels, swapping them inside for come out because the two halves of mount attach bolt goes through the out, and reinstalling them. Curiously, the hole didn’t line up! center of this weldment. The original there were no entries in the logbooks And, after removing the fi ber- parts from Van’s were relatively light; on changing tires. glass gear-leg fairings, I had to won- one of these had failed completely, Eventually, it was time to look der: Isn’t that gear leg bent just a little and its counterpart on the other side for a longer-term solution. I got both bit? (That’s not entirely rare with was mostly failed. I bought a set of wheels jacked up at once (a bit of a an RV-4, as the gear legs are strong four new ones and installed two to get trick), removed them both along with enough but not necessarily over back in the air, saving the other two the two brake mounting plates (one stout. I don’t think it happened on for later installation. of them stubborn), clamped a straight my watch.) The gear leg went back Meanwhile, there were other sur- piece of steel across both gear legs, and to the manufacturer to be annealed, prises. I had spent hours looking at the engine installation, which had fl own for 800 hours on a Piper Apache before being installed on the RV-4, and the engine installation had been inspected by a handful of aeronautically quali- fi ed friends and by several IAs. One sharp-eyed IA discovered that instead of having the requisite safety-wired metal plugs in all the oil portals, this engine still had a plastic plug, just as shipped from the factory. As I gained experience, I learned the airplane’s quirks. The oil cooler was oversized, but even so, the difference between oil temperature and am-

Engine projects included new bafﬂ ing, reloca- tion of the oil cooler (it was installed too tight against the cowling and hindered airﬂ ow) and a new chrome cylinder on the front left.

42 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com bient air temperature (measured by a key-ring thermometer hanging from the true airspeed indicator knob) was a constant 140°. On summer fl ights at 100°, the oil temperature was a barely acceptable 240°. Part of the trouble was that the oil cooler was installed directly against the engine cowling; air could get in, but it couldn’t get out. One of the projects was to move the cooler inboard as far as possible, which was about ⅝” inch. That didn’t help much, and perhaps the scat tubing feeding air wasn’t big enough. (Airfl ow through tubing goes as the fourth power of diameter, so going from 3 inches to 4 inches would have increased airfl ow by more than a factor of three.) This engine installation was never smooth, and the contributing factors included the fact that it was a four-cylinder, that it had a conical mount instead of Dynafocal, and that the ignition system was problematic. At one point, I had an excessive mag drop, so I pulled the affected magneto and took it to the shop. The tech allowed me to watch the exploratory surgery, and he had barely started when he said, “There’s trouble.” How so? “That oil slinger is in upside down, and besides, they’re not reusable. Every time you take it out, you’re supposed to replace it.” When I got back home, I checked the engine logs. No record of magneto work. Fuel-System Blunders I was lucky to survive the worst builder error, and it came on the next fl ight. After reading in the Van’s RVAtor newsletter that many RV pilots never practiced stalls or slow fl ight, conscience kicked in and I decided I should do that. By then, I was a 2000- hour ATP/CFI and had taught aerobatics, so this seemed a pretty nominal exercise, but why not? One summer evening after work, I launched to do the stalls. The dipstick showed 15 gallons in one tank and 3 in the other. I wanted to burn off a little more fuel in the 15-gallon tank so I could move those 3 gallons and remove that tank to address a minor leak. It was a gorgeous evening in the San Francisco Bay area with enough high clouds for a rare and beautiful sunset, and I was still talking to Bay Approach as I started some slow fl ight and did some stalls. Suddenly, the

KITPLANES June 2005 43 Used RV-4 Although RVs have stainless-steel continued fi rewalls, the forward fuselage underside is just aluminum, and a fi re could engine quit cold, though the prop eat through that. A friend in a Harmon continued to rotate. With a mind of its Rocket had an infl ight fi re, apparently own, my left hand switched switches it ate through that fuselage skin, and and knobbed knobs, and the engine he died a week later. was restored to health. But why had it stopped? I knew it wasn’t a fuel problem, as I had taken off only 10 minutes Lessons Learned earlier with 15 gallons in that tank. There are more stories to tell about Momentarily, I thought about that old RV, at least enough to fi ll an fussing with the engine to see if I could entire issue. My RV was one of the few recreate the problem (I was above an planes in which you could pull 3 Gs, airport), but given that this was an go inverted and fi nish with an ILS. Experimental aircraft with an already Sometimes I miss it still, but since I’m impressive reputation for troubles, why building an RV-10, I don’t have time not just call it a day and go home? to build a sporty RV too. If that urge Bay Approach was cooperative gets too strong in the future, I’ll look and soon I was on downwind, suffi - to buy one already fl ying—but I’ll go ciently high that I needed a 360 to through an entirely different buying lose some altitude, and I fl ew a tight process this time. pattern to guarantee that I could Instead of just inspecting the make it to the airport. The land- airplane, I’ll also check out the building was fi ne, and as I taxied up to er/seller/owner. It takes knowledge to the hangar, I wondered what could build a homebuilt, and it takes a cer- have caused the problem. Idling in tain amount of knowledge to safely front of the hangar, I pondered what own and operate one. When you are I might do to see if I could recreate considering a purchase, evaluate the the engine problem. After 8 seconds knowledge of the builder or seller. of pondering, the engine helped What they don’t know can kill you. make that decision by quitting on It also takes skill to build a its own. I thought about restarting homebuilt. Skill is usually manifested it, but no—it had quit, and it made in craftsmanship, but be careful not more sense and was safer to just shut to confuse a slick paint job, an expen- things down and call it a day. sive panel or a sharp looking interior A quick walk-around showed that for craftsmanship. Craftsmanship is the right gear leg and wheelpant were easier to spot on the rivet heads, the covered with a black and blue fl uid— way the wires and tubes are secured but there were no black and blue fl uids in the engine installation, or perhaps on the plane. When I got the dipstick to check fuel consumption, I was ex- pecting to fi nd 10 gallons left from the original 13. Instead, the tank was dry! Where had it all gone? I pulled the plane into the hangar, popped the cowl and started looking. The fuel line through the fi rewall was solid aluminum and bent and twisted to the gascolator, which was on a stiff, but not completely immo- bile mount. The fuel line had cracked at the fi rewall fi tting, and the engine- driven pump had started sucking air instead of gas, causing the engine to quit in fl ight. When I hit the electric boost pump, the engine started getting gas again, but I was pumping about a gallon per minute overboard with hot exhaust stacks 10 inches to either side. I had run the tank dry 8 seconds after ...When the plane’s not grounded for mainte- getting back to the hangar! nance/rebuilding, that is.

44 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com on the empty weight to see how much Bondo was used to cover up nicks and scratches and misalignments on the surface. Bondo is like a bad camera- man that proclaims, “We’ll fi x that in post production.” Last, look for integrity. It does little good to fi nd somebody knowledgeable with a great track record but whose lack of integrity means they may have taken shortcuts. But what if the previous owner is deceased? Find out as much as you can from his friends at the airport including mechanics and CFIs, both about the plane and about the personality and characteristics of the owner. Be extra careful. Consider an exaggerated inspection—before you buy and as soon as you get it home. And while nobody wants to short- change a widow, if you are taking an extra risk buying a plane, that risk should be refl ected in the price. In summary, you could compare buying a used homebuilt to buying a very expensive used car; a few basic research steps can be borrowed. •First, fi nd out about the seller and if he or she is a knowledgeable owner who has maintained the plane properly. •Second, get the plane inspected by a reputable outfi t—preferably someone who knows something about the particular design you’re considering. Take the time to do this right—it might be hard to locate somebody truly reputable from a distance, and we’ve all heard horror stories of “inspections” that were actually whitewashes. •Third, don’t be in too much of a hurry to buy. (In fact, be in no hurry.) And don’t become enamored with a rock-bottom price; usually, there’s a reason for a too-good-to-be-true offer. •Finally, remember that the best inspection and history documents Painless • Safer • Quieter the past—not the future. Consider the fact that you may have to invest Painless, Safer Seat Cushions money shortly after your purchase, at even if you bought a great airplane. for Any RV or Other Buyers of production airplanes are Homebuilt Aircraft See Us warned to set aside as much as 25% OSHKOSH of the purchase price for surprises in Bldg. C the fi rst year of ownership. It is possible to find a reason- • Aircraft Interior Upgrades ably priced, well maintained, fully • Painless, Quieter Headset Upgrades documented and fully disclosed RV-7 & RV-9 • ShockBlockers™ Insole Inserts homebuilt—my RV-4 was when I sold it—but a little caution will go a Free 800-888-6910 • www.OregonAero.com long way toward helping you weed Catalog out the lemons before whipping out VISA or MasterCard accepted. We welcome U.S. Government IMPAC cards. that checkbook.

KITPLANES June 2005 45 Reﬂ ections on a Friend Moved On The opposite perspective—parting with your pride and joy.

BY KEN BALCH

am writing this from the dubious unpleasant. Nearly everyone who a homebuilder’s house as its human comfort of an airline seat, heading owns an airplane will eventually sell inhabitants. Every available space is I home to Florida after selling my baby. it. For some, that day will be one of fair game for storage. In my case, one That is, my beautiful RV-8—N118KB. Yes, relief and even joy, to varying degrees. entire spare bedroom was devoted to I received a fair price, and the plane is Homebuilders, however, are largely the project. All the empennage pieces going to a nice guy who has promised a different breed. Perhaps a certain were laid out on the fl oor as well as (in writing, even) to give me fi rst dibs on amount of sentimentality is under- the fl aps, ailerons, pushrods and elec- buying it back at the same price when it standable, considering our intimate trical supplies. The RV’s wings were comes time for him to sell. You might involvement with the creation of our stored against one wall of our living think I’d be pleased to be pocketing airplanes. We spend years nurturing room, the propeller lived behind the such a good amount of money—funds our projects in the shop during their couch, the completed canopy resided I need for a down payment on our new sometimes diffi cult gestations, and just in my offi ce, and the kitchen table was house—and even I anticipated just such as much time (if not more) dreaming entirely given over to the instrument a feeling, but you’d be wrong. In fact, I of the adventures we’ll have together panel and all its components for more feel confl icted. when the new addition fi nally joins than a year. Yes, my wife is a saint! I feel, mostly, as though I just had the family. Needless to say, our garage didn’t to shoot Old Yeller. I feel as though An airplane project truly becomes house our cars. It was consumed by I’ve betrayed a loyal friend. And while a member of the family during the years aircraft production since before the the necessity of the sale remains un- of its construction. Parts and complet- empennage kit arrived (early Decem- questionable, the aftertaste is decidedly ed assemblies are as much residents of ber 1999) until the completed airplane

Author Ken Balch ranks his two trips to Sun ’n Fun as highlights with his airplane; Balch’s wife, Jean (inset), learned to enjoy ﬂ ying in the back seat of the RV-8.

46 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Authorized Kodiak Service Center For:

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Photos: Ken Balch KITPLANES June 2005 47 In Search of… the Perfect Paint Job Part 2: Have Design, Will Paint.

BY RICK LINDSTROM

Mike Loehle gives instruction on the application of the urethane coatings he developed. Preparation, no matter what material you’re working with, is critical.

y now, you’ve got the perfect Before you get to painting, your crankcase breather, and your aircraft is paint job squarely featured in aircraft will probably have a few hours well on its way to looking like it’s being B your mind’s eye. And if you while the fl ight-test bugs have been (hurray!) actually fl own. squint just right at your airframe, you found and vanquished, and various Which is a good thing, assuming can almost see the base coat shimmer- airframe parts have been removed and that you’re going for that polished bare ing under the perfectly applied accents, reinstalled in the process. So there aluminum look. But if you’re planning lighting up the surrounding area with an might be some scratches and tool to apply some form of protective and incandescent glow. At least that’s what it marks here and there, and a few actual decorative coating to that now slightly looks like on paper, so now the challenge insect-type bugs decorating a formerly lived-in airframe, it will fi rst need to be is to scale it up to the physical reality of a pristine airframe. Throw in a bit of fuel thoroughly cleaned and prepared before full-sized aircraft. residue, exhaust stains and oil from the that ideal design can begin to appear.

48 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Skin Deep Anti-corrosion treatments, such tions, and atomized paint loves to trav- as ACF-50 and Corrosion Block, do el and settle wherever it can. Although The combination of materials that work well to prevent aluminum air- the recent introduction of HVLP (High make up your airframe will dictate ex- frame structures from deteriorating. Volume, Low Pressure) spray systems actly what to use for proper preparation But these chemicals will also weep has helped this problem signifi cantly, for painting; we’ll discuss this topic fur- to the outside of an airframe because the prohibitions against spray painting ther when we explore the intricacies of they fi ll voids by design. This weeping still remain in many cases. individual metal, composite, fabric and usually occurs through rivet holes and The specifi c type of paint you wood airframes. The other major con- lap joints and will defi nitely prevent may want to apply may be legal in sideration beyond surface cleanliness paint from adhering. So wait at least certain areas of the country, but pro- is smoothness, as that elusive perfect six months after an airframe is treated hibited in some others. The best source paint job greatly depends on what’s un- before paint is applied to the outside. for fi nding what’s acceptable in any derneath to properly shine. Thankfully, given geographical area is your local sheet metal and gel-coated composites paint jobber, who will know what fi n- are already smooth; wood and fabric Enter the Paint Police ishing systems are currently being used have their inherent surface textures It wasn’t too long ago that you would and what primers and other chemicals to deal with, as do composites. But all go into the local hardware store, buy a meet the specifi cations set by local en- surface types will require some form of conventional spray-paint gun, connect vironmental entities. treatment to make sure the paint will it to your air compressor and com- And the local regulations don’t stick tight when subjected to the rigors mence painting. If you were concerned stop with just the paint itself; they of relative wind and rain. about personal safety, you might even frequently cover such areas as ventila- “Preparation is it,” says Edwin Krass don a charcoal mask to help keep the tion, fi ltering, personal protection and of Kracon Aircraft Refi nishing. “This is fumes out of your lungs. Since then, other facility-related issues. Although the key ingredient to any good paint job. the Environmental Protection Agency the EPA may set standards on a nation- Over 90% of what makes a good paint and many local municipalities have al level, these minima may be (and fre- job is proper surface preparation.” Hav- gotten into the act with mandates that quently are) exceeded locally. Painters ing spent the last three decades painting address where you can paint, the mate- with a few decades of experience un- all types of aircraft, Krass has seen the rials you can use, and what equipment is der their belts may be tempted to call paint industry change with time, usually now allowable. “overkill” on these expanded regs, but for the better where materials and safety Beyond what the local city or others may well agree with the safety- are concerned. “And wear gloves at the county authorities say about spray driven intent. very least for everything, even if you’re painting, your local airport manage- just washing the airplane with TSP (triso- ment may want to weigh in on the dium phosphate) to remove the surface subject as well. If you rent your han- That Light-Headed contamination,” Krass adds. gar, check your lease agreement for Are there any common contami- any prohibitions on painting before Feeling nants that create problems for paint- you build that ad hoc spray booth in “If you can smell it, it’s getting into ers? “Pledge!” Krass says. “I even called the corner. Many interconnected han- your lungs,” says Mike Loehle of Loehle Johnson Wax to fi nd out what they put gars aren’t exactly airtight between sec- Aircraft in Wartrace, Tennessee. Loehle in it, and it’s silicone. It may be good for keeping bugs from sticking to the leading edge, but I pity anyone who comes along later and needs to do spot work.” Many automotive waxes and even some spray lubricants have a silicone base as well, so be careful with the application of such chemicals if you’ve going to be painting anything in the same general vicinity.

On a composite airframe, every surface has to be smooth, smooth, smooth. Or else the ﬁ nal Even before applying the ﬁ nal coat, careful work practices are important. The work area needs to be glossy coat will reveal every mistake. clean and well ventilated.

Photos: Rick Lindstrom, Jeff Miller, Larry Vela, Courtesy Loehle Aircraft KITPLANES June 2005 49 Perfect Paint continued

was painting and maintaining a fl eet of certifi ed airplanes long before bringing his line of replica kits to the homebuilt market. “Even when you paint a room in your house with water-soluble latex, the fumes will get to you eventually,” he adds. More and more, painters are seeing the negative effects of constant exposure to fi nish coverings typically used on aircraft and cars. “What you’ll usually see is body men or painters who will have their lungs plasticized,” says airbrush artiste extraordinaire Larry Vela, who has been painting award-winning show cars, motorcycles and aircraft for 31 years. “Essen- tially they’re breathing plastic, so even- There was a time when tube-and-fabric aircraft made do with a semi-gloss fi nish. But modern product allow a deep, lustrous fi nish even on fabric. tually over time, these contaminants will coat the lungs. Not to mention that the hardeners are a nitrocyanate. “You’re dealing with some nasty a short time? And it’s not just the lungs environmental restrictions on painting, chemicals. And any long exposure— that suffer from contaminants—eyes don’t rush out to the paint store quite over 5 minutes in a paint booth—it’s and mucous membranes also don’t take yet. Ambient temperature and rela- best if you have a fresh air supply in- kindly to the volatiles fl oating around tive humidity will also infl uence your stead of just a fi lter. Since the early a spray booth. Fortunately, a bit of at- choices in fi nish materials, as some ’80s, I’ve made sure I have my mask tention paid to area ventilation and air systems will work better than others in on when I mix the paint. And before I fi ltering will greatly minimize the work less-than-ideal application situations. even open the cans, I have gloves and your personal protection system needs “Ideally, you want less than 50% a mask on. I wish that I was this careful to do to keep you safe. humidity and the surface to be painted when I was younger.” about 10° warmer than room tempera- Granted, the exposure of paint- Where, Oh Where, ture—at least 75°,” Vela says. “Trying ing a single airplane is much less to paint in colder climates sets up a than experienced by those who Can I Paint my moisture situation that prevents the do it professionally, but Plane... paint from adhering well, and you who wants to compro- If you’re fortunate don’t want the paint fl aking off when mise their pulmonary enough to live in fl ying through rain or bugs. Generally, system, an area with rela- warmer is better.” even for tively few Dust control in the immediate area around the paint booth is another area that’s often overlooked. “It’s a good idea to lightly hose down the area before you paint to keep the dust down,” suggests Vela. “Not so much if you’re just doing touch-up on the leading edge, but you don’t want dust and grit to become part of the paint job. And try to paint fi rst thing in the morning, before the wind kicks up.” Of course, you don’t have to build a fully ventilated, lighted, temperature-controlled paint booth to get good results. Some builders have completed their grand champions by

HVLP—for high volume/low pressure—equipment is the rage. It can offer an excellent ﬁ nish and goes easy on the paint supply. Plus, it’s less prone to overspray and other messes.

50 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com A 2 Place Cross Country Gyroplane! Tax deductible Crop dusting Predator control Windmill inspection Stock count & inspection Arial photography & mapping Power, pipe & fence inspection

It’s a bit hard to see here, but during the painting Brochure • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Free process, there’s a massive cloud of material Info pack • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • $12 USD hanging in the air. You deﬁ nitely don’t want to be Info pack & video NTSC (110v) • • • $28 USD breathing this stuff. Info pack & video PAL(220v) • • • • $40 USD just waiting for the ideal day to dawn without too many bugs, and paint and sand outdoors. If local regulations don’t prohibit such activity, and you ROTARY AIR FORCE MARKETING INC. TEL: 306-463-6030 have the patience, this might be an Box 1236, 1107-9th Street West FAX: 306-463-6032 option to consider. Generally speak- Kindersley, SK. Canada S0L 1S0 Email: [email protected] ing, however, the fewer obstacles en- For more details visit www.raf2000.com countered by ﬁ rst-time painters, the better the paint job will be.

HVLP Technology The Independent Voice for Homebuilt Aviation on the March It’s been quite a few years since the term aircraft paint usually meant Imron or Centauri, to be applied with a conventional spray gun hooked up to an air compressor. If you have an old spray system that’s collecting dust in the corner of the hangar, you may be tempted to pull it out of retirement and put it back to work. But if that old spray gun is more than 12 years old, it’s probably no longer legal for the application of aircraft or automotive fi nishes. The problem with the old conventional spray systems is a marked tendency to transfer as much material into the air as on the item being painted, which is not only a waste of material but is ultimately harmful to the operator and the environment. This transfer effi ciency of 30-50% has been improved dramatically by the introduction of High Volume, Low Pressure (HVLP) spray systems, which allow for up to a 90% transfer effi ciency, a marked reduction of overspray and much fewer volatiles making it into the air. This is accomplished by replac- ing the air pressure used in a conventional system with air volume, which is why the hoses on a HVLP system are so much fatter, like a vacuum cleaner hose. This also means that traditional compressors have mostly been replaced by multistage air turbines that run more

KITPLANES June 2005 51 Perfect Paint annoying compressor clatter every time used to hearing a certain sound and see- continued it kicks on to repressurize the tank. ing the paint coming out of the tip of For those of us who’ve grown the gun in a certain spray pattern, there quietly and efﬁ ciently. You can, howev- up painting with conventional spray are going to be some differences. At er, just buy a HVLP paint gun to hook systems, using a HVLP system is just ﬁ rst, it didn’t appear that enough paint to your existing compressor. It’s easier different enough to require some fa- was coming out of the HVLP paint gun than you think, as all of the paint guns miliarization before undertaking a se- when compared to my conventional currently on the retail market are of rious paint job. gun. But once I got the right pressure the HVLP persuasion. These conversion “I’ve just switched over myself,” dialed in, it sure went on nice.” guns convert the high-pressure source says Ted Setzer of Glasair Aviation, who Another difference in using a air into low-pressure, high-volume air also restores and paints automobiles HVLP turbine system is the tempera- needed by the remainder of the HVLP when he’s not being a kit aircraft mag- ture of the air when it meets and at- spray system. But you’ll still have that nate. “And I’m still learning. If you’re omizes the paint. Because there isn’t a large air storage tank involved as with conventional high-pressure spray systems, the air is actually quite warm at the spray gun, having just been mildly pressurized by several stacked stages of fans to less than 10 psi. “The most common problem is orange peel,” says Axis Products’ Jan Balsamo. “If you’re used to a conventional spray system, you might not use enough reducer in the paint because it feels too thin. But then it’ll go on too heavy, because the warm air will dry the paint slightly when it’s atomized.” Recognizing the need for air by both the spray gun and the painter, Axis builds a series of patented combination HVLP systems that also provides air to breathe while painting. “These are our most popular systems for people painting airplanes,” Balsamo says. “And our four-stage systems will spray anything

Larry Vela, prior to painting Deception, suits up for the task. Full suits keep the paint off your clothes and muck out of the paint.

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52 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com from stains to gel-coats.” what has worked for them, and keep A New Kid on the Block Is it possible for a fi rst time painter in mind that paint technology moves One of the few products that seems to to get good results? “You’d be amazed at a breakneck pace, so feedback that work well no matter what type of air- at the number of people who come by may have been accurate three or fi ve frame material is underneath comes our booth with all these pictures of years ago may not be as relevant today. from Mike Loehle. His recently an- their freshly painted planes,” Balsamo Weigh your research accordingly to nounced Loehle Aero Coatings em- says. “And most of them have never preserve its freshness. spray-painted anything big before.” Fabric-covered and wood air- ploy a four-stage system that consists frames demand other considerations of urethane-based primers and paints, from paint systems, given the porous initially designed for fabric-covered air- Go Ahead—Be Choosy nature of their surfaces and susceptibility craft. His Filler/UV Blocker primers are As paint chemistry has improved along to damage from UV rays. Frequently, a available in black or white, identical with paint application technology, the paint system designed for one type of in their UV protection except for pig- would-be aircraft painter has a bewil- construction fell short when applied to ment. On a fabric airplane, the idea is dering array of paint products from another, but there has been signifi cant to put down one or two coats of black which to choose. And these choices are recent improvement in this area. primer, followed by a coat of white. no longer limited to single-stage aircraft paints, which will eventually fade and dull. Signifi cant improvements in the automotive world have led to the suitability of two-stage systems, using a base and clear coat, for aviation. Like airplanes, automobiles are now frequently constructed of many different materials, such as steel, plastic, composites and others. There has been signifi cant research into multistage covering systems that work well on different base materials, with aviation being a direct benefi ciary of this automotive-inspired diligence. Many of the same fi nishing systems found in automotive body shops will work well on metal or composite airframes, but care should still be taken to ensure that paints and structures are totally compatible before you commit to a specifi c family of paint products. Take Mike Loehle discusses the theory behind his company’s line of paint products. Specialized needs in the time to query other builders to see aviation have led to purpose-built products that work in demanding environments.

KITPLANES June 2005 53 FOUR STROKE POWER! THE 700E - 60 H.P. Perfect Paint continued • LIGHTPLANES • 122 LBS. COMPLETE • UL TRAINERS • LOW FUEL CONSUMPTION • GYROS • SUPER QUIET MUFFLERS You’ll know exactly when to stop • TRIKES • 2 REDUCTION RATIOS sanding the white primer—it’s when the black just starts to show through. • REPLICAS • PUSHER OR TRACTOR In this way, any potential damage to • PPC’s • WARRANTY the fabric itself underneath can be eas- HPower - LTD. ily avoided. Then the primer coats are P.O. Box 690 followed by the colored base and clear Ellington, CT 06029 coats, which have shown remarkable 860-875-8185 • Fax 860-870-5499 • HUNDREDS FLYING longevity so far. “You’d be surprised how many www.HKS700E.com - SPECS • 3 VIEWS • INSTALLATIONS people think our P-40 on display is freshly painted,” Loehle says. “They’re shocked when I tell them the paint is over 10 years old. It still looks wet, and it’s never been waxed.” Owners of composite and metal airframes can forego the black coat, and just use the white ﬁ ller/primer to achieve identical results. Durability is

Actual Size 6"W x 2.75"H x 2.5"D another area where Loehle’s urethanes are unusual, as he frequently uses a cloth lightly treated with Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) to remove dirt and fi n- gerprints from his display aircraft following airshows. As you know, MEK is a powerful solvent and can eat right Prices include probes. through a lot of commercial fi nishes. AIRCRAFT TOOL SUPPLY COMPANY Ready, Aim, Paint 1000 Old U.S. 23 l Oscoda l Michigan l 48750 In upcoming installments, we’ll look at the specifi cs of preparing different Tel: 989-739-1447 l 24-Hour Fax: 989-739-1448 airframe types for fi nishing, including cleaning and surface preparation. Then Call toll free we’ll discuss which fi nish systems work best for different airframe materials and 1-800-248-0638 pass along some tips from the experts Come ccelebrateelebrate oourur in getting that perfect paint job on your 330th0th AAnniversarynniversary withwith us!us! aircraft. In the meantime, your personal computer can help you poke around www.aircraft-tool.com cyberspace, and get more detailed information on the latest and greatest in Free shipping on all online orders over $150.00. Weight restrictions apply Secure online ordering airframe painting technology. Contact Information AXIS PRODUCTS www.axispro.com 888/458-1322

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54 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com t’s a simple fact in today’s world that if I can tell you that Pete and his partner university also makes stops in Texas you want reasonable amounts of liability David Hickman put together a fi rst class during the southwest EAA fl y-in in Iand hull coverage for your Lancair IV-P, program. That is if you consider fi rst May, and at the annual Lancair Labor you’re going to need to get proper training class as the defi nition of getting beat Day fl y-in at the factory in Redmond, fi rst. To make matters more stringent, many up, pushed, tested, and (like hitting Oregon. There’s a California school carriers are now requiring the kit manufac- yourself over the canopy with a ham- planned for the fall, too, but that has turer to endorse any “approved” training mer) making you feel really good when not yet been scheduled. sources. In Lancair’s case, this means High you’ve successfully polished up your Performance Aircraft Training, a group fl ying and (phew!) it’s all over. That is of roving Lancair specialists headed by to say that High Performance’s training The Curriculum engineer, test pilot and all around good regimen is thorough and unrelenting. Here’s what the curriculum looked like guy, Peter Zaccagnino. In addition to the fi rst school for me at this year’s session of Lancair Having just completed the course, held at Sebring, Florida, the traveling U. After securing a spot in the school

Lancair University For Lancair IV-P owners, insurance coverage equals approved training.

BY JACK COWELL

Photos: Jack Cowell, Courtesy Lancair International KITPLANES June 2005 55 Lancair U fl y to 600-plus nautical miles back to south and headed out. With an aver- continued North Carolina. Besides all that, there age of 80 knots on the nose until Jack- was a mean cold front working its sonville, I wasn’t making particularly (there is suffi cient demand that they way up and down the east coast from good time. In fact, I’ve never burned turn people away), I cleared the calen- Canada and bringing with it a menu of more 100LL and had a slower trip. But dar for four days. This is a signifi cant nastiness including sub-zero tempera- I left early enough to catch an ice-free, block of time because I needed to fl y tures on the ground, heinous head- non-convective window and slip down to the moveable campus site in cen- winds aloft, and a full compliment of the WAAS approach into Sebring about tral Florida; then I participated in the ice everywhere in between. It was chal- noon on Friday—just in time to get ground school and in-cockpit work lenging fl ying, to say the least. yanked off the fl ightline by Dave Hick- for two concentrated days; then I had So I braced myself for a long trip man so I could catch the second session of ground school.

Surprises In Ground School In spite of my leftover parochial school attitude towards the classroom portion, the classes were surprising to the point of actually being interesting. Pilots get a complete syllabus so any notes you take are to accentuate or add to the subject matter. The printed material also gives you checklists for weather decision making and CFIT avoidance. Not familiar with CFIT? Every pilot should be. It stands for Controlled Flight Into Terrain and (obviously) should be studiously avoided. The point is, if you make good use of it, the succinct course material frees you up to This is “Big” Al Campbell—a brave man who pay attention to the professor and actu- And this is Tara Z. Better known as a Falcon endured two hours of pilot rust removal with ally learn something in class. captain and Lancair-approved ﬂ ight instructor. the author and kept right on smiling. The ground school topics includ-

Jack’s Story: Insuring A Lancair IV-P Insuring an Experimental aircraft is a world apart from in- annual insurance tab. suring a certifi ed plane. That is, if you can get insurance at The next year, several of my fellow IV-P pilots had all, and if you can afford it. Here’s my insurance story. sudden disagreements with terra fi rma or other infl ex- I have never had a claim or been cited for a rules ible opponents. Result: Only one underwriter would even violation. Pre-Lancair, I had fi ve years of Mooney time and consider writing coverage for Lancairs. And then the tab 600 hours in what the FAA defi nes as complex, high-per- zoomed to $10,500. formance aircraft. In 1999, my turbocharged Mooney 252 In year three, however, my cost went down to $9500. cost about $2500 to insure with $200,000 hull valuation and A sudden attack of remorse from sympathetic insurance $1 million of liability coverage. people? Not exactly. In fact, two fundamentals changed. My Lancair insurance experience is a world apart. First, Julie helped me compute a more pragmatic combina- My plane has been fl ying since 1997 and I bought tion hull value, deductibles and liability coverage. Second, it in 2001. To even initiate the coverage process, I need- I moved and the plane now spends a good bit of its time ed an inspection by a recognized Lancair airframe hangared in North Carolina. expert. That done, I needed a Lancair-acknowledged fl ight This year I’m paying $6810. Still way over certifi ed instructor to sign off on my fl ight profi ciency and emer- rates, but trending down. To try to address this expensive gency maneuver capability. Only then could I apply for situation on another front, Lancair, the manufacturer, is consideration for insurance. gathering all sorts of specifi c plane and pilot ammunition All through this process I worked with Julie Bokhof at to present to entrepreneurial insurance underwriters. The Wenk Insurance Agencies, Inc. This aviation specialist fi rm goal is to see if ganging a group of us together with above- has done its level best to effi ciently guide me through the average records and fl ight credentials has enough appeal Experimental aircraft insurance mine fi eld. No easy task, to actually make an insurer want our business. as it delves into hull value calculations, real world liability In the meantime, while high-performance kit airplanes protection, market valuations and other fun pastimes. The have many compelling virtues, trying to secure reasonable best quote—out of a competitive bid from three provid- insurance coverage is most assuredly not one of them. ers—was about $8000. More than triple my old Mooney’s —JC

56 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com ed aerodynamics, situational aware- ness, accident avoidance, weight and balance, aircraft performance factors, weather, GPS/WAAS and airspace/IFR related topics. One section on icing was 14 comprehensive pages and embraced not only the “whys” and “whats” and “hows” but practical escape strategies if, inadvertently of course, you should get caught in the ice box. Another section on aircraft weight and balance vividly illustrated how important these factors and calculations can be in keeping you and your airplane in one happy piece. J^[MehbZ¾i=h[Wj[ij7l_Wj_ed9[b[XhWj_ed Then there was a lengthy discussion on powerplant management including a discussion of lean-of-peak operation. BWj0*)Û#+/#&$),-& D To cap it off, Pete had Steve Sunseri, ExxonMobil’s General Aviation Man- Bed]0..Û#))#&$+)+&M ager, come in and give a seminar on the mysteries, misconceptions and old wives’ tales of engine oil. Guess whose product did well in the comparison tests? Anyway, it was all really good stuff about things like rust inhibition, and cold starts, and what kind of fossil kppkâpdana goo to use when. In all, it was good, Ðrac practical information for garden vari- kq ety fl yers like me from guys who have U earned the label “expert.” Into the Sky, Then Then we had to get into the air. What’s @kbo(+#)'"(&&+ important to appreciate here is that all mmm$W_hl[djkh[$eh] of the fi ve instructors, including corpo- rate Falcon jet pilot Tara Zaccagnino, have extensive Lancair experience. This is, of course, something your average @KIJ?D0M^_j[Ad_]^jWdZIfWY[I^_fEd[Wh[Yec_d] CFI would have very little reason or jeEiâei^:ed¾jc_iij^_iedY[#_d#W#b_\[j_c[ opportunity to accumulate in his log- effehjkd_jojei[[j^[c_d\b_]^jWdZje][jkf book—and something that set this fi ght Ybei[WdZf[hiedWb$J^_im_bbX[j^[mehbZ¾iedbo training completely apart. Because the [n^_X_j_edWdZZ_ifbWoe\j^_i^_ijeho#cWa_d]fW_h slippery shape, high wing loading, and X[\eh[IfWY[I^_fEd[]e[i_djef[hcWd[djh[j_h[c[dj$ specifi c performance envelope of the Lancair IV-P, it acts more like a small jet than a Cessna or Piper. (This is one reason you can’t just go with any CFI for this kind of training, no matter how competent he or she may be.) Not bet-

Kitplanes.com/directory

KITPLANES June 2005 57 Lancair U the big fan could be sum- continued moned back to life than with the NTSB (or worse) when it has quit for real. ter than any of those deservedly revered Then Al and I GA stalwarts, you understand, but de- worked on some instru- cidedly different aircraft to fl y prop- ment basics and had to erly—and safely. So we started at the get a pop-up clearance beginning, with a little conventional as the weather had de- pattern work. teriorated (again) and I had been using 1000 feet AGL as we had to fl y an actual a typical pattern altitude. My fearless approach to get back in. instructor, Big Al, then asked me to try This let me show off my 1500 and to stay closer to the runway. newly updated Garmin Part of the ground school’s surprisingly informative presentation Of course, this led me to make greater CNX 80 WAAS-capable on engine oil. No prize for identifying the sponsor. than a standard-rate turn, which is something these guys loudly discour- age at normal landing speeds in the relax my death grip on the stick, and pattern. The solution in my Lancair IV- go through a thorough debrief. P is to slow it down to a comfortable 120 knots indicated, anticipate the pattern turns—particularly base to fi - Is It Worth It? In the end, the course costs $795 or nal—and use the extra altitude to give $295 if you just want the ground you a double cushion of energy and school. If you arrange it in advance, altitude if your descent should need it. you can also rent a plane from Lancair On top of that, we reviewed how and hire Pete or one of his instructor prop pitch can be used as an infi nitely colleagues and get some Lancair seat variable speedbrake or drag remover time before you make your purchase depending on the situation. Noth- decision or in anticipation of your ing new here, but a bit of mental steel kit being fi nished. No matter which wool to dispense with a year’s worth of way makes the most sense for you, I cranial rust. Did it work? After my fi rst highly recommend getting this criti- carrier style “landing”, I pretty much cal fl ight time in advance. nailed all of the subsequent 15 (!) we In fact, I can’t emphasize enough practiced. (Translation: not a blown how valuable this refresher was to my tire or bruised ego in sight.) fl ying. Hmmmm, maybe that’s why Away from the pattern, the our friends at the insurance company course takes its students through ma- mandate it. Wise men, in spite of the neuvers like 360° steep turns and egregious amount they extract from emergency procedures. This last area me for coverage ever year. In other went over skills like trouble shooting, The Z Team. Lancair owner/rebuilder David words, thanks to “professor” Pete decision making and descent proce- Hickman (red shirt) organizes and straw bosses Zaccagnino and his “faculty” for two dures. While working on this stuff with the fl ight schools and curriculum with Mr. and days at Lancair University that were Al, I heard comments like, “Don’t you Mrs. Z – A fi rst class crew. extremely well spent. just hate it when you do it all the hard stuff right and then relax a smidge early so that you’re 20 feet short of the GPS and demonstrate to Al how neat For more information about High Perfor- runway?” Actually, I was grateful to Al these LNAV/VNAV approaches really mance Aircraft Training, visit www.high for pointing out where I’d gone soft. are. After we landed, all there was left performanceaircrafttraining.com or call After all, I’d rather do it with him when for me to do was wipe off my upper lip, 267/784-6104.

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ForFor fasterfaster serviceservice andand thethe lowestlowest subscriptionsubscription raterate www.kitplanes.comwww.kitplanes.com oror callcall 800-622-1065800-622-1065 Master & Commander: The Elite 582 Oscillating between build choices, this builder opted for easy assembly and open-cockpit fun.

BY HOWARD LEVY

ne of the exciting things about Hiller H-12D helicopter at Allaire Air- craft designs. From experience, he was homebuilt airplanes is that each port (New Jersey), I was hooked.” quite familiar with the capabilities O one is different from the next. But after 28 hours of helicopter of helicopters but knew little about And the same can be said for the stories fl ight instruction, Eisler consulted with gyroplanes. behind the aircraft—it’s always fascinat- his CFI and decided to change course “What really directed me toward ing to learn how a particular builder and obtain a Private Pilot certifi cate gyroplanes,” Eisler said, “was an article settled on a particular design, especially fi rst, then follow through with a heli- in a magazine about a fl y-in where an for those of us who are still in the process copter license. He earned his private Air Command model fl ew while all the of evaluating the choices. in a fl ight school Cessna 172 and then fi xed-wings were grounded by high Homebuilder David Eisler of purchased a Piper Warrior, which he winds. Further study of the Air Com- Perrineville, New Jersey, reached his fl ew for four years. At that point, he mand indicated that the company decision after a few years of wavering considered remaining with fi xed-wing seemed to offer the best all-around among the many aircraft types out aircraft, but being prone to try different kit package. Additionally, small fi xed- there; by the end of the process, Eisler things, began initial ultralight fi xed- wing kits required a minimum of 500- had evaluated fi xed-wing airplanes, wing training. 600 hours construction time with the ultralight designs and helicopters “I never got beyond high-speed Commander about a quarter of that.” before he fi nally settled on building runs down the runway in a Weedhop- And the result? Eisler sold his a gyroplane. His story starts in 1995 per Penguin,” he said. “I just didn’t feel Warrior and headed for the Air Com- when the fl ying bug fi rst bit. comfortable in that type of ultralight.” mand factory in Caddo Falls, Texas, in “My interest in aviation came Shortly after, Eisler stumbled on July 2003 on a three-day mission to ob- about for no particular reason,” Eisler the web site for the Popular Rotorcraft tain a single-place Commander Elite 582 said. “One day I just decided I would Association and began to follow the kit. At the factory, he completed eight like to take up fl ying. After a hop in a developments in homebuilt rotor- hours of training in a tandem Com-

60 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Builder David Eisler settled on an Air Command reinforced and extended nosewheel gyroplane after turns training in fi xed-wing was built, placing the nose of the air- Air Command International: aircraft, ultralights and helicopters. craft 26 inches above the ground and Safety First the seat 40 inches high. Finally, the front keel features For Harold “Red” Smith, president of a new brace that triangulates to the Air Command International in Caddo Mills, Texas, safety is not just a re- On initial fl ights, Eisler needed about 1000 feet bottom of the mast, resulting in for takeoff roll, but he dropped that number to quirement imposed by the FAA, it’s improved strength for the machine. 100-200 feet after gaining experience. his personal mission. Not long after Air Command calls the Elite’s mast he took over the six-year-old Air Com- dual redundant as it features dual 1x2- mand in 1991, he issued the compa- inch square tubes side by side although ny’s fi rst safety service bulletin to correct a defi ciency in the airframe. An a single tube is suffi cient. The major aeronautical engineer by trade, Smith construction medium is round and realized that being proactive regard- square 6061-T6 aluminum tube ranging ing safety of fl ight items was his only between 1 and 2 inches in diameter. responsible choice: “Looking at the pros and cons of “Personally, I feel that the Com- advising our customers, fl ight safety mander kit is the best available,” Eisler took precedence. I wasn’t going to sit said. “It comes precut, prewelded back and wait for them to come to me and predrilled, making it basically a when something went wrong.” bolt-together kit. No special tools are At the time, bootleg hardware and components were a problem with required. And it’s not a toy, like many Air Command customers, particularly onlookers seem to think. Aircraft-grade the use of hardware-store-grade aluminum, AN hardware and a dual- aluminum in the horizontal stabilizer magneto engine—a 67-hp Rotax 582— where 6061-T6 aluminum was required. Smith says that Air Command are all standard, along with safety does not authorize the use of non- being provided in the dual-redun- certifi ed materials, and only FAA-cer- dancy construction and equipment. tifi ed components and materials are The propeller is a three-blade, 68-inch- used in the kit. diameter graphite-fi ber Warp Drive.” Centerline thrust, a design change to enhance safety and reli- The Commander’s rotor sys- ability, was added to the company’s tem is a teeter-type and incorporates a models several years later, and Smith spring tension trim system. Rotor Flight says that the company’s tandem mod- Dynamics Dragon Wings blades (see el, using a Hirth F-30 engine, has become a reputable gyroplane trainer. Air Rotor Roundup in the May 2005 edition Command features several aircraft, in- ® of KITPLANES ) are used with an alumi- cluding fi ve single-place models with num leading-edge spar and aluminum engines ranging from the 40-hp Rotax skins. Vertical and horizontal tail surfac- 447 (that gyro is a legal ultralight) to es are composite parts and jointly pivot the 67-hp Rotax 582. Two-place models include the F-30 Tandem and the mander. “This entailed familiarization right and left by rudder pedals; connec- Elite F-30 Side-by-Side; according to of the aircraft,” Eisler said, “followed tion is via Morse cables (metal cables Smith, a Subaru-powered two-seater by taxiing with rotors stationary and encased in weatherproof sheaths). is on the horizon. spinning, short and long hops down The maingear, 15x6.00-6 Prices range from $10,435 for the Commander Elite Single (less en- tires mounted on spun aluminum the runway, pattern work, emergency gine) to $27,475 for the Commander procedures (including engine-outs), and wheels, uses rubber donuts for shock Elite F-30 Tandem with all options. fi nally cross-country fl ights.” absorption and hydraulic disk brakes. The Commander Elite upgrade kit for Eisler loaded his shrink-wrapped The nosegear does not have shock single-place machines costs $1500 and includes new tubes and brack- Commander airframe and boxes of absorption, but Eisler is looking at the ets, frame parts, hardware and rudder components on a dual-axle trailer and possibility of installing a system. cable extensions. headed home. At the time Eisler purchased the Smith declined to specify how kit, the basic price with engine was many kits have been sold over the $12,500 (current price is $15,725), years, but estimated that there were The Design several thousand Air Command gyros but he opted for a 9-gallon seat tank Because Eisler’s Commander has the fl ying worldwide, with more than 1000 with padded covering to replace the Elite designation, it’s what Air Com- in the U.S. standard 5-gallon tank. Other factory “It’s a high-quality kit,” he says. mand calls its second generation options included a mechanical high- “It has a good fi nish and FAA-certifi ed gyroplane, designed for higher perfor- rpm prerotator developed by Air Com- hardware. The critical components mance than the original series. The are CAD-designed, and the airframe mand, mainwheel brakes, electric start major difference between the fi rst components are powder-coated.” and a pod with instruments. When considering the number of and second generation is that for the models offered, sold and built, what upgrade, the front keel, engine and seat is Smith proudest of? “Our commit- were all raised to create a true center- Building the Commander ment to safety. It’s our most important line-thrust design. Axle support tubes Eisler returned to Perrineville on July consideration.” were moved to the rear keel and a new 7, and drove to Lakewood Airport —Cory Emberson

Photos: Howard Levy KITPLANES June 2005 61 Master & Commander check/drainage valves to their bottoms, continued even using a water separating funnel. In addition, he installed a capacitive fuel the next day to begin assembly of probe in the seat tank. Other upgrades the Commander in a fabric-covered included wheelpants and a fi berglass hangar structure. He spent two or three nose pod with a windshield. Eisler fi t- days a week working 8-10 hours per ted a Harley-Davidson leather map bag day, and fi rst runup was on September near the right side of the seat and built a 6, approximately 125 hours later. wheeled, pump-operated fueling unit. Like most builders, Eisler added The Commander’s 582 engine a number of personal touches along features oil injection (he uses 94-octane the way. On a quest to maximize fuel Sunoco auto fuel) with electrical power capacity, he fi tted dual 3.5-gallon aux- provided by a motorcycle battery. Avi- iliary bullet tanks and added water onics include a Garmin GPSMap 295

One factory-provided upgrade Eisler opted for was a mechanical high-rpm prerotator developed by Air Command.

and a Sporty’s JD-200 transceiver. A further addition was the installation of a compass from a North American T-6 trainer on the nose pod, courtesy of Lakewood Airport FBO manager Ted Pichel. The numerous options and add-ons boosted the aircraft’s price tag to $21,800. And since Eisler was a fi rst-time builder, he did run into questions along the way and the factory’s assistance proved helpful. “I cannot say enough about Air Command’s builder support,” he said, “particularly Doug Smith’s 100% patience and understanding during my many telephone calls.” Flyin’ High Nearing the end of the assembly process, Eisler contacted gyroplane fl ight instructor Maxi Wildes (an offi cial Air Command authorized instructor) to set up a training program. Eisler trav- eled to Wildes’ Savannah, Georgia, facility to polish up the skills he’d acquired at the Air Command factory a few months earlier. Again, he fl ew in an Air Command two-seater. When it was time to start his own fl ight test program, Eisler followed the same procedures that he learned at the factory. Initially, this consisted of The vertical and horizontal tail surfaces are composite parts; they jointly pivot left and right based on downwind and upwind runs on the rudder inputs. taxiway, followed by similar runs on

62 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com the runway, but without any liftoffs. about the Commander. He is expand- “This was all in about 4 hours and in ing the fl ight envelope and continues half-hour increments,” Eisler said. “Af- to tweak the gyro, and he thinks im- ter all, I was alone in the aircraft. I did proved performance will be achieved not want to over-stress myself.” as he builds time. “To date, I fi nd that Following a few liftoffs, Eisler the performance numbers Air Com- felt comfortable enough to try some mand publishes have been running pattern fl ights. He made three circuits right-on,” he said. of the airport at about 600 feet. “The Initial takeoff runs from Lake- controls, engine and everything else wood’s 3457-foot asphalt runway were proved to be A-OK,” he said. “For a about 1000 feet, but Eisler quickly fi rst fl ight, I could not have asked for gained confi dence and knocked the anything better.” number down to 100-200 feet with Eisler says he’s still learning liftoff at 50 mph. The nose comes up at a rotor rpm of 200, and the aircraft fl ies at 225 rpm. Climb rate is 900 fpm at 70 mph, top speed is 95 mph and the Commander cruises at 65-70 mph on 75% power. Pattern speeds are all between 50- 55 mph, and rollout distance is limited to 20 feet by using the rotor blades as brakes—easing the control stick back results in the rotor lifting. “Holding it like that after you come to a stop can actually get you rolling backwards,” Eisler said. Movin’ On Up Overall, Eisler is genuinely pleased with the result. “Probably the only con I can fi nd with my Commander is the fact that it is not fi tted with an enclo-

Personal touches include 3.5-gallon auxiliary Eisler’s Commander features a 67-hp Rotax 582 bullet tanks on each side of the aircraft as well powerplant with a three-blade Warp Drive propeller. as a Harley Davidson leather map bag next to the seat.

sure for winter fl ying,” he said. We builders are never satisfi ed, are we? Air Command to the rescue in this case. The company is currently develop- ing an enclosed model, but the enclosure can’t be retrofi tted. That being the case, Eisler has placed an order for a tandem two-seater; his wife, Clara, likes to fl y too. Meanwhile, he’s building time and showing off the Elite 582. “I am hoping that fl ying this type of aircraft to various places will illustrate to others that gyroplanes are safe, fun aircraft,” Eisler said. “You can fl y high or low...fast or slow, and...my gyroplane is not a toy!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Com- Air Command’s Elite designs are true center- mander Elite 582 or the company’s other Instrumentation in an Air Command gyro is as line-thrust machines. An extended nosewheel models, contact Air Command Interna- basic as it gets. But that’s the beauty of these was built to accommodate changes needed to tional at 903/527-3335 or visit www. things, isn’t it? convert the original models to centerline thrust. aircommand.com.

KITPLANES June 2005 63 List of Advertisers By Dave Martin

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64 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Engine Beat BY TIM KERN

Oil Basics, Take 2: Special Lubes For High-Revvers.

ast month in this space, we looked Further complicating matters— And of the engine itself? Follow into oil issues for conventional, beyond the mere elevated rpm of the the manufacturer’s recommendations, L air-cooled aircraft engines. There’s engines—is the possibility of the reduc- but it’s generally best to use a high- been a lot said about choosing the best tion drive being lubricated by the same quality automotive oil. oil and how often to change it, a discus- oil as the engine (see the Rotax-specifi c Engines with a combined gear- sion that continues into other forms of section to follow). Gears present chal- box and power-section oil supply engines used in Experimentals. We’re lenges of their own, and when they are present special challenges for the oil. talking here about auto-engine con- in an environment that also contains For one, you can’t use special gear oil versions and some newer-technology the byproducts of combustion, many because it does not contain the disper- powerplants like the Rotax 912/914 and of those challenges compound. sants and other additives necessary to HKS 700E. (We will not be covering two- If the geared reduction drive is keep the rest of the engine healthy. In stroke engines here, as they put very a self-contained unit (separate from some redrives, there is an ingenious different demands on the oil and get the engine), it will behave much as little device called a clutch, or a slipper their supply of lubricant in a different the gearbox that it is. It will not face clutch. It is designed to cushion the way.) The functions of oil in these non- the normal pollutants from burned shocks from the crankshaft, propeller traditional aero engines are the same as and unburned hydrocarbons that are and gearbox. It does a good job, but in the bigger, slower engines: lubrica- found in the engine’s crankcase. If this it puts its own pollutants into the oil. tion, rust and corrosion prevention, and is your setup, use the drive-maker’s Additionally, such a clutch can’t tolerate cooling. But different operating charac- recommended gear oil. Generally, some of the anti-wear additives found teristics—principally higher revs—means these specialty gear-drive oils will have in many auto engine oils. achievement of these goals requires special anti-wear additives that improve Combined-oil-supply aero engines uncommon oil characteristics. gear life but would not be happy inside aren’t alone. Most motorcycles—save a hot, dirty engine. for BMWs, Harleys, Moto Guzzis—have their engines and transmissions sharing The PSRU Factor a single oil supply. What’s more, this To reduce propeller rpm, most arrangement is complicated by the automotive-based aero engines turn presence of a so-called wet clutch— a propeller speed-reduction unit. also in the same oil. So the ideal oil for Unlike direct-drive aero engines that these engines must work well in the cruise at, say, 2300 rpm, reduced engine, be kind to the transmission engines may cruise at 4000, 5000 gears, and also prevent slippage of or even 6000 rpm. There is a lot of the clutch pack, which is made up of fl ailing about inside such an engine, alternating plates of friction (cork- so anti-foaming agents in the oil are like) material and metal (mainly steel essential. Even in a dry-sump engine but sometimes aluminum). A high design, froth or foam can be trouble. percentage of anti-wear additives can If the oil-pump pickup grabs a gullet make wet clutches slip. full of foam, it will send oil and air Motorcycle-specifi c oils are often (instead of just oil) through the oil desirable because of their specialized pump and oil cooler. That air is of formulations. They are also, generally little lubricating value, and when you speaking, high-quality oils of premium consider that the moving parts inside base stock and an additive package an engine are supposed to “fl oat” meant to keep the engine reliable, even on a layer of oil, you’ll understand if it turns 16,000 rpm—as some small- that the air does nothing except dis- displacement bike engines do. A useful place that lubrication. Additionally, alternative to motorcycle-specifi c oils is foamy oil does not carry heat well Behold the Rotax 912. This fi ne little engine any conventional auto oil this is not la- shares more technology with automobiles and (air is a good insulator). Thus, even motorcycles than conventional aircraft engines. beled as Energy Conserving. Typically, if a miracle occurs and lubrication is It’s a dry-sump engine, carrying the majority of these are heavier-weight oils, 10W-40 adequate, cooling may not be. its oil in an external reservoir, seen here. or 20W-50.

Photos: Tim Kern KITPLANES June 2005 65 Engine Beat continued

Additives and Synthetics There are dozens of additives that are said to improve, in some way, your oil’s performance. Some are benign: they cost money, but they don’t do any real harm. Others, though, can work against the needs of your airplane. The rule is if you don’t know the additives better than the oil engineers at the oil This camshaft journal—from a different Rotax companies, it’s probably best to let 912—also damaged the engine case because them do the formulating. the cam rides in the plain aluminum, cushioned Synthetic and semi-synthetic oils only by the oil. See how important it is? are increasing their market shares. There are many reasons for this, chief among them that they do so many things, so well. designed to extend catalytic converter By nature, synthetics fl ow easily at low life. One side effect is that the removal temperatures, yet maintain lubricity at of some additives has increased some high temperatures. They provide equal or oils’ propensity to foam. (Rotax, in superior additive qualities (such as anti- response to new formulations, has foaming, dispersants and detergents), This unlucky 912 was run without oil. It survived startup and taxi time without a peep, but changed the dry-sump system a bit and they withstand higher peak tem- failed on the takeoff roll. The bearings (below) and has offered free, revised dipsticks.) peratures without breaking down. The display classic smearing from metal-to-metal As on other engines, the type of downside is that they cost much more contact. Normally, bearings like these fl oat on gasoline you put into your Rotax also than conventional oils. Nonetheless, if a cushion of oil. makes a difference. If you use 100LL you fl y a lot of hours or in severe cold, more than 30% of the time, you should you may be better off spending the extra use a semi-synthetic or mineral-based money for synthetic oil. oil; if you’re a car-gas fl yer, your options If you fl y on avgas, stick to Those Special include full-synthetic. mineral-based or semi-synthetic oil. Rotax Engines The turbocharged 914 presents These are better able to cope with the The Rotax 912/914 is a different breed additional requirements. “With the lead content in 100LL. Tom Peghiny, of engine, and its oil needs are specifi c. turbo, you have to use a semi-synthetic, president of HPower, Ltd., the U.S. Eric Tucker, who knows more about the or a full-synthetic oil,” Tucker says. The distributor for HKS engines, recom- practical use of these engines than just temperatures and lubrication require- mends 5W-30 for all applications. about anyone on the planet, recom- ments are better met with a synthetic. With avgas, though, he says to “use mends motorcycle oils for the clutch Now a maintenance note: Phil semi-synthetic, and change it more and gears (most of the engines have a Lockwood (Lockwood Aviation) is often.” If you have a turbocharger, go slipper clutch). adamant about keeping air out of for semi- or full synthetics. The Rotax slipper clutch has re- the oil when doing an oil change: quirements similar to a motorcycle’s “Follow the Service Instruction (SI- Those SAE Grades wet clutch, and it produces similar 04-1997A R3) to purge any air from The Society of Automotive Engineers byproducts. The Rotax 912/914 has the system, or see SI-912-010 R1 (SAE) tests automotive oils and as- an integral gearbox (running 2.27:1 or about how to change the oil without signs letter grades to them. On the oil 2.43:1 gears), and Tucker says the little needing a purge.” There are a few bottle, look for an S or C, followed by engine makes its horsepower “from rpm, rules: fill the new oil filter with oil another letter. Generally, the further not from torque.” Cruising at 4500 rpm before installing it; don’t turn the down the alphabet, the more-recent is not a big deal with the Rotax; you just engine over backwards; and make (and better) the oil. For example, an have to take care of it the right way. sure to turn the engine over suffi- SE oil is less modern than an SL oil. When you’re buying oil, Tucker ciently (“removing one set of spark (The C designation is used for oils said to “get one that’s specifi cally blend- plugs helps,” Lockwood says.) intended for diesel engines.) ed for use with wet clutches and gears.” Lubricants are continually evolv- As for weight, multi-viscosity With its higher cruise rpm, the ing to meet new standards. “We used oils are more popular than single or Rotax increases oil’s tendency to foam. to recommend Castrol GPS and Motul “straight-weight” oils, as they allow “If the oil foams in a dry-sump engine, 5100,” Tucker said, “but since they effi cient operation over a wider range it can lead to oil starvation,” Tucker changed their formulas, we no longer of temperatures. As in your car, the said. Motorcycle oils address that recommend them.” The best place for rule of thumb is lower temperatures, issue. The foaming problem has been up-to-date information on Rotax en- lower weights. exacerbated by EPA-mandated changes gines is at www.rotax-owner.com.

66 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Aero ’Lectrics BY JIM WEIR

Run two VOR receivers and a glideslope from just one antenna.

will start this column off by telling But “lossless” is a misleading that the coax to use in a splitter is you right from the get-go what this term. If I have a 10-gallon pail of gas 50Ω x sqrt(n), where n is the number Idevice will not do: it will not couple and I split it into two 5-gallon con- of equal outputs you want. This re- two com radios to a single antenna. tainers without spilling any of it, I duces itself to 50Ω x sqrt(2), which is What it will do is couple two VOR re- have achieved a lossless split. Even exactly 70.7Ω; 75Ω is the closest com- ceivers and (optionally) a glideslope having done so, I obviously don’t mercially available cable. from that same antenna. have two 10-gallon pails of gas. The Even so, there aren’t a lot of Let me also restate what I have point being, if you have a 100-micro- distributors that sell directly to the said for years: every coaxial cable in watt VOR signal coming down the an- public that handle the miniature 75Ω the airplane needs to be 50Ω (ohms). tenna, the splitter will give you two cable. The Shack sells RG-59, but you What you are about to read is the lone equally strong 50-microwatt signals to would need a pretty big box to coil exception to that rule. apply to your radios. It is lossless in up two quarter-wave sections of this Let’s backtrack a bit and see what that you have as many watts after the “moosey” coax. What you want to use we are trying to accomplish. What we split as you had before the split, just is the subminiature cable like Belden need is a way of keeping the airplane in two parts. 9221, but the usual mail order sources from looking like a ﬂ ying cactus. The (Mouser, Digi-Key or Jameco) do not more antennas you have dangling in carry this part. I Googled “Belden” the breeze, the slower the airplane and “9221” and got a couple dozen gets (see this month’s “Wind Tunnel” hits from folks I’ve never done busi- for details). Therefore, if we can get ness with. Caveat vendor. away with running two or three de- Of course, the fact of the matter vices from a single antenna, we can is that you need 36 inches of coax to speed up the airplane. (And even save make the splitter, and the minimum a little weight.) quantity is a 100-foot spool. It isn’t expensive stuff (about 40 cents per foot), A Little Theory so you might want to consider buying a spool for the chapter and dividing In 1960, a clever engineer by the name the cost. The balancing resistor? Again, of Ernest J. Wilkinson taught us how Wilkinson tells us that it has to be to make splitters to divide microwave The assembled splitter. The antenna input is at 50Ω x n, so a penny 100Ω, quarter-watt power into as many parts as necessary the upper left, the glideslope output at lower left, carbon-ﬁ lm resistor will work nicely. (“IRE Transactions on Microwave The- Nav 1 and Nav 2 on the right. You can see the balancing resistor between Nav 1 and Nav 1 and ory and Techniques,” January 1960). the 10-pf capacitor between antenna input and Without going into a long song and glideslope output. Lossless Glideslope dance, his basic premise was to use As for the glideslope, this split will quarter-wave sections of coaxial cable be truly lossless because you are not and resistive terminations to provide dividing the glideslope signal, just for equal power split. It turned out removing it from the signal stream. that this method of splitting also pro- The Parts And I’m going to cheat a little. vided isolation between the outputs The only problem in this scenario is Normally I’d use a series-resonant cir- due to a resistive matching or loading going to be obtaining the 75Ω co- cuit to couple one signal of a different between the outputs, and the split was axial cable to use in the splitter. Why frequency from the signal stream, but relatively “lossless.” 75Ω? Because Wilkinson taught us in this case I’m going to use a single

Photo and Illustrations: Jim Weir KITPLANES June 2005 67 Aero ’Lectrics continued

The schematic and pictorial views of this month’s project.

capacitor. How do I get away with get coiled up and connected, one this? It turns out that plain old round center conductor of each to the Nav wire has inductance—20 nanohenries 1 and Nav 2 output connector center (nh) per inch in round numbers. If you pins, respectively. The 100Ω resistor take a 10-picofarad (pf) capacitor with goes from the center pin of the Nav a half-inch of lead on both sides, this 1 connector to the center pin of the gives you a series circuit of 10 pf and Nav 2 connector. The other end of the 20 nh, which is exactly self-resonant 10-pf capacitor goes to the center pin at the glideslope band. of the glideslope out connector. The You will note in the plans that drawing should clear up any ques- the antenna IN connector is exactly 1 tions about assembly. Now you have inch from the glideslope OUT connec- a little box for less than $10 that most tor. Therefore, you are forced to use a catalogs sell for about $100. capacitor with 1 inch of lead, and it doesn’t matter if it is all on one side Previews or split between the two. Inductors in Coming attractions include the last series add, remember? two chapters of the VOR/LOC/GS/ Marker test box, then we will revisit an Some Assembly old strobe light idea I wrote about 20 Required years ago, start work on a rubber ducky Here’s the deal: metal box, two BNC antenna that really works, and maybe connectors on one end, two BNC con- consider a few words about convert- nectors on the other end. Cut two ing a $3 Radio Shack microphone for 18-inch pieces of 75Ω coax cable. Get aviation headset use. Stick around and yourself a 10-pf capacitor, either disk we’ll have some fun. ceramic NPO/COG or silvered mica. Jim Weir is the chief avioniker at RST En- The “antenna in” connector has gineering. He answers avionics questions three wires attached to it, the cen- in the Internet newsgroup rec.aviation. ter conductor of both quarter-wave homebuilt. Check out his website at www. coax pieces plus one lead of the 10-pf rst-engr.com/kitplanes for previous articles glideslope capacitor. The coax pieces and supplements.

68 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Builders’ Marketplace

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KITPLANES June 2005 69 Builders’ Marketplace continued

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70 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Next Month

WHEN PIGS FLY Hey, motorcycle guys—ever think you’d see the day when you’d have the option to fl y behind a Harley-Davidson powerplant? Hog Air president Brett Ray says that day has arrived. But the real question—does it boast the Harley roar? $40/year in USA $46 in Canada $54 Elsewhere [email protected] EUROPA VS. LIBERTY Mail, email, phone or fax to: The second edition of our Homebuilt (574) 353-7227 vs. Certifi ed series features another pair of airplane siblings. Find out what changed in the certifi cation process and which of these options suits you better.

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KITPLANES June 2005 71 Builders’ Marketplace Calendar continued Supermarine Aircraft Mk 26 JUNE 3-5—MARYSVILLE, CALIFORNIA: Golden West EAA regional fly-in at Yuba County Airport (MYV). For information, call 530/852-0321; e-mail [email protected]. 5—WASHINGTON, IOWA: Pilots Association of Washington annual fly-in breakfast at Washington Municipal Airport (AWG). PIC, homebuilts, antiques and warbirds eat free. Young Eagles rides. For information, contact John Grim at 515/334-7473; e-mail [email protected]. Incredibly Affordable to B u i l d & F l y ! 5—REEDSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA: EAA Chapter 518 fly-in breakfast at Mifflin County Airport The Legend Lives On (RVL). For information, contact Jim Hockenbrock at 717/667-2790; e-mail [email protected]. 247 hp 2 seat all aluminium fast build kit with 11—GREENVILLE, TEXAS: retractable undercarriage and removable wings. Annual Majors fly-in/airshow at Greenville Majors Field Beautiful to fly Airport. Aerial demos, fly-bys, jumpers, static displays For USA sales, contact Craig Muth on including Skybolt and full-size replica of the Wright Flyer. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, contact Dennis Mathis 8636988491. at 903/455-8170; e-mail [email protected]. Email: [email protected] 12—ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS: www.supermarineaircraft.com EAA Chapter 410 annual fly-in/drive-in pancake breakfast at Whiteside County Airport (SQI). 7 a.m. to noon. For information, contact Mike Dowell at 815/622-3519; e-mail [email protected]. 18—WAUSEON, OHIO: EAA Chapter 149 fly-in/Young Eagles rally at Fulton County Airport (USE). Breakfast and lunch provided. Young Eagles start at 10 a.m. Check airport info, right traffic Runway 9. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, contact Randy Abramczyk at 419/829-5143; e-mail [email protected]. AVIATION OXYGEN SYSTEMS 18—INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Second Taildragger Rendezvous at Post Aire Airport (7L8). 1st With High Duration Rain date June 19. Museum will be open. Lunch. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, contact Tom Lloyd at 317/997-2408; Oxygen Systems! e-mail [email protected]. 1st With OxySaver Cannulas! 19—ELKHART, INDIANA Fathers Day breakfast sponsored by the Mishawaka Pilots Club (3C1). 7 to 11 a.m. For information, contact John *********** *********** Horvath at 574/522-6889; e-mail [email protected]. FastBuild “Built In” Kits 25-26—WATKINS, COLORADO: Rocky Mountain EAA Regional fly-in at Front Range Airport for Custom Installations. (FTG). For information, call Jim Cimiluca at 303/452-9757; Easy and Fast Installation! e-mail [email protected]. Please Contact Us For Free Brochure 26—CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND: Tel 800-237-6902 (EXT. 57) EAA Chapter 426 breakfast fly-in at Cumberland Area Regional Airport (CBE). 7 a.m. to noon. For informa- 207-637-2331 tion, contact Bernie Frank at 814/784-3576; e-mail Fax 207-637-2329 [email protected]. e-mail [email protected] Or Visit Our Web Site WORLD JULY www.aerox.com LEADER 1-3—ELDORADO, KANSAS: 42nd Wichita Air Capital fly-in at Captain Jack Thomas Airport (EQA). Breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Aircraft judging, flying events, vendors. 6:30 p.m. Friday to noon Sunday. For information, contact Steven Manweiler at [email protected].

NOTE: Clubs, associations and groups planning homebuilt aviation events are invited to submit dates and information for publication in Calendar. Please ensure that a contact person is listed along with that person’s address and telephone number. For fast, accurate submissions use our web site: www.kitplanes.com. For publication in the magazine, information must be received at least four months prior to the event date. We cannot be responsible for changes in dates and locations after the information has been submitted. Be sure to check dates before attending. For a more complete listing of events, visit www.kitplanes. Kitplanes.com/directory com/events/.

72 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com Wind Tunnel BY BARNABY WAINFAN

Drag Reduction 101: Cleaning Up Your Flying Cactus.

rag reduction is the single best door handles are also common. All of they are fl exible. Streamlined bracing way to improve airplane per- these generate drag, and the cumulative wire can be used in place of cylindrical D formance. Increasing power penalty can be quite large. Fortunately, wire to reduce drag, although it is rela- can make an airplane faster, but the most of this drag can be greatly reduced tively expensive and has to be made extra speed comes at the cost of increased with a little work. specially for each length because there fuel consumption and reduced range, are threaded cylindrical ends to accept or lower payload if we do not increase fi ttings. In the early days of aviation, gross weight. Reducing drag, on the other Count Your Cylinders when the drag of cylinders was not hand, saves fuel, makes the airplane faster Many airplane components have properly appreciated, designers did and increases either range or payload at a cylindrical cross-sections. Among these not believe that the drag of the brac- constant gross weight. are landing-gear legs, exhaust pipes, ing wires was signifi cant. However, the Some ways of reducing drag antennas, boarding steps, some brac- development of streamlined wire did involve major changes to the airplane, ing struts and wires, vents and drains, much to improve the performance of but many do not. Drag reduction can and most of the structure of many the airplanes of the 1920s and ’30s. be relatively simple and cheap. Most ultralights. These cylinders are high Where fairing is impractical, airplanes have a lot of unnecessary drag for their size. A cylinder normal sweeping is the preferred approach drag that can be eliminated by some to the fl ow has a drag coeffi cient based to reducing the drag of cylinders. careful modifi cations. on frontal area of 1.1 at low Reynolds Sweeping a cylinder causes its drag to Numbers and 0.3 at high Reynolds decrease quickly with increasing sweep Numbers. This is approximately fi ve angle. This can be useful because some Assessing Your Aircraft times the drag coeffi cient of a turbu- projecting components are diffi cult to The fi rst step in a drag cleanup lent airfoil at high Reynolds Numbers fair with add-on parts. Exhaust pipes program is to identify as many sources and can be as much as 50 times the are a good example. They are relatively of unnecessary drag as possible. These drag coeffi cient of a laminar airfoil at large and hot enough to melt or char a need not all be big drag producers. lower Reynolds Numbers. composite or plastic fairing. Sweeping Reducing drag is like scraping barna- There are three approaches an exhaust pipe back 45° can reduce cles off a boat. Even though you may to reducing the drag of cylindrical its drag by 65%. Sweeping it back 60° not see the effect of removing one projections. The fi rst is to eliminate the can reduce its drag by as much as 85%. barnacle, if you get rid of enough of cylindrical projections or keep them Antennas that cannot be covered with- them, the effect can be large. A walk as small as possible. The second is to out losing effectiveness should be swept around the airplane with an eye toward fair the cylinders into a more stream- as much as possible to reduce drag. what features are likely to disturb the lined shape, and the third approach is Many production airplanes have airfl ow will usually reveal some things to sweep the cylinder forward or back boarding steps that remain fi xed when that can easily be improved. relative to the airfl ow. the airplane is in fl ight. Usually, these Most airplanes have components Fairing a cylinder into an airfoil consist of a step mounted below the that stick out from the skin of the air- shape can reduce its drag by up to 90%. airplane on a piece of cylindrical tub- plane into the airstream. Each of these For fi xed components such as struts, ing. Often, the step itself is also a piece produces drag. Some airplanes look like wires and landing-gear legs, we can get of cylindrical tubing. A typical step can fl ying cacti, with a forest of antennas, this 90% drag reduction by adding rel- cause as much parasite drag as several exhaust pipes, boarding steps, vent atively simple fairings. Even a simple, feet of wing. A boarding step should ei- pipes and other projections. Often straight-sided wedge fairing mounted ther be retractable, removable or, at the these are on the bottom of the airplane on the back side of the cylinder can very least, made of streamlined tubing and we don’t see them when stand- decrease its drag by 60%. to reduce the drag. ing on the ramp. Exposed hinges and Wires are harder to fair because Another common drag culprit

KITPLANES June 2005 73 Wind Tunnel continued

on light airplanes is the outside air Another culprit in this area is drag reduction on the performance of temperature (OAT) probe, which of- fuel-fi ller caps. It is common for these an airplane depends on two things: ten sticks out perpendicular to the to project above the wing surface and the total drag of the rest of the airplane surface of the airplane near the top induce separation over part of the and the speed the airplane is fl ying. of the windshield. This is a particu- wing surface aft of the cap. The drag Suppose, for example, we retract the larly bad place for a protrusion, as penalty of such a design can be large. landing gear. If the rest of the airplane the air is locally accelerated when it If it is necessary to put fi ller caps in is high drag, the drag of the landing fl ows over the crest of the windshield. the upper surfaces of wings, they gear is a small percentage of the whole, Putting the OAT probe in this posi- should be as far aft as possible, and so eliminating the drag of the gear by tion guarantees that the high-drag they should be fl ush with the wing retracting it may not produce a useful cylindrical probe is sitting in an area of surface. Such a cap will still trip lami- increase in speed. Early airplanes had high-speed airfl ow, where its drag will be nar fl ow, but at least it will not cause many drag producers other than fi xed as high as possible. It’s easy to think that a large area of fl ow separation on the landing gear and until these were elim- something this small doesn’t produce vital upper surface of the wing. GPS inated, retracting the gear didn’t do enough drag to be important, but on a antennas mounted on top of the air- much good. Tumbleweed with retract- clean, fast airplane, it can actually cost plane near the crest of the windshield able gear isn’t a whole lot less draggy several knots. are another high-drag culprit. than plain old tumbleweed. Locks seem to be another area If the airplane must have bumps As the airplane gets aerodynami- where people get lazy about drag. on its surface, they should be as cally cleaner, the penalty due to a Many airplanes have multiple door smooth and as streamlined as possible. given drag wart gets larger, both be- locks, on cabin doors and baggage Bluff shapes should be avoided, and cause it is a larger percentage of the doors. Often, the barrel of the lock no bumps should appear on the upper total drag of the airplane and because sticks up at least a quarter-inch above surface of the wing. Items that can be the airplane is going faster in the fi rst the surface of the skin. mounted fl ush should be. Lights for place. The faster the airplane is fl ying, night fl ying are a good example. Tip the more drag a given component of Bumps and Blobs lights, strobes and rotating beacons are the airplane produces. often mounted on the airplane surface. For example, suppose we had Many of the items that project from Many of these can be fl ush-mounted, an airplane that had 180 hp and a the airplane surface have relatively particularly those on the wingtips. top speed of 100 knots (very drag- smooth shapes. These bumps may Items such as locks and gas caps gy indeed, maybe an open-cockpit include hinges, lights, fuel-fi ller caps should also be fl ush with the skin. If this biplane). If I clean up a typical rotary and similar items. The drag penalty is not possible, then the area around beacon light by fairing it, the airplane of a smoothly faired bump is relative- the cap or lock barrel should be built gains only about 0.1 knots in top ly small unless it is placed where the up to form a gradual ramp in front of speed, hardly worth the effort. If the fl ow over the bump interferes with the and behind it. The same approach can airplane goes 150 knots, the same fair- fl ow over another part of the airplane. be used to fair door hinges. ing increases speed by 0.6 knots. If the The drag penalty can become larger if airplane goes 200 knots, the fairing such bumps are placed in a critical area increases speed by 2.0 knots (this starts such as the upper surface of a wing. A How Much Do You Gain? to be worth doing). If the airplane is bump will cause the boundary layer to Drag cleanup efforts seem to provoke very clean, and can do 250 knots in its become turbulent, and an expanding a lot of discussion and disagreement original condition, then the fairing of wedge of turbulent fl ow will form be- in the homebuilt community. One the same beacon light increases speed by hind it. If the bump is placed in an area builder will make a modifi cation and almost 5.5 knots. where it might cause the fl ow to sepa- report a speed increase, and someone The important thing to under- rate, the drag penalty might be high. else will try the same thing and report stand is that something that might not Some bumps are not truly a signifi cantly different result. Of- be worth the effort on a slow, high-drag streamlined and have shapes that are ten, this prompts an argument about airplane can produce worthwhile gains bluff and more closely resemble hemi- who “did it right” or who is reporting on a cleaner, faster airplane. As perfor- spheres or fl attened cylinders. The drag results accurately. In fact, it is likely mance increases, the gains we can get penalty of these shapes is higher than that both modifi ers are right because from cleaning up relatively small drag- that of smoothly faired bumps because the speed increase they got from their producing features of the airplane can the fl ow will separate from the bluff af- modifi cation is affected not only by be quite signifi cant. ter-portion of the bump. This can be the amount of drag the modifi cation particularly bad if the bump is on the itself produced, but by the drag of the Aerodynamic questions of a general nature upper surface of the wing, where it acts airplane as a whole. should be sent to [email protected]. as a small spoiler. The effect of a given amount of Use “Wind Tunnel” as the subject line.

74 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com The Classified Builder

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KITPLANES June 2005 77 The Classified Builder continued

UltraVair 2-cylinder Corvair conversion ultra- AERO METAL Tools and Methods for Better SUPPLIED-AIR BREATHING PROTECTION light engine. 80lbs and 35+ hp. www.ultravair. Metalwork. 4-star instructional videos for alu- com ph# 319-981-6761. Conversion manual minum and chromemoly. Air shaping ham- $56.50 US/Canada, $65 International. Send payment in USD to: UltraVair Aviation LLC, mers. Aircraft aluminum gas welding. Hand P.O. Box 2741, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406. tools. Workshops. Books and booklets. Free line card. TM Technologies, 530-292-3506, Helecopters, Rotorcraft CA. www.tinmantech.com Hobby Air Supplied-Air Breathing Systems will protect you from breathing toxic fumes and dangerous particulates in a SINGLE SEAT SKY TWISTER AFFORDABLE VORTEX GENERATORS painting, sandblasting, etc. environment. HVLP paint spray GUARANTEED! equipment is also available from: We promise you’ll takeoff and land shorter and safer. AXIS PRODUCTS, INC. Tough, lightweight, easy to apply. All instructions and templates. Only $95 complete set. Visa/MC. Gilberts, ILL 60136 1-888-458-1322 • www.axispro.com HARRISON DESIGNS, LLC 1-877-272-1414 HI-TECH FOAMS. Seat foam, sit for hours, www.landshorter.com unsurpassed comfort and impact safety. New AeroSuper UV Protectant/Polish The bolt-together main frame is built from 4130 Noise and vibrarion foams for experimental steel and aluminum tubing. Control system emulates Specifically formulated for use on Painted and general aviation aircraft. All products that of a standard helicopter. CAD Plans $95. Video & information pack $25. Fabric, Dacron, Ceconite and other Fabric meet FAR 25.853 and FAR 25.855 burn speci- BEN SHOWERS AERO Aircraft Finishes. Unique UV Formula, Condi- ficiations. Many kit drawings and seat pack- RD3, Box 1200, Sky View Dr., Milton, PA 17847 tions Fabrics. More Info: Call 570-341-9400 ages available. Send SASE to: Hi-Tech Ph: 570-742-4080 • Fax: 570-742-7745 or http://www.AeroSuper.com Dealer inquiries Foams, 3710 Airpark Rd., Lincoln, NE ONTARIO HELICOPTER FLYING CLUB - Be invited. 68524, 402-470-2346, www.seatfoam.com a part-owner. It’s much more affordable! Learn well. Email: [email protected] WEAR WHAT YOU FLY. Perfect for air shows, Online Shopping Ph: 705-329-2673. Central Ontario, Canada. fly-ins, or just on the ramp. Your favorite photo of your plane on a high quality, custom AIRCRAFT DIRECTORY ONLINE — the Homebuilders Supplies most up-to-date, comprehensive database designed, heavyweight t-shirt. Great for flying of over 700 designs including: kits, plans, TERMINALTOWN–Wiring supplies: mil-spec clubs too. Limited time only – Buy 1 get 1 free rotorcraft, ‘chutes, and trikes. Instant infor- terminals, tefzel wire, crimpers, heat shrink, $17.95 plus shipping & handling. Visit fuse blocks & cable ties. Terminal, connector mation in an easy to use searchable format www.richiesteesnthings.com for details. and fuse block kits. Online catalog–secure with photos, design specs and e-mail and ordering. www.terminaltown.com web links. www.kitplanes.com/directory. HELP WITH YOUR HOMEBUILT For a printed edition, call 800-622-1065 Nothing beats watching over someone’s shoulder to learn! Miscellaneous How-to construction DVD’s: Electrical Wiring 101, and order the most recent Dec., Jan. & Feb. Metalworking 101, Licensing a homebuilt, back issues. VISIT our website www.metalcrafttools.com ROTAX ® engine repair, more! Previews at website: for information on our products & classes. HomebuiltHELP.com Call or write for free catalog: 931-707-7778 9186 County K, Brussels, WI 54204 Propellers, Services or 17 Park Lane Spur, Crossville, TN 38571. www.HomebuiltHELP.com PRINCE P-TIP Carbon Fiber Anti-vortex design, automatic pitch control, increased efficiency and noise reduction. Avid, BD-4, BD-5, Cozy, Defiant, Glasair, Glastar, Kitfox, Lancair, Long/Vari-Eze, RV’s, Sonex, T-18, UAV/RPV, Velocity, Zenith. Continental, Jabiru, Lycoming, Rotax, Subaru, Volkswag- on. 2-Blade, Multi-Blade, Scale, Wind Tunnel, Custom. Computer designed for all configurations. Repair and Overhaul. Worldwide Exporting. Prince Aircraft Co., PO Box 2669-H, 6774 Providence St., Whitehouse, OH 43571. Phone: 419-877-5557; Fax: 419- 877-5564; E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.princeaircraft.com All major credit cards accepted.

PROPS INC. Quality & Performance for all Homebuilt, Kitbuilt airplanes. Computer “I know he makes cell phones but I designed and Hand Crafted. www.propsinc. still don’t see how he gets all of that in there!” net 354 SE 2nd St. Newport, OR 97365. 541-265-3032.

78 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com SABER MANUFACTURING - World’s largest Ultralight Shopper’s Guide 2005. Shows all QUICKSILVER ULTRALIGHTS manufacturer of the highest quality Prop new and vintage ultralights with prices, speci- #1 Selling Ultralight in the World. Extensions, crush plates, solid spacers, and Available in 60 Hour KITS. fications, plans, kits, and 4,131 instructors. Easy to build, fun to Fly. stainless steel replacement lugs. Your source $23.65, Cybair, Box 42, Richford, VT 05476. New and Used Aircraft, Pilot Training Available. for extended thread prop bolts. Worldwide 450-538-5120. ultralight-aircraft.com WWW.QUICKSILVERULTRALIGHT.COM distribution, 21 years of proven success, NO Ph: 800-852-8756 • Open every day. failures! Web site: www.sabermfg.com Email: LEGAL EAGLE ULTRALIGHT [email protected] Phone: 817-326-6293. Video Tapes & DVDs IVOPROP. Inflight or ground-adjustable. Car- bon/graphite fiber composite blades with CHALLENGER VIDEO, $10. Exciting 45-minute stainless steel leading edges. Number 2, 3- VHS video of Quad City Ultralight’s Challenger or 6-blade. No.1 selling prop in the world. II and Challenger II Special. We will also include Constant speed electronic governor. Readily A part 103 legal Ultralight with the popular Better Half VW. a complete information package with prices. reassembles from 3-blade into 2-blade con- $2,000-$5,000 depending on scrounging ability. Kits being shipped. Plans $50, eng. plans $20, videos $25 ea., prop Send $12 to QCU Aircraft Corp., PO Box figuration and one spare blade. Beautiful hubs $150, info $5 (eng. or plane). Check/m.o.: high-gloss finish. Unique pitch adjustment, L. E. MILHOLLAND 370, Moline, IL 61266-0370. Web page: PO Box 747-K, Brookshire, TX 77423 no protractor needed. Low drag hub. 30-day Ph: 281-375-5453 Email: [email protected] www.quadcitychallenger.com Or call: 309- www.betterhalfvw.com money back guarantee. Ivoprop Corp., PMB 764-3515. Fax: 309-762-3920. We accept #330, 15903 Lakewood Blvd., #103, Bell- LEARN ALL ABOUT FLYING ULTRALIGHTS Visa/MC. flower, CA 90706. Call: 800-FOR-PROP or AND LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT from the world's 562-602-1451. Fax: 562-602-1374. Website: 4130 AIRFRAME Construction and Structur- oldest and largest magazine dedicated to ultra- Ivoprop.com E-mail: [email protected] al Repairs 3-video set, $85. Shaping Alu- light and light-sport aviation. In publication 30 minum Wheelpants 2+hrs. EAA rated, “Best years. Send for your free information package SENSENICH WOOD PROPELLERS hand tool video available.”, $40. Shrinking Designs for Continental, Lycoming, Rotax 912+, today. Ultralight Flying!, PO Box 6009, K-5, Jabiru, VW & most others. Competitive prices. Magic video, $35. Aluminum Damage Repair Chattanooga, TN 37401. Phone: 423-629- 65+ years of quality and experience. video, $35. Fairings and Reverses video 5375. Website: www.ultralightflying.com . SENSENICH WOOD PROPELLER CO., INC. 2+hrs., $40. Aluminum Gas Welding and 2008 Wood Court, Plant City, FL 33567 Ph: 813-752-3711 • www.sensenichprop.com FALCON EAST, HEADQUARTERS for FAL- ALCOA 2+hrs. video set, $50. 60pp cata- CONS, XP, UL, new used, parts, owner’s assis- logue with purchase. TM Technologies, GSC SYSTEMS - Propelling the world since tance. 845-528-8940. www.aerofalcon.com 530-292-3506. CA. www.tinmantech.com 1984. Best quality Eastern Maple Hardwood, available in fixed pitch, ground adjustable 2- and Classified Line Ad 3-blade, 2-blade mechanical in-flight adjustable Rate/word: 1 time 6 times 12 times and now available props for PPG market. Diam- $1.25 $1.15 $1.00 eters range from 36”-72” with option for leading 20 word minimum per ad. edge protection on all models. 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Ultralight Aircraft phone: 717-433-7985 12 times @ $146 ea. or email: [email protected] Digital Photo Specifications: ULTRALIGHT PLANS. Mach 07, Flybike, Fax: 717-427-1525 1200 dpi resolution for B/W, Minimac, BJ-2, Viewmaster, Hardnose, Wind- Tiff and EPS formats accepted. ward. Included: “How To Build Ultralights.” All Subscriptions: Ph: 800-622-1065 (US & Canda) • 386-447-6318 (International) • Fax: 386-447-2321 for $35. www.beaujonultralights.com

KITPLANES June 2005 79 Kit Stuff BY ROBRUCHA

80 KITPLANES June 2005 www.kitplanes.com

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