Vol.3 No.4 I April 2014 The Spirit of Homebuilt Aviation I www.eaa.org Meet the BK Flier 1.3 The Homebuilt CC02 A fi ghter pilot’s delight Kids, Airplanes, and Drones Having fun with models The New Rotax iS Sport Engine Debuts at Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In EEAAEXP_Apr14.inddAAEXP_Apr14.indd 1 33/31/14/31/14 99:39:39 AMAM TOWER FREQUENCY Jack and Rose Pelton Thank You, EAA Volunteers BY JACK PELTON I HAVE BEEN VERY fortunate to win some awards and be hon- It would be impossible to host our big annual convention ored by various groups over the years, but I can tell you that and fl y-in at Oshkosh every summer without the many thou- nothing has been more gratifying and meaningful for Rose and sands of volunteers who pitch in. And I thank each of you. But me than being named EAA Volunteers of the Year last summer volunteering is not just a one-week ef ort for EAA members. at Oshkosh. Volunteers perform essential tasks year-round. It was rewarding to us because we are part of such a large For example, as signs of spring just begin to appear in group. A group of volunteers so big and so dedicated that Oshkosh, groups of volunteers arrive to begin the enormous EAA, AirVenture, and the work our association does daily to task of preparing the grounds for the hundreds of thousands support all types of personal fl ying would not be possible who will arrive in July. There is so much to be done to shake of without them. Actually, I should say would not be possible winter wear and tear, and to improve our vast facilities. without you, because so many EAA members volunteer in one EAA volunteers work with the staf to form organizations for way or another. specifi c tasks, select chairs and other group leaders, and identify April is National Volunteer Month, and the week of April 6 what needs to be done and how best to do it. Volunteers bring is National Volunteer Week. These celebrations of volunteer- valuable years’ worth of experience to the job and knowledge of ing date back to 1974 when then President Richard Nixon how EAA and Oshkosh operate that is irreplaceable. signed an executive order creating the spotlight on volunteer- We have subject experts such as our homebuilt technical ing. Every president since then has acknowledged National advisors, medical council, and warbird and antique restoration Volunteer Week. experts who all volunteer to help keep EAA members and President George H.W. Bush was perhaps the greatest sup- their aircraft fl ying. And we have volunteers who give their porter of Americans volunteering for all manner of charitable time and skills in non-aviation areas such as carpentry, electri- ef orts. Toward the end of his term President Bush helped to cal work, and so on that are essential to keep AirVenture and create the Points of Light Foundation to honor volunteers who EAA functioning. go over and above in their ef orts. I think of his promotion of EAA has a volunteer opportunity for every member to use volunteering when I’m in EAA’s headquarters and see the pho- their experience and skills. Over the years many EAA chapters tos of President Bush’s visit to EAA and Oshkosh. He is, of have focused on specifi c volunteer tasks and return year after course, a pilot, and his “thousand points of light” speeches were year to get the job done. We need and appreciate each and every more than just the usual political rhetoric. one of you who gives of time and talent. National Volunteer Month and Week are a means to give Again, Rose and I want to thank you so much for the very special thanks to all volunteers. Recognizing the endless special honor presented to us last year. And on behalf of your good volunteers do in America is something we should do board of directors—who also volunteer so many hours to every week and every month, but that doesn’t always happen. guide EAA through very difficult times in personal aviation— The reason is that so many volunteers do their work quietly, I say thank you, EAA volunteers. April is a time to show not drawing attention to themselves. That is certainly true volunteer appreciation, but I want all of us at EAA to do that here at EAA. year-round. On the cover: Bruce King’s BK Flier 1.3 poses in front of the historic Brown Arch. (Photography by Jim Raeder) 2 Vol.3 No.4 / April 2014 Photography by Jason Toney EEAAEXP_Apr14.inddAAEXP_Apr14.indd 2 33/31/14/31/14 99:39:39 AMAM Vol.3 No.4 I April 2014 CONTENTS Features EAA PUBLICATIONS Founder: Paul H. Poberezny Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA Chairman of the Board Vice President of Marketing: Rick Larsen Editor-in-Chief: J. Mac McClellan Homebuilding Community Manager: 10 Bruce King’s 18 The CC02 Charlie Becker Brilliant BK Flier 1.3 A French ‘jet’ with a piston heart Editor: Mary Jones/EditEtc. LLC His dream realized BY MARINO BORIC Senior Graphic Designer: Chris Livieri BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT News Editor: Ric Reynolds Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh Multimedia Journalist: Brady Lane Departments Visual Properties Administrator: Jason Toney 02 Tower Frequency 08 Flightline Contributing Writers: Charlie Becker, BY JACK PELTON INDUSTRY NEWS Marino Boric, Robert Bounds, Cy Galley, Dan Grunloh, Ed Kolano, Sparky Barnes 04 Homebuilder’s Corner 26 Hints for Homebuilders Sargent, Rick Weiss BY CHARLIE BECKER BY CY GALLEY 06 News from HQ NEWS FROM EAA ADVERTISING Display Sue Anderson Columns Mailing Address: 28 What Our Members Are Building P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Getting the Airplane I Wanted Phone: 920-426-4800 BY ROBERT BOUNDS Fax: 920-426-4828 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.EAA.org 30 Under the Cowl Meet the New Rotax 912 iS Sport Engine Need to change your address or have BY MARINO BORIC other membership questions? Call 800-564-6322 (800-JOIN EAA). 32 Light Plane World EAA® and SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® Kids, Airplanes, and Drones… and AERONAUTICATM are registered trade- BY DAN GRUNLOH marks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without 36 Flight Testing Techniques the permission of the Experimental Aircraft As- Longitudinal Static Stability sociation, Inc. is strictly prohibited. BY ED KOLANO 38 Hangar Debrief Dispelling Rumors… BY RICK WEISS EAA Experimenter 3 EEAAEXP_Apr14.inddAAEXP_Apr14.indd 3 33/31/14/31/14 99:39:39 AMAM HOMEBUILDER’S CORNER Paul and Charlie at the Aeroplane Factory. Hallowed Ground Paul’s Aeroplane Factory rededicated to homebuilding workshops BY CHARLIE BECKER ONE HIDDEN LITTLE PLACE on the EAA grounds is the With Paul’s passing, the question of what would be- Aeroplane Factory. If you didn’t know where to look, you come of the Aeroplane Factory arose. Would it be used had no chance of finding it. It is hidden in Camp Scholler for more museum storage? behind, of all things, a port-a-potty staging area. It is part Well, I’m thrilled to share with you that we will be of a larger building that provides cold storage for EAA rededicating the Aeroplane Factory as a facility for teach- museum artifacts. For as long as I’ve worked at EAA, which ing homebuilding. Many of our members have enjoyed is going on 14 years, it has been EAA Founder Paul attending our SportAir Workshops that are dedicated to Poberezny’s workshop. teaching members how to build aircraft. The Aeroplane Paul always had a project going in the Aeroplane Fac- Factory will become the new home for our SportAir tory. In fact, he was working on a Baby Ace right up until Workshops. We will use one-third of it for housing our his passing last August. You would usually find more fuse- supplies, and the remainder will be a classroom and shop lages than wings because Paul liked to weld. Oftentimes, area for holding our workshops. We will preserve as the completed fuselage would get sold off so another one much of the look and feel of Paul’s shop as possible as a could get started. Sometimes the aircraft would be built tribute to him and to let our students get a glimpse into to completion. his life. We will also rename it “Paul’s Aeroplane Factory” Paul often spoke of the benefits of using your “hand in his honor. and mind” to construct an aircraft. He understood how a The first workshops scheduled for our new SportAir person grew as an individual from homebuilding. Maybe it home will be a “Van’s RV Assembly” course on July 29 to was because he wasn’t particularly interested in school that 30 and an “Electrical Systems and Avionics” course on July he knew what homebuilding had to offer in the form 31 to August 1, both during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014. of learning. The dedication of this building to further the home- For me, the Aeroplane Factory is hallowed ground. building education of our members is something of which This is where our “homebuilder in chief” spent many we all should be proud. Although EAA serves all of sport an hour building aircraft. Of course, since it was Paul’s aviation, this action demonstrates that homebuilding is workshop, it has a homey feel with lots of photos on still front and center. The fact that this also will keep the wall of different aircraft and volunteers from over Paul’s workshop intact for future EAA members to enjoy the years.