Experimenter - EAA's Homebuilder's Newsletter

Fly-in Season in Full Swing
By Patrick Panzera, EAA 555743
ppanzera@eaa.org

It’s hardly headline news that there are fly-ins to attend all over the world, but bear with me; I have a point to make. I personally started off this season by hosting CONTACT! Magazine’s Alternative Engine Round-up in Jean, Nevada, at the end of March, with Sun ’n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida, right on its heels. While at Sun ’n Fun, I was invited to present forums at the Virginia Regional Festival of Flight, an event I had never previously attended. I normally attend the Golden West Regional event in Northern California, but I decided to stay home and fly for International Young Eagles Day.

With three of the four fly-ins outlined above, weather took a serious toll on the attendance, which is understandable since flying (and looking at planes parked outside) is an event best conducted during good weather. In each case, however, as with other such events I’ve attended where weather was an issue, everyone still had a great time, and that’s my point. We have a lot of other events to look forward to this season, and I would encourage you to consider attending even if the weatherman advises against it. Remember, the promoters, vendors, presenters, and volunteers are dedicated to it, come rain or shine. At the Jean gathering, we probably had 50 pilots (which is a large number for our small get-together) decide to drive to the event since the winds on the ground were crazy and the turbulence aloft was nauseating. As far as I know, no one regretted it, and I’m sure that the vast majority had an excellent time.

My itinerary for the balance of the season includes Arlington, and of course, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, followed by a number of smaller events such as EAA Chapter One’s open house, a few “type” gatherings and soaring events, and ending with COPPERSTATE. Although I’m obligated to attend most of these events, I won’t let the weather interfere with the ones that are optional, unless they’re just too far to drive. I would like to encourage you to do likewise.

For a list of aviation events in North America and throughout the world, check EAA’s interactive Aviation Calendar of Events.

Paul's Pick

In May, 1973 Paul Poberezny wrote in Sport Aviation of the benefits of Fly-Ins. He says that events held to bring pilots and aviation enthusiasts are fun, educational, and can make us better pilots. He noted that over 1500 fly-ins, -outs, breakfasts, air shows and the like where held in the U.S. that year. Most importantly he said that these events strengthened the bond of all who were involved in aviation. Even more poetic, he said the "events and activities gave purpose to the airplane." Read Paul's column

Tales From the DAR Side

Little Things
Attention to detail. That's what it finally comes down to. All the little things that go into building an aircraft are what take up much of the time and effort. But it's those little things that can really set the aircraft apart from the rest, so it pays to spend that time and effort as you work on your project. This month I want to talk a little bit about the nuts and bolts of building an aircraft, as seen through the eyes of the designated airworthiness representative (DAR). The fact is, a lot of the attention to detail I'm referring to is directly related to actual nuts and bolts! Read more

A Modern Classic
Spacewalker II-RR
Since the beginning of homebuilding, we've had classically lined airframes that begged a round engine, but the smaller scale precluded it since there were no equally small radial engines to be had. A little over 10 years ago, a small Australian company decided to do something about it. Rotec Engineering has paved the way for homebuilders to give older designs a new look.

Since Rotec's introduction, we've seen the Fly Baby, Pober Jr. Ace, Pietenpol, Kitfox, EAA Biplane, and many others benefit from the looks and performance of this attractive round engine. But in virtually every instance, the builder also became the designer, as someone had to be the first to put one of these CNC'd beauties on the deserving airframe. And that's where the amazing creativity comes to play. Martin Hone describes his experience with installing a nine-cylinder, 150 horsepower Rotec radial engine in his Spacewalker II, transforming this already handsome airframe into a timeless, yet modern, classic. Read more

Aeromorph 75
The power behind David Roe's "Diva"
In the February issue of Experimenter we reported on David Roe's Hummel Bird and promised that we'd report on the highly modified Volkswagen engine powering it. So in keeping with our promise, we would like to present to you the one-of-a-kind Aeromorph 75 as built by renegade machinist Doug Reid. And before you think this is just another bolt-together VW engine article, consider that the work that went into narrowing this engine to fit the round cowl of David's Hummel Bird produced a four-cylinder VW engine which is taller than it is wide. A destroked crank, custom-shortened connecting rods, and short-skirt BMW pistons are just a few of the components and custom machine work that went into this remarkable engine. Read more

What Our Members Are Building
The Joy of Building an Airplane from Plans
Ron Voss, an ardent builder of experimental aircraft and an active member of EAA 22 (Rockford, IL) is working on his fourth project since 1998. His first was a Sonex and after working on a Wagabond and finishing an RV-6, his current project is again, a Sonex. But this time he's armed with the experience to make Sonex number two uniquely his own. Read more

The Ultimate Glue Revisited (Again)
The right wood glue for your wood aircraft
Mick Myal founded CONTACT! Magazine in 1990, but long before that, he was an active EAA member and regular contributor to EAA publications. For the October 1967 issue of Sport Aviation, Mick wrote a comprehensive four-page article on the use of epoxy for building wooden aircraft. His research article stands the test of time, and a recent letter to the editor (by an EAA member who built two wood aircraft with Mick's recommendations) thanked Mick for his contribution to homebuilding. For those who have never seen the article, Mick has prepared current commentary for its reintroduction. Read more

Rotax 503 Wins ASTM Nod
Kodiak Research Ltd. has announced that following completion of it's testing program, it has determined that the type 503 Rotax engine is ATSM Compliant. The list of ASTM compliant engines, those allowed to be installed in special light sport aircraft (S_LSA), is a short one at best, most being targeted at the 80-120 horsepower range. This leaves the smaller, lighter, potentially ASTM compliant aircraft with few choices. Although the Rotax 583 is the most popular of the engines suited for this type of aircraft, Rotax (BRP-Powertrain GmbH & Co KG ) has succeeded at making their 503 engine ASTM compliant. Read more

Finding a Replacement for AvGas

Aviation gasoline, also known as 100LL, has been powering piston aircraft engines since the 1940s. The formulation is so entrenched that several generations of aircraft engines have been designed specifically to perform using this fuel. A combination of impending environmental regulations, shrinking markets, and rising overhead is driving the search for a replacement. EAA Radio's Fareed Guyot talked with EAA Vice President of Government Relations Doug Macnair about a coalition of AvGas stakeholders, including EAA, are doing to find the "new" AvGas. Listen to the interview

We Still Need Your Story
Stories

Virtually every article in this issue was submitted by your fellow readers. Isn't it time you provided us with your story? Finished or unfinished. Trophy winner or rattrap. If you built it, completed it, or are the caretaker of it and are proud of it (and rightfully so), please share it with us. Of course, the more innovative and experimental, the better. We also need how-to's and articles on just about any topic pertaining to homebuilding, even product reviews. Need help writing? Don't know where to start? E-mail your editor, Pat Panzera - ppanzera@eaa.org - and let him know.

Also, don't forget to leave your feedback in the survey by clicking here.

Flying into AirVenture for the First Time? Watch This Webinar!
An aerial visit to a popular fly-in can be daunting. How about the biggest fly-in at the busiest airport in the world? Any fly-in that publishes an entire book on how to fly to its event can intimidate many flyers. Fred Stadler, who has worked with the FAA for years on the NOTAM book, hopes to make your first visit to AirVenture in an airplane less stressful and safe with this informative webinar. Before flying to AirVenture you should always READ THE NOTAM. We also suggest you watch this webinar too for helpful hints for those who fly-in every year.

Tuesday, June 29: Non-Towered Airport Operations with David Zitt and Eric Radke
Wednesday, June 30: Flying into AirVenture - A First Timers Guide with Fred Stadler

To find out more about upcoming EAA Webinars and to register, visit the webinars page.

From the EAA Homebuilding Community

The Homebuilders Corner message forum at Oshkosh365 is as active as ever. Have a look at the list below and follow the links to read the actual questions and discussion topics.

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