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EDITORIAL
This issue may seem to have a canard theme, but it's not intentional. Experimenter
is dependent on reader submissions, and for the most part, articles
are published as we receive them. We're not sitting on a stockpile of
articles from which we can pick and choose, but that would be real
nice; it would make my job much easier. In many cases, I find article
fodder by monitoring e-mail groups. Oftentimes I'll find some gem
written by an enthusiastic homebuilder who writes a wonderful e-mail
to all his buddies, not realizing there's a greater audience who might
also be interested. That's when I step in and ask if we can publish it
in Experimenter.
The best stories
come from you, and we implore you to share your building experiences
with your fellow readers. We need your help in providing content for
each issue of Experimenter. Please consider submitting an
article, especially the next time you feel compelled to write a report
to your e-mail group, type newsletter, or EAA chapter newsletter. Help
us build up that stockpile so we can do a better job bringing you Experimenter
each month. And please remember to take our survey
when you are done with this issue of Experimenter. |
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PAUL'S PICK
EAA Members Have Loudest Voice with Congress
In the United States, citizens will soon go to the polls to participate
in mid-term elections. EAA, by virtue of its tax status, is forbidden to
endorse a particular candidate, participate in general campaigning, or
contribute to political campaigns. EAA as an organization does
communicate with representatives in Washington, D.C., on matters
affecting aviation. Paul notes in a column from March 1970 that while
the stature of EAA does open doors, the interests of aviation are most
effectively heard when EAA members across the country contact their own
congressional representatives to express their views on matter of
policy. Read
Paul's column
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TALES FROM THE DAR SIDE
E-LSA or Amateur-Built?
I've been getting a number of calls lately asking about the
difference between an experimental light-sport aircraft (E-LSA) and an
experimental amateur-built aircraft. These calls are mostly from EAA
members who are considering an RV-12 project and wondering whether they
should certificate the aircraft as E-LSA or amateur-built. There are
potential benefits and pitfalls to both options, so in this month's
column I'll try to shine some light on the subject. Read
more
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VW-Powered Single
Seat, All-Metal Aircraft at AirVenture 2010
Rob Wyland paid a visit to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010 this past
summer, with his eyes open for single-place, VW-powered aircraft that
utilized aluminum monocoque construction. As a larger fellow, he was
most interested in how he would fit and how well the planes could
perform with a full payload. What he found was four different planes,
all of which were designed in this century. Read
more
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Do You Use Your
Checklists?
Those who have been properly trained to handle guns were taught that the
most important rule is to always treat every gun as if it's loaded. Far
too many people have been shot by "unloaded guns." In that
same respect, we should treat every propeller as if the mags are always
on, the engine is primed, the mixture is full rich, and even looking at
it will cause the engine to start. In other words, treat it like a
loaded gun.
In this article, Lee
Taylor recounts an avoidable accident that could have been thwarted by
following that simple rule, but could also have been avoided by
following the aircraft checklist. Read
more
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Central States
Association, Rough River Canard Fly-In
A nice trip with Xtra-EZ
The Central States Association (CSA) is an organization of builders
and flyers of Rutan-type aircraft, consisting of approximately 1,000
canard enthusiasts largely from the United States and Canada. CSA hosts
an annual fall gathering, one of the oldest ongoing canard events in
existence. It was started in 1986, the first year the CSA was in
operation, and has been growing ever since. A record for attendance was
set in 2000 when 65 canards flew in, which surpassed any other single
fly-in event in the world.
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This year's event didn't
quite make the record books, but attendance was outstanding. Scott
Carter, featured in the July and August 2010 issues of Experimenter, and
his wife Lynn Canatella flew their freshly hatched Xtra-EZ to the event
this year and offer this report. Read
more
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WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE
BUILDING
Building a Berkut
Or what did
we get ourselves into?
Ric and Shari Lee embarked on a 30-year adventure that began with flying
hang gliders and has brought them to the point of a nearly complete
Berkut. When their landing gear (legs) started to wear out from
foot-launched flight, they began to look around to see what their next
flying thing would be. This month's featured project is their journey
toward high-performance flight that was discovered by way of a visit to
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Read
more
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MYSTERY
PLANE
We need your help to identify an antique homebuilt glider.
Jon Aldridge came
across an old photograph of an interesting glider that has piqued his
curiosity. Nothing seems to be known about the glider, but it appears to
have possibly been built by Tony Schwamm of Anchorage, Alaska. He was a
fairly prominent pilot in Alaska during the late 1930s and 1940s. As
with so much of Alaskan history, it appears that Schwamm also had a
Seattle tie.
The glider is a
complete unknown, but based on other photos of Tony Schwamm, it appears
to be him sitting in the unfinished craft. The gull wings and twin tail
are completely unique in what appears to be a single-seat glider design.
It's not known if he designed or built it or was just posing in it in
front of his hangar in Petersburg, Alaska. Read
more |
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PlaneDriven's Test
Version of Roadable Sportsman
PlaneDriven has revealed a new test version of the Roadable Sportsman
that delighted so many at AirVenture 2010. PlaneDriven's Wally Anderson
says the major change is that the center pod located underneath the
fuselage on the PD-1 has been moved. "The new design uses two pods
with a lot less drag," he said.
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EAA Provides Simple Guide for Aircraft
Re-Registration
The FAA notice
of "Expiration of Aircraft Registration" forms have started to
arrive in mailboxes - EAA has received a batch for several of its
200-some museum aircraft - and to help guide aircraft owners through the
process, EAA has developed a
simple guide based on a sample re-registration form. Feedback we've
received thus far has reinforced our experience that the re-registration
process can be accomplished in as little as 5-10 minutes. Read
more
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Kenyan
Homebuilder Has Spirit of Aviation...But Will it Fly?
Gabriel Nderitu hardly lacks enthusiasm and ingenuity, and he will need
all of that if his scratchbuilt aircraft is to become the first
homebuilt to fly in Kenya. The aircraft is indeed "homebuilt"
as it looks like it was assembled from parts of other vehicles and
machinery. Nderitu says he has had a passion for aviation since he was a
boy; with no prior training in engineering or aviation, he built his own
design after six months of intensive research on the Internet. Read
more | Watch
Gabriel’s first takeoff attempt |
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Q&A
Got a
question? Send it to us at Experimenter@eaa.org.
Whether you're building, restoring, or just an
enthusiast. we want to know what has you
stumped.
Q. I'm thinking of purchasing an
already flying homebuilt, and I was wondering what kind of restrictions
are placed on experimental aircraft. I've been reading FAA regulations,
specifically § 91.319, which spells out operating limitations for
aircraft with experimental certificates. That regulation seems awfully
restrictive, yet I see homebuilts flying all over the place, even using
instrument flight rules (IFR). What's the deal?
A. Yes, § 91.319 is quite
restrictive on the face of it, but there's more to the story. Section
(c) of the regulation holds the key in its first sentence: "Unless
otherwise authorized by the Administrator in special operating
limitations…" Read
more |
Read more Q&As
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AVIATION GLOSSARY
Confused
by a strange aeronautical term? EAA's online
Aviation Glossary can help.
VORTILONS - Small fencelike
surfaces extending in front of the wing and attached to the
undersurface. They are particularly useful in preventing spanwise flow
at high angles of attack, by shedding a vortex, similar to that of a
wing fence. Vortilons generate a vortex over the upper surface at high
angles of attack. More
glossary terms
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Sport Aviation, July
1975
Rutan VariEze to Be Available to Homebuilders
By Burt Rutan
In recognition of SpaceShipTwo's
successful first glide test earlier this month, we thought it would be
appropriate to feature the man, the company, and the plane that started
it all. With this month's featured article from July 1975, Burt Rutan
announces the upcoming availability of the VariEze to the homebuilt
community. Read
the article
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AROUND THE WEB
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 Sport
Air Racing League! Cockpit View During the Race
Russell Sherwood (Race 84) recently posted a video shot during the Grace
Flight Race across north Texas and south Oklahoma which took place
October 3, 2010. The video has been edited to just 3.5 minutes. The
camera is mounted inside his Subaru EG33-powered Glasair's cabin, so it
only shows what was directly in front of the plane. Grace Flight Race
was a 144-mile event, and the Glasair had an average speed of 227.54
mph.
The Sport Air Racing League holds
several events throughout the United States and in Canada every year.
Aircraft are classed by engine size, landing gear type, and if they're
factory built or experimental. Watch
the video
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 What
a Great Sound; LS1 Breathes Life Into a P-51
The Geared Drives firewall-forward engine package for a P-51 is
shown at idle and run up very conservatively since ignition was being
tested only and there was no prop installed. Watch
the video
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 One-Third
of a Six-Cylinder Engine Makes the Airbike Fly
Cutting the six-cylinder down to two cylinders produces an
affordable alternative to the one-half Volkswagen conversion. Watch the
cockpit view of flying this engine on an Airbike, dubbed CorvAirbike. Watch
the video
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HOMEBUILDER GALLERY OF
THE MONTH
Idaho Curtiss Pusher Project
Two Idaho homebuilding enthusiasts recently completed and flew a replica
of a 1909 Herring-Curtiss Pusher Model D, which was the first aircraft
flown in Idaho. The Idaho Centennial of Flight takes place in October of
this year (2010) and Jim Otey, EAA 26863, of Lewiston, Idaho, and his
project partner Dean Wilson, of nearby Clarkston, Washington, spent two
years building the aircraft with the assistance of a set of drawings an
area elder found in a family home he was helping clean out. View
the gallery
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FEATURED WEBINAR
Wondering About the Future of
AvGas? Watch This Webinar!
In talking about the future of sport aviation, it's impossible to ignore
the topic of fuel and the search for a 100LL replacement. On October 27,
you'll have the chance to hear from someone with 20 years of experience
in the move toward unleaded aviation gasoline: EAA's Doug Macnair. This
webinar will give you the latest information on alternative fuels
research, the status of the recently formed avgas coalition, and the
future of unleaded fuel for general aviation. Sign
up!
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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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Can
You Help?
Interesting
Discussions
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POLL
Q.
What effort do you feel will have the
greatest impact on improving amateur-built aircraft safety?
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The
members of EAA invite YOU to become part of the
EAA community.
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