So, what kind of airplane does a professional antique
aircraft restorer and replica builder build for himself?
everything old but replicates none of them and directly addresses someone's taste for things ancient and funky?
That's a good question. But you know such a bird would
have to be unique because no one gets into that kind of
business unless he has a serious personal interest in it. Actually, most of the pros in that field are more than interested;
they are passionate. When it comes to building for themselves, are they going to build a Cessna clone? Of course
not! How about a homebuilt airplane that looks a little like
Yeah, that's the ticket! And that's exactly what Mark Lightsey of
AeroCraftsman in Riverside, California, did. After a long string
of aircraft restorations and replicas completed for customers,
he built a Hatz that looks and feels older than it really is.
Photography by Phil High
Mark summed up the principle that guided this project
as "I wanted everything, and I mean everything, about
EAA Experimenter
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