Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/178050
The following statistics tell the story. The Fun Fly Zone registered 142 aircraft, including 12 hot-air balloons. We recorded 1,138 takeoffs and had the same number of landings. I made 43 of those landings myself in my Air Creation trike. We pumped 626 gallons of fuel into aircraft and gave 249 demo rides plus 40 youth rides. The weather was great and there were no accidents or incidents. For a quick peek at the action, watch the EAA video "Something Special About Ultralights." EAA's AirVenture Today and daily e-Hotline can be your sources for all the AirVenture 2013 news, including videos and archives of the daily newspaper; these can all be found at www.AirVenture.org/live. Rare Barn Find in Volmer Jensen VJ-24 A beautiful example of the very rare Volmer Jensen VJ24 SunFun was displayed and flown this year at AirVenture 2013. The design originated in 1978 as a hang glider and motorglider. The aluminum tube-and-fabric design was an outgrowth of the earlier all-wood VJ-23 hang glider. Jensen, a sailplane designer, is better known for his homebuilt two-place all-wood VJ-22 Sportsman amphibian introduced in 1957. The VJ-24 was found in storage by Tim Lowrey of Brookville, Indiana, an A&P; mechanic. The airframe was completed but not covered. The original owner was B. Howell of Connersville, Indiana, the youngest of three builders who began the project in 1980. The 15-hp, 100-cc Yamaha engine is original. Empty weight is 210 pounds, and the 36-foot-long wing cruises at 30 mph and lands at 15 mph. Few VJ-24s were probably built because by 1982 most ultralight enthusiasts wanted the higher cruise speed allowed under the then new FAR 103 rules. Tim also owns and flies a Corben Baby Ace, and he previously flew an UltraPup at AirVenture. He now owns a rare piece of history, likely the only flying example in existence. trikes from Tampa, Florida, to Oshkosh to attend AirVenture 2013. It's becoming an annual trip for them. The state-of-the-art Revo trikes cruise between 90 and 100 mph, so the trip from Florida to the Chicago area took two days. They stopped awhile at Cushing Field to attend the pre-Oshkosh Trikefest sponsored by Mike Hudetz before continuing on to Oshkosh. While at Cushing, Larry gave a talk on trike piloting. There were five trikes in the group (four Revos), but Barry Maggio, who gained fame by flying his LSA trike around the Statue of Liberty, was held back by a cracked muffler. Curt Shoaf of Watseka, Illinois, was recruited to ferry a new Revo trike to Oshkosh by its owner, Eric Nakamoto, who rode along. A total of seven pilots took turns flying the four trikes including Amy Saunders, Wes and Marsha Frey, and Quinn Ahrens flying an Apollo Delta Jet. Craig Ewing of Silver Lining Aviation joined the group at Oshkosh with his Revo by trailer. Revolution, the only trike manufacturer exhibiting in the Fun Fly Zone, had as many as five trikes in front of its booth. Revo trikes are made in the United States, and the wings are custom, strut-braced topless designs manufactured by Northwing. The Revo team members took newcomers for rides all week and estimates that they (and Craig Ewing) provided about 65 introductory rides during the week. Electric Flying Revolution A lot has changed since Randall Fishman first flew his electric weight-shift trike at AirVenture a few years ago. More recently Dale Kramer gained notoriety for his electric Lazair flown here in 2011 and 2012. Several significant firsts came at AirVenture this year, starting with the introduction of the Yuneec eSpyder by The VJ-24 wasn't the only antique in the Fun Fly Zone, and now that more and more designs are reaching 30 years of age, we probably need to establish an antique ultralight judging category. In addition to 30-year-old Quicksilvers, we saw a Klaus Hill Hummer, a Pterodactyl, and an original Lazair. All were flying just fine. Revo Trike Invasion Larry Mednick, creator of the Revo LSA trike, led a flock of Photography by Dan Grunloh Afer her ride in a Revo trike, Lisa Shetter, who typically fies in a Piper Warrior, said, "It was fast!" EAA Experimenter 37