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/307497
EAA Experimenter 17 the carb air box myself. Then, to keep it light, we put a Sensenich wood prop on it and didn't install an electri- cal system. We haven't weighed the airplane yet, but we're hoping for less than 700 pounds, which is about what Carl's first airplane weighed." For wings, the original airplane used a set from a Piper PA-12, but Breezy has been built using almost every kind of wing that is available on the salvage market. In fact, at least a few have had Cessna 172 wings, complete with flaps, which by the way looks just a little strange. Jon and Mike thought about using PA-12 wings but decided to build their own. Jon said, "We found that original PA-12 wings were far too expensive. But inasmuch as PA-12 wings are nothing but modified J-3 Cub wings, we used a kit from Wag Aero for their J-3 Sport Trainer, which has aluminum spar wings. The front spar is cut off 12 inches, so the front and rear spar fittings are in alignment. "We bought a kit for the ailerons from another supplier, but the quality of the parts was so poor I only used the spars. We tooled up and made all of the nose and main ribs as well as all of the hinges. The most difficult part was making and welding the aileron hinges. We also used 2024 .020 for the aileron leading edge. We made a press brake to bend the nose skins. It is the same weight but much more durable than the 1100 aluminum Piper used. The struts are stream- lined tubing, all made new, and that tubing is pricey! In fact, I hear people are starting to make their own streamline tub- ing, rolling round tube through dies. We weren't up for doing that, however. "The truth is that we both like to build as much as fly, and I love to weld. Mike makes tubes and fits them with speed and accuracy. To us, the journey is just about as satisfying as the destination, and as such, we tend to build everything. This includes the ailerons, wing fuel tanks, engine oil tank, engine cooling eyebrows with wired leading edges, and dozens of other items. This is very satisfying, but it does slow us down a bit. "Of course, the big question is whether it will be ready for Oshkosh 2014. I hope so, but it will be a race to get it done and fl y the restrictions of . I also hope to take the airplane to the Antique Airplane Association fl y-in at Blakesburg, Iowa, this year because it is a legacy homebuilt. How- ever, when we do fi nish it, there will be a vacuum in both of our lives, and I don't doubt that we'll start on another project in a hurry." Budd Davisson is an aeronautical engineer, has fl own more than 300 different aircraft types, and published four books and more than 4,000 articles. He is editor-in-chief of Flight Journal magazine and a fl ight instructor primarily in Pitts/tailwheel aircraft. Visit him at www.Airbum.com. The O-200 engine mounted on the steel-tube fuselage, as the project sees daylight for the fi rst time. The center section of the wing. E A A E X P _ M a y 1 4 . i n d d 1 7 EAAEXP_May14.indd 17 5 / 5 / 1 4 3 : 1 6 P M 5/5/14 3:16 PM