Experimenter

MAY 2015

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/513537

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 20 of 31

• The unique quarter side windows and the split oval rear window give it a very different look. • The side window was inspired by the Crowleys' favorite automobile, the Porsche 356 pre-A Coupe, and the split rear window reflects a vintage 1949 Volkswagen. • Entering the cockpit, you settle into leather seats with color-matched Hooker seat belts with rotary latches and handmade wooden inserts. Clever matching brown elastic cords suspend the harness strap out of the way and are linked to keep the belts in place. • The beautiful "wood" interior side panels with wood railings and the "wood" behind the firewall are actually Kydex, a fireproof synthetic sheet material designed for aircraft interiors. Visit www.sekisui-spi.com for more information. • Overhead are custom cellular retractable "block-out" accordion shades—a must in Arizona. Custom wood is contoured to the roof with clear Lexan tracks (for visibility when the shades are retracted) screwed into the wood mounts. Either side can be adjusted for full, partial, or no shade. • The interior color matches the upholstery, and the exterior matches the exterior white paint. Most of the cockpit control knobs, such as the flap handle, trim control, parking brake, air vent knobs, and throttle, are custom wood. The throttle knob is a carving of a gourd by a native Indian artist. You can tell right there that Dennis and Barb had fun with this project. • Up front, hidden behind fabric and curly maple- veneered wood, is a carbon-fiber prototype instrument panel originally built by Stan Foster. Dennis went with a 10-inch Dynon panel instead of two 7-inch panels so he could have moving-map, primary flight instrumentation and engine instruments all on the one display while still allowing enough room for backup analog steam gauges. In addition, he uses an iPad with ForeFlight for secondary navigation. The panel EAA Experimenter 21 Leather seats in colors to match their 1954 Porsche 356 interior. Dennis shrinking the fabric tight on the right wing.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Experimenter - MAY 2015