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 other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/81495
Flightline Sonex Aircraft Adds New Quick-Build Parts RV-14 Debuts AirVenture attendees got a big surprise on opening day when the much- rumored Van's RV-14 led a parade of RVs to open showcase fl ights prior to the air show. Ken Scott of Van's described the airplane as a cross between "a big person's RV-7 and a two-place RV-10." It's powered by a Lycoming IO-390 and has 50-gallon fuel capacity. First fl ight was in April, and the company is "very happy" with the results of the full fl ight test program, Scott said. See the September issue of EAA Sport Aviation for a fl ight review of the aircraft. » For more information, visit www.VansAircraft.com. Read a fl ight review of the RV-14 in the September issue of EAA Sport Aviation Sonex Aircraft LLC added new prefabricated parts to its popular Sonex and Waiex kits, making the airframe easier and faster to build than ever before. The complete airframe kits and sub-kits now feature matched-hole formed parts. The new parts lists consist of channels, angles, and clips that would traditionally have been made by the builder from preformed sheet aluminum blanks provided in earlier Sonex kits. These pieces not only reduce fabrication work for the builder but also reduce build time and increase building accuracy. » For more information, visit www.SonexAircraft.com. AKIA Launches to Address E-AB Safety Issues The Aircraft Kit Industry Association (AKIA) formally organized during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012. AKIA's mission is to represent aircraft kit manufacturers, designers, suppliers, and supporters with a unifi ed voice in the promotion and safety of the aircraft kit industry. The 14 charter members formed AKIA after the NTSB issued 16 recommendations regarding experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft safety. "We don't manufacture aircraft; we make aircraft parts," said Dick VanGrunsven, founder and CEO of Van's Aircraft and AKIA's president. "Our customers buy those parts, and they manufacture the aircraft. But we do have a direct link to E-AB aircraft, and it's time we make our presence known and become proactive in addressing safety issues." NTSB cites the fi rst prefl ight, Phase 1 fl ight testing, and transition training for pilots as key areas to address. Post-AirVenture, AKIA the group invited three prominent fi gures in aviation to provide guidance and counsel through an Advisory Board. They include: Tom Poberezny, past president of EAA; Frank Christensen, Christen Industries, who revolutionized the kit aircraft business with the introduction of the Eagle aerobatic aircraft kit in 1977; and Dale Klapmeier, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft, who got his start in aircraft kit manufacturing with the VK-30 and has gone on to lead Cirrus Aircraft EAA EXPERIMENTER 9