Light Plane World
Phil Knox with the AeroMax built by members of EAA Chapter 132 from a kit donated by the manufacturer. T e AeroMax, like its predecessor the AirBike, is fl own with the pilot's legs on the outside of the fuselage, similar to a motorcycle.
Welcome to… The new Light Plane World column
By Dan Grunloh
Welcome to news and commentary from the world of ultralights and light planes. EAA originally adopted the light plane terminology in the early 1980s to describe the mixture of aircraft, including light N-num- bered amateur-built aircraft, flying at the time. It didn't take long for the knowledge and skills accumulated in the homebuilt aircraft scene to migrate into the ultralight movement and create "proper little airplanes," as they were called at the time. The original EAA Ultralight magazine, which began in January 1981, was
38 NO. 2/OCTOBER 2012
renamed Light Plane World three years later, and in May 1987 it be- came Experimenter magazine. We still use the light plane terminology on the grounds of AirVenture and in aircraft judging because it best de- scribes the mixture of N-numbered light aircraft flying with the ultra- lights from the grass strip at Air- Venture. We have everything from foot-launched powered paragliders to light-sport aircraft (LSA) like the Flight Design CT flying "down on the Farm." They're all part of the world of light planes.
AeroMax Is Back
This AeroMax displayed at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012 by Phil Knox, president of EAA Chapter 132 in Elkhart, Indiana, was built by chapter members and brought with it some good news. The aircraft is built with laser-cut plywood parts using a locking tab technology that speeds construction and eliminates the need for jigs and fixtures. Learn more about the development of the aircraft in the story "JDT AeroMax Prototype Flying in Tasmania,"