Scott Christiansen of Rapid City, South Dakota, has flown
to the annual EAA fly-in convention every year since he
was 18 years old—44 years and counting. He's a pilot and
builder who has a yen for rather rare experimental amateur-built aircraft. He flew his Piel Beryl for 30 of those
years (N114SC, featured in Sport Aviation, April 2002). For
the past three years, he's been flying his four-place Ellipse (N184SC), which he completed in January 2010.
the EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame in 2010. Dean is
perhaps especially well known for his Eagle agricultural
biplane (type certificated) and the Avid Flyer (kit-built).
The prototype Ellipse was a four-place aircraft that
could fly 150 mph with a 150-hp engine. With a 36-foot
folding wingspan, it could easily be towed and stored
in a single-car garage. At least two additional kits were
produced by the company in Grangeville, Idaho.
The Designer and Design
The remarkable Ellipse was the product of prolific
aircraft designer Dean Wilson, who was inducted into
Photography by Phil High
"The prototype, Serial Number 1, is thought to be in
France, though it's still registered to Dean Wilson
[N8069X], and Number 2 doesn't seem to exist," Scott
EAA Experimenter
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