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/113663
Flightline 8,000th Van's RV Flies On Monday, February 4, 2013, Stephen Watson of Santa Clarita, California, flew the 8,000th Van's Aircraft kit airplane that was completed. Watson's airplane is an RV-7A, powered by a Lycoming IO-360 turning a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. For many years, Van's has posted on its website a running total of RV series kits completed and flying. Report- ing first flights for the "Hobbs meter" of Van's kits is completely voluntary, so there are likely even more of the RV series airplanes that have flown. Watson, who works for Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, spent five years of part-time effort to complete his RV. He equipped his RV-7A with a Dynon SkyView flat-glass flight instrument system and a Garmin stack of avionics. Just Aircraft's Highlander Available as SuperSTOL Just Aircraft recently completed flight testing on its new Highlander SuperSTOL model, which can be built from a kit in the experimental amateur-built or light-sport aircraft categories. The SuperSTOL's upgraded design features a new slatted wing and a virtually indestructible landing gear that can accommodate 21-inch tundra tires. With the improved landing gear features and long strut air shocks, it can handle aggressive off-airport landings. The SuperSTOL also has an empty weight of 720 pounds, giving it a useful load capability of 600 pounds. "The new slatted wing has significantly enhanced the performance numbers and slow flight control," said Troy Woodland, design engineer. "This provides access to considerably more off-airport landing sites, making the SuperSTOL one of the most versatile backcountry machines out there." The wing slats, when combined with the large Fowler flaps, allow the aircraft to be flown at extremely high angles of attack, permitting it to "drop" into small or inclined clearings. With the new wing configuration, the Highlander will cruise at 110 mph, land at 32 mph, and take off or land with as little as 150 feet of runway. Just Aircraft Company has shipped more than 300 Highlander kits in the United States and abroad. All existing Highlanders can be retrofitted with the new folding SuperSTOL wing. They can be built in tailwheel or tri-gear configuration and can be fitted with regular wheels, tundra tires, skis, or floats. For more information, visit www.JustAircraft.com or call 864-718-0320. 8 Vol.2 No.3 / March 2013