Experimenter

September 2013

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/178050

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Operating the SubSonex in the United States requires a private pilot certificate, and for those without a turbine rating, a letter of authorization from the FAA. Sonex has developed a transition training program to provide the necessary instruction to qualify for the letter of authorization (LOA). The JSX-1 was featured in flight demonstrations during AirVenture, flown by primary test pilot Bob Carlton. www.SonexAircraft.com/SubSones was specifically designed for world-class aerobatic pilot Sergei Boriak. Rud Aero says the RA-2 exceeds the capabilities of all existing aerobatic aircraft. Its lightweight, carbon-fiber airframe is the strongest in its class, able to sustain ±13g with a 2x safety factor. Rud Aero MakerPlane Launches Indiegogo Campaign Rud Aero of Sebastian, Florida, introduced the prototype of its RA-3 all-carbon aerobatic aircraft. Rud's RA-3 is similar to the RA-2 the company presented last year, with the difference that the RA-3 is a two-seater with side-byside seating instead of the RA-2's tandem seating. MakerPlane, the open-source aviation community, has launched an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign to raise funds for the completion of its two-seat experimental light-sport aircraft (E-LSA). The goal of the MakerPlane 60-day campaign is to generate $75,000 to complete the design, perform test flights, and release open-source plans that will allow anyone to download and build the aircraft. The RA-3's design is optimized for primary flight training and comfortable economical cross-country travel despite that it is also a fully aerobatic aircraft. The RA-3, like the RA-2, also offers interchangeable wing options—one for beginner/intermediate aerobatics and the other for advanced aerobatics. Aerobatic pilots can first train on a cambered wing, then convert to a constant-chord symmetrical wing for advanced aerobatics. The RA-3 also offers a rugged and lightweight carbonfiber airframe designed to ±8g with a 2x safety factor. The RA-3 is intended to be certificated in the Primary category under FAR Part 21.24. A similar but lighter airplane, the RA-3 LSA, will be offered as a light-sport airplane and will have a useful load of more than 500 pounds. Rud Aero's mission, according to Company President Rud Taras, is to build the strongest and best aerobatic planes in the world. The RA-2, an unlimited-class aerobatic, Photography by Marino Boric The aircraft can be built with a four-cylinder engine or a six-cylinder powerplant for even greater performance. www.Rud.Aero Indiegogo's crowd-sourcing platform allows organizations to raise funds for specific projects through donations. In return, rewards or perks are given. The funds are being used for tooling and materials, and time is being donated by MakerPlane team members to complete the project. MakerPlane is planning to have the prototype of the two-seat light-sport aircraft (LSA) built by Oshkosh 2014 and to fly it in 2015. The aircraft has been designed and optimized to be built on home-based or "maker space" CNC equipment. According to John Nicol, MakerPlane founder and president, he built the CNC mill for about $800, and anyone else can build it, too. All other materials for building the aircraft will be within everybody's reach, with most of them coming from local home improvement EAA Experimenter 23

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