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/401344
EAA Experimenter 27 THATCHER CX4, N147HL Brandon Burgdorf is the owner/ builder of this Thatcher CX4. It was certifi cated in April 2014 and fi rst fl ew in the same month. The aircraft took 800 hours and 18 months to com- plete. Brandon said that Thatcher has a good set of plans and that the airplane was easy to build. He made the fl ight from Evansville, Indiana, to AirVenture in one day. The plane is powered by a Hummel VW engine of 2180 cc. RV-8, N801BC Brent Crabe fl ew this RV-8 from Conroe, Texas, to Oshkosh powered by an Aero Sport IO-360 engine. The airplane was awarded its airworthiness certifi cate in January 2012 and made its fi rst fl ight a few days later on January 13, 2012. The building process took 9 years. The airplane's paint scheme combines ele- ments from World War II, invasions stripes, the stars and bars from 1947, and the markings used on today's Air Force aircraft. RV-8, N812TE Tom Ellis' RV-8 earned an airworthiness certifi cate in August 2013 and fi rst fl ew in May 2014. The nose art on the aircraft, Diana Jean, is in honor of his late mother. The airplane is pow- ered by a Mattituck IO-360 engine and took 7 years to build. The paint scheme is a loose interpretation of the 352nd Fighter Group, and the aircraft carries its serial number on the tail. RV-7, N56DE Dave Edtl fl ew to AirVenture from Hubbard, Oregon. This RV-7 took 2.5 years to build using a quick-build fuselage. The aircraft was certifi cated and fi rst fl own in November 2013. It is powered by an IO-360-M1B engine rated at 180 hp. TITAN T-51 Gale Haskins fl ew his Titan T-51 75-percent scale P-51 to AirVenture from the Houston, Texas area. The retired Lt. Colonel holds membership in the Octogenarian Pilots Group and admits only to being 80 years old plus, but he won't say how much the "plus" is. The airplane was certifi cated in June 2014. It's powered by a Honda J35A engine producing 245 hp. Gale's plane is painted to replicate its big brother P-51 that is part of the Commemorative Air Force's inventory. SONEX N885CW Bruce Watkin's Sonex, N885CW, was certifi cated in Febru- ary 2014 and fi rst fl ew in March of 2014, after 8 years of build time. The CW in the N number are his younger daughter's initials. The paint is Sublime Green and is the same color used on Dodge's sportier cars. Bruce and his wife volunteer in the Homebuilt area. This year, Bruce drove his recreational vehicle to Oshkosh, then fl ew commercial back home to Houston and fl ew his Sonex to AirVenture. At the end of the week he fl ew the Sonex home, fl ew back commercially and then drove the motorhome back to Houston. That's dedication!