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/513537
EAA Experimenter 9 JUST AIRCRAFT JUST "up-sized" its popular SuperSTOL airplane, adding 2 feet aft of the fuselage and 6 inches up. Called the Stretch XL, this version can now handle the new ULPower 520 engine series as well as Lycoming O-320 engines. The original SuperSTOL is powered by the 100-hp Rotax 912 (approximately 165 pounds with accessories) or the 115-hp Rotax 914 (175 pounds). The Stretch XL can accommodate engines weighing up to 315 pounds. Appropriate engine mounts and redesigned cowlings will accompany the SuperSTOL Stretch XL kits. Harrison Smith, who completed Phase 1 fl ight testing in the Stretch XL, said increases in rate of climb and cruise speeds are the result. "The additional length in the Stretch XL provides handling similar to a high-horsepower Super Cub," he said. Just Aircraft SuperSTOL Now Comes in XL GLASAIR AVIATION'S NEW special light- sport aircraft (S-LSA), Merlin, made a successful maiden fl ight at Arlington Municipal Airport, Washington, on April 7. Merlin is a composite high-wing, tri- cycle-gear aircraft built to LSA certifi cation requirements based on ASTM consensus standards. Powered by a Rotax 912 iS engine, the airplane is equipped with Dynon's Sky- View glass panel and has an optional BRS parachute system available. Flight testing will continue throughout the coming weeks. Merlin will be the fi rst certifi cated aircraft by the traditional kit maker. According to the company, Merlin's 45-inch-wide cockpit of ers ample side- by-side seating, outstanding forward and side visibility, and one of the largest windshields in the category. Merlin LSA Makes Maiden Flight GARMIN IS NOW OFFERING its Electronic Stability and Protection–Experimental (ESP-X) system to owners of experimental airplanes as part of its G3X or G3X Touch avi- onics system. The system continuously monitors airplane attitude and airspeed, looking for unusual pitch and bank angles, or airspeeds closing in on stall or the redline limit. When the preselected limits are exceeded, indicators ap- pear on the G3X flat-glass display showing the pilot how to recover. ESP-X also uses the servos of the integrated G3X autopilot to "nudge" the controls. The pilot easily can overpower the servo input if he is intentionally flying an unusual maneuver or airspeed, but the stick movement provides subliminal commands that help a distracted pilot recover. If after ESP-X detects an unusual attitude or airspeed and the pilot makes no input for 15 seconds, the system assumes he has become incapacitated and engages the au- topilot to hold wings level. The autopilot will raise the nose automatically to slow from an overspeed and will gradually trade altitude if necessary to keep low airspeed above the stall. The system disengages within 200 feet of the ground. Because ESP-X is designed for experimental airplanes, each owner can program the limits that he is comfortable with instead of using a preset bank angle or airspeed to trig- ger the warnings. ESP-X can be turned off for training or intentionally unusual attitude maneuvering. ESP-X is a free software update for owners who have in- stalled the G3X or G3X Touch flat-glass avionics system with the Garmin autopilot. Garmin Offers ESP Safety Aid to Experimentals for Free Photography courtesy of Glasair Aviation