CONTENTS Vol. 59 No.3 | March 2010
A PUBLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
FEATURES
P. 20
Slip Sliding Away
Skiplane flying opens the door
to winter adventures
EAA’s sweepstakes plane will get you dreaming
about skiplane flying and introduce you to the
technical side of skiplane flying.
By Dave Higdon
o y th
P. 28
Ambitious Amphibian
A first-time homebuilder
builds a Spencer Air Car
Think building an airplane is too difficult? Doug
Palmer’s dedication and commitment to his
10-year project may change your mind.
By Budd Davisson
P. 36
The New PiperSport
An easy entry point for pilots
Piper Aircraft enters the LSA market with an
updated SportCruiser.
By Max Trescott
P. 42
Flying the Queen of
Vintage Transports
Revealing the Ford Tri-Motor
Learn what it’s like to fly, and the history of,
this “aerial ambassador.”
By Sean Elliott
P. 50
The T- 28
Inside a Warbird Workhorse
With 300 T-28s still flying, this venerable trainer
is growing in popularity among warbird owners
and air show fans alike.
By Jim Busha
PHOTOGRAPHY BY T YSON RININGER
With a big, fat laminar flow wing, the T- 28 is relatively light on the controls.
It will stall around 70 knots with fingertip guidance and is fully aerobatic
with a plus 4.5g and minus 2g load.
JIM BUSHA
