GET THE SKILLS
TO GET IT BUILT
“Riveting was pretty intimidating and I wasn’t sure I could build an aluminum airplane. The EAA SportAir
Workshop took all the mystery out of it and did a great job showing just how easy it was. When
I got home I ordered the quick-build kit and four years later I was flying. Thanks to EAA SportAir Workshops for
helping this builder complete his life-long dream.” —Allen Checca, EAA #173766
BEGINS
Sept. 17-19
Sept. 18-19
DURATION
2. 5 days
2 days
Oct. 1-3
Oct. 9-10
2. 5 days
2 days
Oct. 15-17
Oct. 16-17
2. 5 days
2 days
Oct. 23-24
2 days
2 days
2 days
Nov. 6-7
2 days
2. 5 days
2 days
Jan. 8-9
2 days
COURSE DESCRIPTION LOCATION
Repairman (LSA) Inspection – Airplane St. Louis, MO
Composite Construction, Fabric Covering, Electrical Systems, Nashua, NH
Basic Sheet Metal, & What’s Involved in Kitbuilding
Repairman (LSA) Inspection – Airplane Oshkosh, WI
Composite Construction, Fabric Covering, Electrical Systems, Prineville, OR
Basic Sheet Metal, & What’s Involved in Kitbuilding (near Bend, OR)
Repairman (LSA) Inspection – Airplane Manassas, VA
Composite Construction, Fabric Covering, Electrical Systems, Riverside, CA
Basic Sheet Metal, & What’s Involved in Kitbuilding
Van’s RV Assembly Frederick, MD
TIG Welding Griffin, GA
Composite Construction, Fabric Covering, Electrical Systems, Indianapolis, IN
Gas Welding, Basic Sheet Metal, & What’s Involved
in Kitbuilding
Van’s RV Assembly Orlando, FL
Repairman (LSA) Inspection – Airplane Andrews, NC
Composite Construction, Fabric Covering, Electrical Systems, Houston, TX
Gas Welding, Basic Sheet Metal, & What’s Involved
in Kitbuilding
TIG Welding Griffin, GA
EAA SportAir Sponsors:
See online schedule for additional upcoming classes
VISIT
WWW.SPORTAIR.COM OR CALL 1-800-967-5746 FOR DETAILS
above 3400 rpm—more like 3500—but
that’s above 85 percent of Mach at the
propeller tips, so using maximum horses
speeds the prop too fast. When racers
tried running maximum rpm, they went
20 mph slower,” Mike says.
Over the years, aviation speed demons
have used lower gear ratios in their gearboxes in an attempt to get maximum
horsepower without over revving the
propeller. WWII fighters had a box that
allowed 48 percent of crank speed to get
to the prop hub. The hot setup for racers,
though, is to locate “bomber” gearboxes
as used in Lancasters, for instance. These
have a 42 percent ratio.
The scarce gearbox problem is compounded by the engines’ postwar use:
Most went into speedboats or cars; few of
those hot rodders needed gear reduction.
Thus those old gearboxes sat around in
speed shops until one day when the scrap
man bought them by the pound.
MERLINS HAVE FANS—JACK ROUSH,
FOR INSTANCE
One of the best-known fans of the Merlin
is NASCAR team owner Jack Roush, who
has owned two P-51s himself. He
When the engine of Merlin’s Magic exploded in flight in
2006, you could see through it, but it held together, preserving the center of gravity and allowing a safe glide to
the runway.
