EAA Sport Aviation - November 2010

OKLAHOMA RV-6A

THE CONSTRUCTION OF N85KC began in 1999 and was completed in 2004. Construction was slowed due to a military activation after 9/11, but many parts were built while sitting in an Air Force Alert Facility and others were manufactured in our dorm rooms while deployed to the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom. An Aero Sport Power O-360 engine and Sensenich prop power the aircraft. Built before all the latest glass panels were available, the “old school” panel consists of a Century 2000 attitude indicator/ horizontal situation indicator and autopilot, RMI micro encoder and micro monitor, Garmin GNS 430, and WX-950 Stormscope. Calvin Gillis of Tuttle, Oklahoma, did the paint. The tail design comes from the Montana Air Guard 186th Fighter Squadron, a nod to our home state. Thanks to Van’s for a great design, and thanks to my wife, Carol, for putting up with the “garage plane” for all those years.

Kurt Klewin, EAA 481036; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; E-mail: kurt.klewin@gmail.com

KANSAS NIEUPORT 17 MY PLANS-BUILT 7/8-SCALE NIEUPORT 17 was signed off on May 17, 2010. N117NP began as Graham Lee’s aircraft design from plans issued by Circa Reproduction Inc. It started out as an ultralight Nieuport 11, but as I further researched the design, I decided to convert the project to the experimental classification. After nearly 12 years of tinkering and 550 hours of logbook entries, it is ready to fly. It sports a 2180-cc VW engine with a 12-volt electronic ignition. The battery is charged by a 40-watt solar panel mounted just under the machine gun. I would like to thank my son, Evan, for his assistance in completing this project. Now it’s time to move on to completing my Glasair I.

Tom Mahoney, EAA 404496; Dorrance, Kansas; E-mail: tom.mahoney@proboundsports.com

TEXAS SONEX

I EARNED MY PRIVATE pilot certificate in December 2003. The following year I went to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh to learn about homebuilt aircraft. I found the Sonex, among others, and later concluded it was the best fit. I started the build from plans in January 2005. I chose a Jabiru 3300A for power and an MGL Stratomaster Enigma for the primary instrument. I flew the first flight without a hitch on March 29, 2009. Since then, I have flown more than 170 hours in 15 months in the Sonex. I would like to thank the great folks at Sonex, with special thanks to Mike Singleton, whose help and guidance made the build and test flight smooth and safe, and of course my wife, for putting up with aluminum shavings in the house for four years.