EAA Sport Aviation

MICHIGAN CHALLENGER II AFTER RETIRING I DECIDED to build a clipped-wing Challenger II. Quad City Ultralight offered a reasonably priced kit package complete with a 503 Rotax engine, two-bladed wood prop from Tennessee Propeller, and a full panel of gauges and instruments. As a first-time builder my anxiety level was high when the kit arrived in October 2008. It took 765 hours to complete spread out over 22 months. I borrowed the paint scheme from my Cherokee 180 and adapted it to the Challenger. The first flight was on August 29, 2010. It flies, maneuvers, and stalls beautifully with a cruise speed of 85 mph. Thanks to my wife, Peggy, my friends, Greg Panzl and Brian Harrington, my brothers, Bob and Joe Mira, and my neighbors, Roger Crawford, Mike Pitcher, and Bill Quinlan for all of their help and support.

Ron Mira, EAA 427307; Harrison Township, Michigan; E-mail: rp7271@msn.com

ALABAMA COMP AIR 7 THE FIRST FLIGHT OF my Comp Air 7 was made in August 2009 after eight years of construction. I chose a Lycoming IO-720 engine instead of the customary Walter turbine. The choice required re-engineering from the firewall forward, including a great deal of custom fabrication. Being first to install this engine in this airframe probably added two years to the build time. I also grappled with high oil temperatures for several months before I found the right combination of oil cooler, air scoop, and mounting location. In the end, the effort was worth it. With an 84-inch Hartzell prop, the airplane will carry four adults and luggage for two weeks, 800 miles at 180 mph. Fuel burn is less than half that of the turboprop version, and sea level rate of climb at usual loadings is 2,600 feet/minute. Special thanks are due to Mike Lindsey, Orville Biddle, Jim Cawthon, and test pilot Chris Meadows.

Robert Sturgis, EAA 240450; Birmingham, Alabama;

E-mail: ifly400@charter.net; Technical Counselor: Michael Smith

IDAHO ZENITH CH 701 I BEGAN WORK ON the Zenith kit in February 1997, with the final sign-off on September 20, 2010. The first flight lasted 15 minutes with no major squawks. The engine is a Rotax 912 ULS. I chose the Dynon FlightDEK-D180 for my instrument package. I only included two circuit breakers: one for trim (safety) and one for the alternator system and radio. All other electric parts are run through a fuse panel. I felt no need to add the extra weight of gauges, gyros, etc. I omitted lights and strobes as I plan to fly it in the light-sport aircraft category. As far as paint, I’m thinking about a minimum polish of the aluminum with some “sparse” decals for accent. All of the steel control parts, struts, braces, and jury struts were powder coated and treated inside with ACF- 50 for protection and durability.

Philip Smith, EAA 827082; Buhl, Idaho; E-mail: madriver42@gmail.com

COLORADO RANS S- 9

MY RANS S- 9 TOOK approximately 1,000 hours (one year) to complete. It is powered by a 100-hp Rotax 583 engine and comes in at 411 pounds empty. The power-to-weight ratio on this airplane is awesome! The kit was pretty straightforward, but I would not suggest it for the first-time builder. Modifications from the plans included moving the instrument panel back 7 inches for ease of maintenance. The biggest challenge of the project was getting the expansion chamber configured to fit the airplane with changing cone shapes and volumes.