NEBRASKA ROTORWAY 162F
Rotor Way 162F, took to the sky after five
years and approximately 600 hours of
building. I bought the kit in early 2006,
and all of the construction took place on
my acreage in south central Nebraska. The
helicopter is mostly stock except for a few
modifications including the Behuncik cog-belt-drive system and hydraulic main belt
tensioner, as well as small mods gleaned
from talking with other Rotor Way builders. The first liftoff took place at my home
and was followed by four days of hovering,
balancing, and break-in work. At 11
hours on the Hobbs, the ship runs very
smoothly with no maintenance issues.
Special thanks first to my wife, Megan,
and our family for your patience and support during the build; then to EAA
Chapter 1055 for your support and enthusiasm; and to Homer Bell and Orv
Neisingh for all your technical expertise
and help.
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2011, N162W T, my
Aaron Schardt, EAA 803335; Bruning, Nebraska
E-mail: ashardt@diodecom.net
AS OUR KIDS HAVE GROWN and moved out, my wife, Kathy, and I
decided we didn’t need four seats anymore, so we built a Mustang 2.
We started it in September 2009 and flew it in July 2011 after about
1,000 hours of shop time. Kathy can now shoot and buck as well as
bond fiberglass and rib stitch. Every building system has its pluses
and minuses. When it comes to building, if an airplane is what you
want, I think you need a good partner and commitment to getting it
done. The sooner you finish, the sooner you will enjoy the reasons to
have an airplane as well as saving time and money. Our Mustang 2
has a Lycoming IO-360 and a basic IFR panel, and is fun to fly. We
keep it in our backyard at Norris Field, 8II2. Homebuilders are
always welcome to stop by.
INDIANA MUSTANG 2
Wayne and Kathy Norris, EAA 237827; Liberty, Indiana; E-mail: norrisfld@aol.com
Technical Counselor: Marvin Stohler
I MADE THE FIRST TEST FLIGHT in this DR- 107 One Design
on June 20, 2011, after I spent five years of almost-full-time building from plans only. This accomplishment
was a bucket list item for me. I’ve been flying for 40
years and have had 13 aircraft, but none of them had
unlimited aerobatic capabilities like this thing does. It
will do way more than I’m willing to at this point. I also
built up the IO-360 myself and installed the Dynon
EFIS/EMS and Garmin GPS/comm. This is a wonderful flying little bird with a roll rate of greater than 400
degrees per second. Aileron rolls are just a hoot! I want
to thank my wife for putting up with parking around
the growing parts in our garage for all these years. Now,
if I could just live somewhere other than Montana with
these long cold winters.
MONTANA DR- 107
Gary Herem, EAA 540154; Billings, Montana
E-mail: garyjoherem@gmail.com
