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Member's Planes and Projects

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Chris Gill - Murphy Super Rebel - SR2500

This Murphy SR2500 plane was built by Chris and Larry Gill. It was one of the first Super Rebels built (s/n 025). Purchased in 1997, the build took four years. First flight was on July 31, 2001.

Factory support from Murphy Aircraft Company of Chilliwack B.C. during the build and over the past 9 years has been outstanding!

Put her on floats in May of 2003. Floats were built by Keith Kinden of Montana Floats in Libby Montana.

We have over 100 trouble free hours on the plane and could not think of a better plane for a family of four flying in Alaska.

Currently have the plane in the garage installing droop wing tips and possibly vortex generators.    Chris Gill

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Chuck May - RV-7A

Started in 2001, Lycoming O-320, as of May 4 2006

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Dick Reeve - Lancair Legacy

Why a Lancair Legacy? It's longer, stronger, quicker, and slicker.

All composite carbon fiber pre-preg.

Dec 2002 took a tour of the factory. Ordered kit in April.

Did the 14 day builder's assist course at the factory. The help, instructions and use of the factory jigs was worth at least 6 months of working alone.

Fuselage and wing stubs are 10 feet wide. Lifted the fuselage on the 'rotisserie' and tilted it 45 degrees so that the whole assembly was only 8 feet wide.

Trailered the fuselage up the Al-Can from Oregon.

Started in August 2003 "they said it would take 800 hours to build". Figured it would be in the air in August 2004.

Summer of 2004 - mix epoxy, add micro-balloons, apply, sand off, mix epoxy, add cotton strands, apply, sand off. Spent the whole summer sanding.

There are 60 fittings in the hydraulic system.

Since August 2003 - It's 29 months now and 2,600 hours into the build.

230	Systems - hydraulic, electric, controls
600	Bodywork
164	Engine build-up
16	ELT
100	Avionics
800	Structure (That's where the factory came up with 800 hours!)
2,600	Total Hours

67 years old when started

Demonstration ride at the factory. Powerful, stable. In 3-4 minutes, you can climb to a 9,500 foot cruising altitude. 210 knots cruise speed

You don't move the stick around with your arm, all you have to do is just wiggle the stick a little bit.

Delightful - 240 knots cruise @ 16 gal/hour 230 knots @ 13 / hour

66 gallons fuel 1500 lbs empty

During certification tests statically loaded to 14 Gs. Wings did OK, it was the fuselage at the main spar that wrinkled, so they added some doublers at that point.

Engine weighs 500 lbs 370 HP Continental ??540 "hot-rodded" 1 magneto, 1 electronic "blue laser??" It really runs off of the electronic ignition. It advances the spark, more power, better economy. If he really wanted to, he could turn the magneto off, but why do it?

No vacuum system. Dual alternators and battery, Blue Mountain EFIS

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Elmer Webster - Zenith CH 701

Almost ready to fly - as of Sept 3 2006

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Gale Partch - RV-6

Gale is building an RV-6 and installing an Eggenfellner H-6 (6 cylinder) Subaru engine. As of Sept 26 2006

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Gene Bjornstad - 1976 Cessna R172K

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Jack Brown - 1966 Alon A2 Ercoupe

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Jason Weimer - RV-8

Anderson Lake, AK - completed in May 2005

as of May 6 2006

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Keith Southard - RV-9

Interior is done! Engine compartment is done! All wires and hoses are clamped or otherwise tied into place.

Nose gear leg, wheel fairing, and lower intersection fairing are done except for painting.

Main gear leg and wheel fairings are done except for the intersection fairings and paint.

I am going to be applying the final layer of glass to the lower windshield molding tomorrow night and begin the process of molding the cover strip that goes over the gap between the canopy and windshield roll bar. (you can see some of the black tape used for masking in the photos) I probably have a week of work to finish the windshield and the moldings. Mostly just time waiting for the epoxy to cure.

I'm hoping that my prop and spinner arrive soon so that I can finish the installation of the cowling.

Ordered paint today and will soon start painting the tail and the canopy. Both must be removed for painting.

I'm scheduled to move back into the hangar in 3 weeks to begin final assembly and prepare for the FAA inspection.

Cheers!   Keith   -   as of Sept 19 2005

As of Aug 2006 at Birchwood:

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Matt Freeman - GlaStar

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Mike Ice - RV-9

as of Apr 4 2006

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Randy Tyler - Avid MK IV

I bought it in 1999 already completed as a tricycle gear with a 670 Rotax. I changed it to a tail dragger using Airdale wide gear and I also modified a set of ATV wheels and tires to work with the airplane, upgraded to Matco triple puck brakes and upgraded to a, 8" Maul tail wheel. At about 200 hours of flying the 670, had an engine failure. I changed it to a Rotax 582 and have over 200 hours on this motor. I'm currently working on a new stretched and widened fuselage that will use these wings and horizontal stabilizer from the Avid, but I am building a Subaru EA-81 motor for it. The Avid is a very fun and forgiving plane but has very little room; I'm hoping this conversion will give me the advantage of more room without too many compromises.

My favorite flying is exploring back country areas and my favorite place is up the Knik River / Lake George area. I enjoy talking to anyone about my project or theirs.

Randy Tyler

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Roy Glass - RV-6

After 8 years of on and off building, my RV-6 finally took to the air Saturday afternoon, October 22, 2005. Flight characteristics were excellent. Just like an RV should. Lycoming O-320 160 HP, Hartzell constant-speed prop, night VFR equipped, 1068 pounds with interior but no paint. More details later...

Thanks for all your help and moral support, especially Gale, who was always there to help buck the hard-to-reach rivets in the tail and fuselage and to help me decipher the plans.

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Rick Henry - Mustang II - N727RH

Plans were purchased and building started in September, 1983. 15 years / 3,500 man-hours later, it first flew June, 1998. An estimated 1,500 hours has been spent modifying it since the first flight. Current flight time is 632 hours, 704 landings. It's now been to all 49 states (no plans to ever take it to Hawaii..) including visits to San Diego, Key West, Nantucket, Quebec and the Bahamas four times. Now back in ANC as of May, 2006; having flown from MS to AK for the third time. It may be "here to stay" - we'll see. It is flown IFR a lot, with an S-Tec 30 autopilot, Garmin GNS 430, oxygen system and stereo intercom and CD player.

It has just under 7 hours endurance at max cruise power, and is occasionally flown in the mid-teens, having cruised at Flight Level 200 (20,000') once on a  four hour flight from Mississippi to Gettysburg, PA. Another flight from San Diego to Oklahoma City was made at 17,000' in five hours.  Fuel capacity is 61 gallons, burning 8.6 at 75% cruise. All building, painting and avionics wiring was done myself.  Some Lessons Learned (applicable to most Experimental builders), FAQs and more info is available on my web site for it at http://ExperimentalAirplane.com   Rick Henry Rick@ExperimentalAirplane.com June 2006 - Chapter 79 Newsletter that has an article "Hohner's Corner" about my landing in the Mustang II's 49th state (Washington).

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Rob Stapleton

Pietenpol Aircamper project as of Oct 2006

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Thomas Kell - 1946 Piper J3C-65

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Tim Rittal - Glastar

My GlaStar has been patiently waiting to become a real airplane for almost 8 years now. Most of that time “The Plane” has taken a back seat to family, career, building a house and life in general. That is okay. Most of you can relate. The plan was always to build and pay as I could afford the time and money. I just didn’t realize how much time and money when I started. That’s okay too. I am getting there. I am now at a point in time when “The Project” moves to center stage. It is a priority. It has to be if I plan to fly this creation more hours than I spent building it. So I think 2007 will be the year my GlaStar takes to the air. Watch for it. I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, keep on building. Tim Ritall    as of Jan 17 2007

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