New types…

Afew weeks after the dust had settled having returned from the intensity of the event that is EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, I was sitting at LAA HQ having a chat with our CEO Steve Slater and Engineering Director John Ratcliffe.

Steve, like me, had been very excited by the wide array of kit aircraft types on display at the show, a number of which have yet to make it to the UK. This got us talking, and two questions came up. Which of these new types would our members be most interested in building, and how do we make it possible to get those kits onto the LAA system in a timely way?

Now, Oshkosh is an extreme ‘shop window’ to the homebuilding world, and it has to be said that designs in the US are not approved by the FAA, the EAA, or indeed anyone. Consequently some types that have been developed for the unregulated US market are simply not designed or supported in any way to meet CAA or EASA design code requirements.

So, how can we give them a good start on the road to approval for the LAA system?

Aircraft like the RV-15 from Van’s Aircraft, and the Sling Aircraft High Wing, are clearly designs from well-established manufacturers. However, there are some designs that are less high-profile, like the Sport Performance (SPA) Aircraft Panther, Timber Tiger Ryan ST-L, Scalewings SW-51, and Scalebirds P-36.

The SPA Panther has been flying for more than eight years and has accumulated extensive in-service experience, while the Timber Tiger Ryan ST-L and the Scalebirds P-36 are only very recent flying additions to the homebuilding world, but their designers have put extensive efforts into each aircraft and have expressed an interest in working with overseas markets like the UK. ed.hicks@laa.uk.com

So my question to members is this? What kit aircraft that’s not yet approved are you interested in building? I can’t promise that there’s the chance to approve a machine to suit every homebuilders desire, but as the editor of your magazine, I’m always interested to hear what you’re thinking, and I will feed that back to HQ.

And if you’re thinking, “I hope Ed’s told HQ that he’s writing this…”, then restassured, as I can reassure you that thanks to the chat we had, it’s actually been positively encouraged… In fact, by the time you read this, there will have been some discussion around new types and their approval during a Speaker’s Corner segment at the LAA Grass Roots Fly-in at Popham.

So get thinking, and let us know.

Features

12 PROJECT NEWS

Check out a ‘barn find’ –Murphy Renegade Spirit 912, plus a Van’s RV-14 maiden flight, New Projects and Cleared to Fly

16 FLIGHT TEST

A the simple pleasures of the rare Druine Turbi captures Clive Davidson’s heart…

26 SHOW REPORT

The world’s biggest and boldest aviation show, there’s nothing quite like EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh. We have all the highlights from the World’s largest fly-in

34 COACHING CORNER

It’s more likely a partial loss of power that’ll surprise you, than a full loss of power, says Head of Coaching David Cockburn…

36 ENGINEERING MATTERS

This issue we look at Rotax Carburettor float guides, failures of bracing wires, and question the accuracy of analogue gauges.

41 TECHNICAL

While drilling holes in wood can be simple, Dudley Pattison has some tools, techniques and helpful hints, which will assist you in ensuring each one you make is perfect…

47 MEET THE MEMBERS

Neil Wilson talks to Amy Whitewick, the pilot behind some very clever aerial art…