I just completed painting my RANS S-19 which took 2 months and this is an account of the process.

This is the first time that I tried painting using a spray gun so I had to learn everything from the beginning but the good thing was that I did not have to unlearn any bad habits. I decided to use the Stewart Paint Systems because it was water based and I spoke with other builders who had good results. All of my comments and tips relate to this paint system. [Read More]

My buddy Steve and I have been talking about airplane camping for years. Just the idea of loading our airplanes with camping gear and flying off on an exciting adventure has kept us both motivated for years. Envisioning these kinds of adventures while building is a great way to keep yourself working through the tough times. Well, yesterday was time to stop talking and start doing.

For me, this little excursion actually started on Sunday. I was flying all day at work and just couldn't believe how perfect the weather was with clear skies, unlimited visibility, and perfect temperatures. There was no doubt about it, I'm going flying on Monday! I woke up early Monday morning and jumped out of bed ready to get my day started. [Read More]

My big adventure started on Sunday this Memorial Day weekend. Fresh into my vacation and 40 hours on the plane, it was time to venture far away. The perfect destination would be Rostraver Airport near Pittsburgh, PA. My entire family lives in the area and I wasn't about to miss the Memorial Day picnics!

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Here are some great photos sent in by Randy Schlitter of Florida's Sun-n-Fun event and the LSA Tour.

[Photos Here]

It's been a little over a month since my airplane was inspected by the FAA and it still has not left this Earth. The inspection was just one step of the process of getting this airplane airborne. Probably the biggest hold up is the runway. Every time the snow melts off of my 1,100' grass runway, Michigan piles it back on with another snow storm. More importantly than a clear runway is getting the insurance requirements squared away. [Read More]

I believe it was Paul Poberezny who once said that Oshkosh is not about airplanes, it's about people. That's how I feel about this whole Experimental airplane hobby. Of course I thoroughly enjoy crafting a beautiful airplane from a box of parts, but more than that I like the people who also share this hobby. Well...most people. As in any group, or club, there's always a few that try their very best to ruin it for everyone else. [Read More]
 

To Journey to Copperstate from Hays Kansas requires flying over some rugged territory, but it's one of the most interesting and engaging flights due to the varied geography. The trip started out on Tuesday, a day early because there was some weather pushing down from the Northwest. We launched out into light headwinds, which became greater the closer we got to Albuquerque. My wingman was long time friend and former employee Tracy Standish; she piloted the S-6ES/ELS trike with 100 hp Rotax, 6x800 tires, and a three blade Warp Drive prop. [Read More]

I have sold my airplane after spending several years building it to the point of ready to cover. My intentions were to get it crated up securely so that it reaches its destination, in my case over 8000 miles. To start with, keeping the crate/container under 144" is a key factor in shipping costs. Shippers, that is LTL shippers, (less than truckload) quote a rate one of two ways. The first way is based on size of object or item under 144". The other way is if over 144" in length. In my case, if I could keep it under 144" in length and use my location and destination (Miami FL for this example) it would have cost me under $300.00. [Read More]

Not all of us are welders. In fact, not all of us should be in control of a dangerous open flame! But I'm pretty sure any of us can hack our way through a piece of wood. It's for this exact reason that I decided to build my rotary wing jig out of 2 x 4's. Total cost of materials was $27.00. Actually, it will cost about $31.00 (I only bought four angle brackets and didn't realize I needed eight. back to Lowes for me...) [Read More]
 

In the seemingly endless yet thoroughly stimulating process of planning my panel, I had deliberated with myself at length on how best to label stuff. There are, of course, lots of ways to skin this cat, and I considered just about all of them - each new on becoming my "favorite" until my next idea happened along.

Pretty soon, I was so wrapped up in other details that I kind of forgot about labeling- to the point that I kind of had to do it as an afterthought. This directed me towards my eventual method, but actually turned out to be really cheap, simple, and very flexible if you have some creative ideas. [Read More]

Patience. It's something that I just don't have. Thank goodness I'm not a doctor. The following story is what not having patience leads too. This whole process started with me getting some grit in the paint when I painted a couple of tail pieces. If I had patience, I would have solved the grit problem and then started painting the fuselage. Maybe I thought the grit would magically disappear? Or maybe I figured if I ignored the problem it would go away? [Read More]

1. Keep a good construction log and register the plane as an Experimental/Homebuilt. This will allow you to do your own annuals and make almost any modifications you want. This applies only if you have a strong mechanical background and don't ming asking qualified pals to go over your work.

2. As I upgraded my panel the wiring got messy. Make sure you allow extra length for maximum flexibility for re-locating instruments and installing new ones. [Read More]

Gwen and I traveled to the Texas Hill Country this past weekend to visit fellow S-19 builder Henry Dainys. As luck would have it the weather was perfect and the wild flowers were in full bloom.

Henry is the owner of the Flying H Ranch, which as it's name implies has a very nice 2000 foot grass strip located adjacent to his hangar. [Read More]