EAA Chapter 563
The Beacon
August, 2023
A shortage of willing cooks lead to the mid July breakfast being canceled. This Saturday's breakfast is a "maybe." Sign up sheets are in the hangar. Regardless, the chapter meeting is on this Saturday.
The VMC and IMC Clubs meet at their usual times in the hangar this month. This month the IMC Club has speakers which might interest all chapter members, as Dana McNeil, the Club coordinator, describes:
The IMC Club will be hosting Gene Olsen, the Director of Airports, and Bridget Musto, Supervisor of the Peoria Control Tower, for a time to share what is going on at the Peoria Airports and information about ATC and the Peoria airspace.
This is an open event for anyone in the chapter so bring your questions for Gene and Bridget. We really appreciate their willingness to spend this time filling us in and answering our questions. If you've ever had an ATC question, now's the time to ask. If you've ever wondered about the future of the airports in Peoria, now's the time to ask.
IMC Club. 6:00 pm. Sunday, August 13th.
Dave Fox is moving his Zenith 601XL back to his hangar, and this airplane is for sale (907-830-6596). This frees up a long term spot for an aircraft or for two or more projects. Contact Greg LePine, who watches over the hangar, for details. He asks: "Winter is coming. Do you like warm parts?"
The toilet now and then fails to shut off. If you're the last one out of the hangar, be sure it has shut off. Also, someone managed to overflow the coffee pot. Do clean up your own mess.
Todd Moore organized the Flying Start event held on May 20 as part of headquarters's Learn to Fly Week. Of the roughly 1,000 EAA chapters world wide, only 65 were able to host a Flying Start. HQ is maintaining the resources they prepared for that week.
Killian Madeley has passed his written exam. Next comes his second cross country and some simulated IFR work.
He attended OSH this year but wasn't able to meet up with the other members from last year's Air Academy. His favorite portion of the field was the UL grounds, where he was amused by an AirCam on floats sporting a fish paint scheme. Seeing him wearing a Zenith tee shirt (he's on the teen build project), Just Aircraft there gave him one of theirs to wear.
Eliza Fletcher, a past Ray scholar, hoped to meet chapter members at OSH and phoned Rob Meyer to ask who'd be there. She was able to met him and his son, Jeff, and hopefully another member or two.
Donations towards the teen aircraft building project are nearing a milestone. The Ray Foundation will donate another $15,000 to the project if the chapter can first raise $15,000 from local sources, and we're now within $2,200 of that goal. With the donation from the Ray Foundation, there will be enough funds to build an airplane complete with engine and avionics.
As a reminder, the build organizers believe the project will then need no further funding ahead. Proceeds from this project should cover all the expenses for another kit to be built by a new group of teens, and so on down the years. Please consider donating a few hundred dollars today. Greg LePine notes that $50 per member would put us over the top. Checks should be made to the separate checking account created for the project, "EAA 563 - Build".
Rob Meyer, one of the mentors on the Cruzer build for the teens, approached the UL Power display at OSH and was able to secure a discount on an engine. A deposit is in and we should have the engine around November, by which time the teens might be ready to hang it on the fuselage. He's also been inquiring about insurance for the project.
The teens are nearly ready to begin riveting the first of the wing skins. After that, the wing will be flipped to begin fitting wiring, etc inside the wing. The cabin has been bolted and riveted to the aft fuselage, and work this month will be preparartion to fasten the firewall.
In a surprise, the FAA has released early the proposed rules for MOSAIC, which aims to increase the range of aircraft available to light sport pilots. The rule raises the clean stall speed from 45 kt to 54 kt, and it also removes the weight and speed limits. The RV-6 becomes an LSA under this, and many vintage airplanes that barely missed qualifying as an LSA, such as the Cessna 120, become an option.
While EAA has helped advance the homebuilding of aircraft, Kitplanes recently noted the contribution of George Bogardus in the years before the EAA was founded. The Oregonian has his story.
Jim Augustine's RV build is pending information on Van's problems with laser cut rivet holes, so he's not yet in the hangar. Kitplanes reported a supplier changed the CNC code for the laser cutting operation without checking with Van's.
Jamal Shafii has joined the chapter. When asked "What are your interests in experimental aviation," he replied "I am just interested in general aviation. I worked for an aerospace company many years."
Greg LePine is on the mend after surgery to repair his back. The hospital overlooked his known allergy to latex and nearly did him in, adding two weeks to his hospital stay. He's currently in rehabilitation to strengthen his new back.
Dave Jackson recently brought a Corbin Ace by the field on its way to Kewanee and offered this story:
Dave and Andy's Excellent Adventure
Back in June, Dave Jackson and an unnamed partner purchased a Corbin Baby Ace Jr. The partner is unnamed to protect the innocent. The Corbin is an experimental aircraft built back in the 1970's and recently restored by a gentleman in Blounts Creek, North Carolina. The unnamed partner wanted the airframe and Dave wanted the engine. The engine is to be installed on the 1940 Aeronca TL that Dave has acquired to finish restoring.
First and foremost Dave says that this trip would not have been possible without the help and work that Andy Plouse put forth to make this aircraft retrieval possible. Andy has moved airplanes before and has loads of experience with this kind of operation. He not only made much of the pre-trip planning, he did a lot of the leg work also.
On Monday July 10th, Andy and Dave flew via the airlines from PIA to ORD and on to Raleigh-Durham. Arriving late the two checked in to their motel about midnight Tuesday morning. The next day they picked up their U-Haul 26 foot box truck and headed for Chocowinty, NC about 130 miles from Raleigh. Arriving about noon and meeting with the seller the disassembly and loading proceeded at a good clip and finished about 5:30 local time. Dave and Andy drove to Wake Forrest, NC for the night.
U-Haul had cut a deal to pay for pulling a U-Haul trailer to Moline, IL. We had estimated that we would not be ready to pick up the U-Haul load until Thursday so we had to wait for a day as they would not load us on Wednesday. Thursday morning after loading our trailer, the trip to Peoria commenced at 10:30 am local time. Andy and Dave drove over sixteen hours straight through to 3MY pulling in at 1:15 am Friday.
Friday was a down day as the crew took a much-needed day off. Saturday morning the plane was delivered to Kewanee, IL. Saturday afternoon the truck and trailer were delivered to the U-Haul facility in Moline. Mission accomplished! Andy likes to drive long distances at night, so most of Thursdays night haul was Andy's excellent chauffeuring skills put to the test. Dave says "Never Again; I'm too old to do that any more!"
Last but certainly not least, thanks to Andy's and Dave's wives for their support and help, and to all who helped load and unload the cargo.
It might be added Dave's wife had suggested an engine with a starter might be appropriate this time, thus his search for one with the correct case which would fit his Aeronca.
Unloading the Corbin at Kewanee, he snapped a photo of an Avid based there which is for sale. Originally built for floats, it still has a ventral fin.
AvWeb reports over 3,300 planes were on display at OSH this year, with 32% of them homebuilts and 44% vintage. While nominally 675,000 people entered the gates over the seven days, those who had a week long wristband are counted 7 times each, so there might have been about 300,000 unique visitors.
Several chapter members, including your editor, attended the fly-in and airshow in Oshkosh. On the Monday, before it got too miserably hot, the attendance of homebuilt airplanes looked to be less than average, except of course for the RVs. However, Kitplanes reported it wasn't far below average. The tally sheet they showed confirms what homebuilders know: The homebuilts skedaddle before the big weekend crowds arrive.
It was the 70th anniversary of the Wittman Tailwind, and there were about a dozen of these present. A very popular homebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s, this airplane will run with an RV for a faction of the price, although the RV can land in a shorter field. The example shown is that of Jim Stanton, who used to fly canceled checks from Peoria banks. Although built later than the heyday of the Tailwind, he chose a very 1950s paint scheme. There's an active builder's forum for this classic.
Stanton's W-10 Tailwind among the others
The other early significant homebuilt, the Thorp T-18, was also well represented with about, ah, 18 present, this being the 60th anniversary of that speedster. Yet another anniversary was the 50th of the negative stagger Sorrell Hiperbipe, but only two were present, which isn't bad considering only a few dozen have been built. It's said to provide Pitts performance with cabin comforts.
Canadian wildfire skies over a Hiperbipe
Despite large sales for Zenith, Sonex, and RANS, only a few examples of each were there on the Monday. Despite past popularity, not a single Sonerai was seen. The mentors for the Zenith Cruzer build here at the chapter were sharing photos of the few examples of that model present at OSH.
The Vintage field included an array of Continental A-40 powered monoplanes, all from the 1930s, mostly Taylor and Taylorcraft but also a single Heath Parasol and a few Piper. A sign on one of the Taylor Cubs noted the airspeed indicator was an optional accessory, and that plane didn't have it.
The Airmaster
(Beechcraft might have argued this point)
Another rare engine today is the Warner radial, and there were two Cessna Airmasters with them. A recent attempt to return the Warner to production failed. The Cessna 170 and 190/195 associations had very good turnouts.
Acres of Cessna 170s
On the topic of radial engines, there were two vendors present this year, Rotec and Verner. The Verner representative notes their engines use heads from a common Honda generator set, VW Type 1 pistons, Harley carbs, and an automotive starter. Ignition is electronic, and dual ignition is an option.
Down at the UL field, it was a surprise to see an aluminum two seater, a Direct Fly Alto, easily doing circuits off the 1000' grass strip. This model, a European spec microlight, has since been replaced with a full LSA version.
The fundraising event for the LifeLine Pilots is coming up in late September. They are looking for volunteers to usher at various stations around the field and to help set up and take down the displays and tables.
This was received from EAA chapter 770, in Springfield:
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield is marking 75 years in operation this year and plans to host an open house Saturday and Sunday, August 5th & 6th, from 10 am - 4 pm. There will be various military aircraft (KC-135, C130, various fighters, trainers and several helicopters) on display as well as tours of the 183rd Air National Guard facilities that are normally not open to the public. The Air Combat Museum will be displaying many of their aircraft outside the museum.
A Boy Scouts pancake breakfast will begin at 9 am (1 hour before everything else begins) and several food trucks will be on site from 10-4 as well. There will be several vendors, along with local businesses who are involved in the aviation community displaying their aircraft and even opening their hangars to the community, such as the LRS Aviation Center's LLCC A&P hangar. Activities for youth will also be happening, hosted by Kidzeum and Boy Scouts.
eaa563.org
Mt. Hawley Airport, Peoria, Illinois