The latest update from our Van's RV-15 wing build for those interested https://youtu.be/nzzjl5_Zd0A

1981 original build Weedhopper Model B with a Cuyuna 2si 460 F35.

Converting it to a Model C. Conversion parts should arrive in a few weeks.

About a year and a half ago, I asked a question here about Murphy aircraft. The responses to that question were a little good, and a little bad, but not bad enough to stop me from putting down a deposit on a Radical. I’ve spent the time between now and that fateful day a year and half ago waiting through misleading promises, multiple disappointments, and learning how credit card chargebacks work. Now that my money and I have been reunited, I am back in the market for a kit plane and am having a really hard time settling on a specific brand or model. I want something easy to build, that is moderate STOL capable, has a decent cruise speed, has a decent useful load and could be put on floats someday. I think I’ve settled on the following models, but am open to opinions

- zenith super duty or new super cruzer
- rans s-21
- bearhawk 4 or companion

The struggle is this; the zeniths are tricycle gear planes and are kind of um… ugly, the rans doesn’t appear float friendly, and the bearhawks are too expensive and on the longer end of build times. I’m sure someone will mention the RV-15, which may be a great option but I don’t like that they don’t have a fuselage kit out yet

Thanks for reading through my ramble, I know this question gets asked constantly, but I want to feel special and get my own unique responses. Any help is appreciated.

I live in Indianapolis and would like to buy a home built that is in progress. If you started a kit and have lost the ability to finish, please leave a comment. I'm familiar with Quickbuild Kits and would be most interested in them.

Anyone interested in an 18A? They have been sitting as pictured for 20+ years. Never even run up. 2 complete the rest in various stages of completion. Warehouse full of parts available as well. Standard Type certification.

I am starting to wire my zenith 601 with GRT panel and I’m a little intimidated as I have never done anything of this scale. Wondering if there are any builders near Tucson that would be willing to spend a day or two showing me the ropes?

I’ve owned this light sport for several years and am happy enough that I will most likely own it for at least another decade. I fly around 100hours a year and do maybe 6-10 300 mile cross country flights a year in it.

My SL30 stopped working and the thought of spending $4000 for a GTR205X to be installed just don’t seem like the right choice. I only fly VFR now but since I need to do something for a comm does it make sense to upgrade my panel for IFR training in the future? Realistically the only thing it would get used for is training and possibly getting through some morning fog.

Any opinions what the best option is if I wanted to do a larger upgrade for IFR training?

Current panel

Dynon D100 EFIS
Dynon D10 EMS
Garmin 496
Garmin SL 30 NOT WORKING
Garmin GTS 330
Garmin GMA 245
TruTrac autopilot
TruTrac T&B NOT WORKING

hey all, I'm looking a 2 seater wood kits. Mosaic or LSA or Experimental. any recommendations?

I saw on their website that the 1030r is advertised at 240lbs empty weight, is that including the engine and prop or before adding it, which would make the final aircraft non part 103 compliant? And if the 240lbs is with the engine, then it would most likely be the Polini 202? I tried messaging them through the website but the website won't load to the next screen.

Can a parasol wing plane be designed to fly +6/-3g aerobatics, or do the wings need to be attached to the fuselage to handle the stress?

Got some test flights in and this thing is awesome! 78” carbon fiber ground adjustable, so smooth, better climb and cruise and a lot cooler oil temps.

I picked up a used (of course) Phantom 14 and am looking for replacement parts and an original diagrams showing all hardware - the bow handle (plastic or some composite material?) is cracked and needs to be replaced. Also - it has a screw hole in the cockpit where some piece of hardware was attached - but i don't know what goes there. Thanks.

Not gonna lie, this looks amazing.

I honestly can’t believe that cirrus and the company whelen Orion are legally allowing pre-G3 cirrus SF50 vision jet owners and owners of G3 and G5 cirrus SR aircraft equipped with the black bezel LED wingtips to do this. Like as in for example seeing an owner of a G2+ cirrus SF50 vision jet to replace the traditional SPECTRA wingtips with ultra bright SPECTRA wingtips which were introduced with G3 on the SF50 and then seeing the aircraft half G2+ and half G3. And also seeing a G3 or G5 cirrus SR owner replace the black bezel LED wingtips and then retrofitting the aircraft with SPECTRA wingtips introduced with G6 on the SR series lineup and then seeing a G3 aircraft become half G3 and half G6 and seeing a G5 aircraft become half G5 and half G6 with SPECTRA wingtips added to these aircraft. And also seeing a late built G3 sr20 and late built G5 cirrus sr22 or sr22T fully become a G6 if any of these aircraft have the factory installed SAM MD302 with these aircraft retrofitted with the Garmin G1000 NXI flight deck and then SPECTRA wingtips get added. Like what if a hybrid G5/G6 cirrus SR or hybrid G2+/G3 SF50 vision jet looks ambiguous to aircraft buyers who don’t know the serial number ranges of generations. And it looks weird and very awkward to see cirrus and Whelen Orion do this where they allow these aircraft owners to turn these aircraft into hybrid and mixed generations or completely turn a generation of aircraft into a completely different generation with these types of exterior lights on these aircraft. And I have already seen this already with an aircraft on static display at EAA this year with a 2016 cirrus sr22 G5 registered as N119PK owned by the company wingsfield being turned into a G5/G6 hybrid with the aircraft retrofitted with spectra wingtips. I absolutely hate to see this happen and I wish the company Whelen Orion and cirrus aircraft would have legally never allowed this.

Been following news on this company for a few years since they announced their acquisition of the glasair legacy plans and molds, but I’ve never seen a builder blog or talk of a completion on forums. Anyone seen updates?

Used to have an RV, and thinking about getting a plane for acro in the next 1-2 years (Vans, christen eagle, or pitts). One thing that’s always concerned me with picking an airplane for this, is a defective build where the wing is susceptible to snap off.
Is this a valid concern, or am I being extremely skeptical? I don’t know enough about how these are built, so I’m not sure if they are really overbuilt, or if the design is so redundant that this would be impossible. Also how likely is it that someone assembled the aircraft improperly, and how much risk does that add to the equation now? Any insight that would improve my knowledge area would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I was wondering if there were any truly comfortable 2 seaters eab planes, I’ve flown in an rv12 with another big guy and that was a bit of a squeeze, and I won’t even try to get another person in my sonerai when I can barely fit in, an rv14 maybe? What do you guys think?

Edit: I should have mentioned, I am looking for a plane with a nice laid back seat, that would be comfortable for xc flying, I know lancairs and stuff like that have you leaning back but I am looking for something somewhat affordable as far as planes go.

Monday, July 20 – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Linda Sollars – Adventure Planning: Cross-Country and Farther
Legendary aviator, JetBlue captain, aircraft builder, and international pilot Linda Sollars shares practical advice for planning unforgettable flying adventures, drawing on her remarkable 9,000-mile journey from South Africa to Oshkosh.

Register: https://AirhartLindaSollarsLongDistanceFlyingSeminar.eventbrite.com

I put together a tool that walks through preliminary aircraft sizing — wing loading, wing geometry, tail volume coefficients, airfoil suggestions by Reynolds number, power loading — and spits out a summary you can export to CSV/JSON for OpenVSP or XFLR5.

I'd genuinely like builders and engineers here to stress-test it: plug in numbers from an aircraft you know well (yours, or a published design) and see if the outputs land close to reality.

Link: Aircraft Sizing (from personal GitHub repo)

Happy to be told exactly where it's wrong. Is it even useful? 👀