Jack Bally's MANNED 1/3 Scale B-17 Nearly Ready To Fly!

Jack Bally's incredible 1/3 scale B-17 next to a Cessna 140! (photo: facebook)

 Some new pictures surfaced last evening on the Bally Bomber facebook page showing Jack Bally's incredbile 1/3 scale B-17 replica fully assembled and sitting next to a Cessna 140. Wow! The mind is really tied up in a knot trying to process what's seen there... it looks like a model but sooo big - but then it looks like a real B-17 but sooo much smaller!

 This project, coming to life in Dixon Illinois, has to rank as one of the most fascinating homebuilt aircraft projects of all time. It's the kind of idea that weird people like me dreram up but rarely does anyone actually follow though. With an estimated 20,000 hours of labor required to build this cute little beast, it's understanable why. With a 34ft 7in wingspan, estimated 1,800 pound weight and four 60hp engines for a total of 240hp, the Bally Bomber is just pure awesome! Be sure to check out the hundreds of pix from the build process along with additional info at TheBallyBomber.com

 The not-so-big cockpit really shows the overall scale!  (photo: theballybomber.com)

 
 The project was started back in 1999 and is just now nearing completion. The airframe is all scratch built (of course) and made out of aluminum. The main gear retracts just like the real B-17, and has proven to be the most complicated part of the project. The engines are the Hirth 3002 4-cylinder 2-stroke that usually have a reduction unit and make about 80hp. Jack chose this engine because of its size... it was small enough to fit inside a properly scaled nacelle. However, to make it fit properly, the reduction unit is removed which will bring the power down around 60hp each, with the engines spinning the 46.4" diameter props at about 3,300 rpm.

One of four 2-stroke Hirth 3002 (formerly F-30) engines  (photo: theballybomber.com)

 Even though the airplane looks finished, I noticed in a facebook comment last night that they say there's still some wiring, plumbing and detail work yet to complete. It would appear that the first flight is still off in the future a bit. Mostly that means that there's little hope of seeing the Bally Bomber at Oshkosh in a few weeks. There's little doubt in my mind that whenever this fabulous piece of work gets to Oshkosh, she'll be the Queen for the entire week!

 The accuracy in the scale shaping is simply fantastic!  (photo: theballybomber.com)

 The accuracy of the shapes and scaling look excellent on this project. I remember back in the 70's there were several scaled-down military one-of-a-kind replicas, but most all failed to get the profiles, proportions, or prop scaling correct... the Bally Bomber appears to be getting it done right. Bravo!

The amazing Bally Bomber is almost ready to fly!  (photo: theballybomber.com)

 
 Can you even imagine how cool it would be to see this 1/3 scale B-17 in the air! No doubt the videos of the first flight will be a huge internet sensation... stay tuned to the Bally Bomber facebook page for updates on the first flight... this might be as big a deal as the full-scale Mosquito last fall!

Flitzer Homebuilt Biplane: The Perfect Boredom Fighter!

Totally non-authentic and perfectly awesome: the Flitzer biplane (photo: flitzerbiplane.com)

 Back in the late 70's a homebuilt airplane emerged that had a WWI feel to it and was small and relatively easy to build... it was called the Boredom Fighter. I was in the process of building a Pober Pixie at the time (that I started in 1978 when I was a junior in High School) and I remember thinking that the Boredom Fighter was a great concept, but the reality of the design never really clicked with me. Then this morning I get an email from a friend asking if I'ver ever posted anything about the Flitzer Biplane from the UK. Hmm, I've never even heard of it (I can't know everything!) but when I checked it out I realized that the Flitzer Biplane is the PERFECT realization of the Boredom Fighter concept!

 There's no connection between the Boredom Fighter and the Flitzer, but what I see in the Flitzer is a perfect balance of faux WWI styling along with a small, primarily wood airframe that also is a great little flying machine. It's pretty much everything that the Boredom Fighter was meant to be but never really attained. The Flitzer was design by Lynn Williams in the UK, and from what I can tell that was about 10 years ago. A real emphasis was put on designing a stout airframe with really good flying characteristics. With an empty weight of around 500 pounds, this little 18' wingspan retro fighter was designed to be powered with a VW engine. With that in mind, its easy to imagine a variety of powerplants in the 50-80hp range being acceptable in a Flitzer.

Small and VW powered, the Flitzer biplane is cheap retro thrills  (photo: facebook)

 
 There's a good resource website run by a fan of the design (flitzerbiplane.com) with info on the history of the Flitzer plus a wide range of additional info. The Flitzer Variants page there is a great place to get the basics figured out while also planting the seeds for some serious infatuation of this homebuilt that's perfectly suited to individual personalization. You'll also find Lynn Williams' email address near the top of that page in case you're interested in finding out about buying a set of construction plans.

 If I had the time and money I'd start up a network of resources here in the US to encourage a large squadron of these little weekend warriors... I think it would be especially well-suited to a group of people getting together and building 4 or 5 of them, that way you have a built-in network of 'help and encouragement' along the difficult path of making it all the way thru a homebuilt project.

 In fact, if I had known about the Flitzer back in 2009 when I started the AirPigz Project VP (modified Volksplane) project, I'd probably have me an unfinished Flitzer in the garage right now! Btw, PVP remains unfinished due to my nagging financial recovery issues stemming from the 08/09 economy collapse, but I'm getting closer to the day when I'll finally have that chapter of my life closed (without filing for bankruptcy : )

 Anyway, the Flitzer is a homebuilt design worthy of consideration for anyone looking for a reactively easy to build head-turner that won't cost you an arm-and-a-leg. It's one of the most creative designs I've ever seen to capture great nostalgic lines and a wonderful retro-war look while also being affordable and really fun to fly. Now I just need to figure out if I'm more obsessed with the Skyote or the Flitzer! #littlebiplanesforever

Flitzer Biplane yahoo group

Flitzer Biplane facebook page 

Flitzer Biplane by Australian Mark Crawford: check out his Flitzer construction website

Why Oshkosh Matters (With CoolPix Marathon - 19 Hi-Res Images)

(click pic for hi-res)  Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa at Oshkosh 1970 (see original post)

 Oshkosh 2013 is fast approaching (July 29 - Aug 4), and I'm as excited as ever to be planning to attend. I was there in 1970 (as a 9 year old) when the very first Oshkosh took place at Wittman Field in beautiful Wisconsin. The annual EAA fly-in and convention was held in Rockford Illinois prior to Oshkosh and I was even at the last one of those in 1969. I've missed a handful of the events over the years, but I've attended well over 30 of them since that picture above of Ray Hegy's El Chuparosa was taken.

 Oshkosh has changed a lot over the years, but in the ways that really matter, it hasn't really changed at all. It's still people (lots and lots of people) who are in love with aviation gathering together to share that love with each other. It's goodness, discipline, ingenuity, and achievement all rolled into a week of learning, sharing, and enjoying. There's just nothing else like it... no other tool we have that does so much good for the world of general and sport aviation. That's why I believe that Oshkosh truly matters.

 I'm well aware that many people have frustrations at times with the EAA and the way Oshkosh is run, and while I've had the same kinds of frustrations going back even into the 1970's, I'm as convinced as ever that the EAA ultimately does a huge amount of good for those of us who love to fly. I can't imagine any other organization (or new group of people) who could, or would do better (or even as well) at fostering a genuine love for flying. So I hope you'll join me in being a big supporter of what Oshkosh does for us all... come to Oshkosh this year and be amazed, entertained, educated, and impressed. But please don't come expecting Oshkosh to do all that TO you, instead, come to Oshkosh and BE PART OF that process. Give, and share, and receive too. It's the human interactions that truly make Oshkosh the beautiful thing that it is.

 To celebrate some of the great avgeekery of Oshkosh, here's an extensive collection of CoolPix images I've captured since 2009 to get you primed and ready for the world's greatest aviation event. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and you might notice that I never ever call the event A**V******, it's Oshkosh to me and always will be. I look forward to the day when that ad agency concocted word is dropped from the EAA vocabulary. And hey, maybe they should go back to a logo that looks more like tho old one too : )

(click pic for hi-res)  Pitcairn Autogiro at Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

(click pic for hi-res)  Airbus A380 preparing to depart Oshkosh 2009  (see original post)

Click to read more ...

Video: Thom Richard And Precious Metal Prepare To Impress At The 50th Anniversary Reno Air Races!

 The guys at LiveAirShowTV put together a great interview piece on Thom Richard and his Rolls Royce Griffon powered P-51 Precious Metal. With the 63 mph speed increase seen at Reno 2012 from the updated prop design, Precious Metal became a real contender for Unlimited Gold... but there can be quite a distance between being a contender and being a champion.

 For 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Reno Air Races, Thom and a crew of friends and volunteers have been making significant upgrades to PM in the quest for another big increase in race speed. With all the work that's being done it's very realistic to think that Precious Metal will be right in the thick of things, even if Strega comes back to defend her winning streak that stretches back to 2008.

 Don't forget you can watch the races live this September via LiveAirShowTV and you can also keep an eye on the progress of Thom and the airplane via facebook.com/airrace. This is a great time to be paying attention to the world's fastest motor sport!

Precious Metal evening engine run at Reno 2012 (see hi-res version here)

Video: Taking A Dip In SeaRey Amphibian Paradise!

 I put up an amphibian SLSA poll back in February to see if the airplane that makes the most sense to me would come out on top... and it has in a big way. With over 500 votes in currently, the Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey is way out in front with over 51% of the vote. The SeaMax M-22 is in second and the is-it-hype-or-is-it-not ICON A-5 is now lagging way back in last place with just under 18% of the vote. 

 I wasn't looking to put any airplane down in this poll, but I was interested in seeing the SeaRey get the credit it deserves for being such a great, versatile and fun flying machine. And now that the kit airplane that has had over 600 deliveries is now being made available as a ready-to-fly SLSA, there's more reason than ever before for people who are interested in an affordable amphibian to take a good long look at the SeaRey. The recent comments on the poll page from SeaRey owners echo all the advantages that I pointed out when I personally picked it as the best SLSA amphibian available... and owner opinions are worth a lot more than my observer opinion! 

 The video above does a great job of showing how a well-designed amphibian (especially one that's a taildragger!) comes about as close to being the perfect flying machine as you're ever gonna find! I want a SeaRey!

Video screenshot showing some sweet fun flying in SeaRey paradise

Video: Kermit Takes The Gee Bee Z Out For A Spin

 
 Don't get too excited here, there's no 'spinning' or even leaving the ground with the beautiful replica Gee Bee Z that's part of Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight collection, but he did fire her up again and do some taxi testing in preparation for possibly getting her back in the sky before long. Just seeing (and hearing) this replica of the iconic Golden Age air racer move around on the ground is enough to significantly elevate my heart rate : )

 You might remember a Fantasy of Flight video I posted about a year ago of Kermit running the engine on the Z... this airplane is stunning to look at whether it's in the air or not! And just to clarify once again, this replica is NOT the one seen in the 1991 film the Rocketeer. The one seen in the film was built in 1978 by Bill Turner and was modified from the original design by increasing the wing area some and lengthening the fuselage a little to help make it easier to fly. That replica is currently on display at The Museum of Flight in Seattle.

 The replica that Kermit has (in the video above) was built in 1996 to the same dimensions as the one-and-only original that was destroyed in a crash during a speed record attempt 1931. You can read a little more about the original Gee Bee Z history in the wiki. This replica is housed at Kermit's Fantasy of Flight museum and is where this video was shot the other day. 

Screenshot: Kermit Weeks doing taxi tests his replica Gee Bee Z the other day

 There's plenty of avgeek awesomeness to see in this video of the Z, but I wanted to point out what really caught my eye. Note how the tail lifts off the ground just a little at 1:50. On one hand it's no big deal... it's a small taildragger with a Pratt & Whitney R-985 making 450 hp hanging off the nose. You might easily expect the tail to get really light when running the engine up and holding the brakes. However, note that Kermit has the stick back and the elevator deflected in a manner meant to keep the tail on the ground, yet even with all that air going over the tail it still comes off the ground! It looks like the combination of buckets full of power and that short fuselage (limiting the arm that the elevator is mounted on) mean that this thing is a bona fide beast!

 Even more, the wing-loading on the Gee Bee Z is somewhere in the area of 30 to 35 pounds to the square foot which puts it more inline with fighter aircraft from WWII. I think you can imagine that a fairly high wing-loading and a short-coupled fuselage make an airplane that's definitely a handful to fly. The first flights on this replica back in 1996 were done by Delmar Benjamin of Gee Bee R-2 fame - and I saw him post on facebook not long ago that the Z was his favorite Gee Bee to fly. Kermit also flew this airplane, 13 years ago, so he's knows what it's like. It's sure gonna fun to see if he gets her back in the air once again!  #geebeelove

A Gee Bee Built For Two! Replica Q.E.D. By Jim Moss

Click the pic to see more Q.E.D. pix from AntiqueAirfield.com
Recent pic of the massive Gee Bee Q.E.D. replica by Jim Moss  (photo: AntiqueAirfield.com)

 Jim Moss from the Seattle area is no stranger to building replicas of fabulous aircraft from the Golden Age. His Laird Super Solution from back in 2000 showed he's got the skills for this kind of work - check out this link about his Laird from another Super Solution builder Pete Groves (info on Jim's starts at pic 3 on that page). And now, his replica of the big Gee Bee, the 1934 Q.E.D. appears to be either complete or very nearly so. Wow, that's one big and beautiful airplane!

 Jim has taken a few liberties with this airplane, making it a very nearly accurate replica but with some changes. It's my understanding that the overall dimensions are the same as the actual Q.E.D. and most all of the details are meant to be accurate, but the original 675hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690 engine has been replaced with a Wright R-1820 of 1,425hp! The bigger engine (from a T-28) is actually the same diameter and only about 200 pounds heavier than the R-1690, a weight differential made up by reducing the original Q.E.D.'s fuel capacity from a whopping 480 gallons to just 240. Even with the bigger engine and lower fuel capacity, this flying machine will still have some serious range! Oh, and the fin and rudder have been upsized a bit to help make sure there's a plenty of tail to tame the power in the nose. 

 I'm hoping the combo of appearing complete along with plenty of fuel capacity mean that there's a good chance it'll be flying and at OSH13, but I really don't know if that's the plan. I sure do hope so tho!

 You can see several more great pix of the Q.E.D. from a post a couple days ago at AntiqueAirfield.com: Jim Moss' Gee Bee Q.E.D. Project - they will likely have the first info related to when this big beautiful beast is first flown so stay tuned!

CoolPix Triple Play: The Golden Glow Of Cubs At OSH12

(click pic for hi-res)  Camping Cubs in the evening sun at Oshkosh 2012

 The gathering of Piper Cubs at Oshkosh 2012 (and at Hartford Wisconsin the weekend before OSH - see great pix here and here) was a major highlight of my summer last year. A sea of Cub yellow to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the J-3 was most satisfying. And now that February has somehow turned into May, I'm just getting a handle on the idea that OSH13 will be here before you know it! (July 29-Aug 4)

 There probably won't be as many Cubs there this year, but there's no question that Oshkosh will once again be the greatest aviation gathering in the world. I look forward to Oshkosh more than any other event, year after year. I hope you've got plans to make it this year... and if you do, you better plan to attend an official AirPigz Bacon Party too! Details will be posted in June with the times and days of the two opportunities to have some crunch pig while hangar flying at CampBacon. Airplanes and bacon are definitely a perfect combo : )

 Below are two more great CoolPix images of Cubs that I captured at Oshkosh last year. I hope they give you a warm, glowing feeling inside for airplanes that drag their tail and are covered in fabric. Btw, Hartford Wisconsin will be the initial gathering and staging point for the 'round-engine rodeo' planned for OSH13. I enjoyed my time at Hartford so much last year that there's no way I'd miss this weekend gathering right before Oshkosh starts. I hope to see you there!

(click pic for hi-res)  A glorious sea of Cub yellow on the flightline at OSH12

(click pic for hi-res)  A tighter view of yellow Piper perfection

FLY Energy Bar Dips A Toe In The Water (Golden Age Of Air Racing Too!)

A version of the FLY Energy Bar logo... designed by me!
 

@FLYenergybar on twitter  |  FLY Energy Bar on facebook

 A came up with a concept for an energy bar and the branding to go with it in late October 2012. Since that time I have been developing the details of the graphic imagery and marketing concept, along with the actual food product itself. Yeah, I'm developing the recipe too! I've really enjoyed the research required to learn about how to make all this happen... and then there's the testing. Testing concepts, even food recipe concepts, is just pure awesome to me! I love the challenge and the quest for solutions.

 I'm very excited to present some of the details of what I've come up with. It's called FLY Energy Bar... they are premium-quality and all-natural energy/meal replacement bars made with grains, seeds, and fruit, with very little or no cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, low fat, most likely gluten-free, low sodium, high protein, good fiber, and with an energy kick! Best of all, these energy bars taste great! I'm still in development and tweaking the recipes, but I have two of the three flavors for launch already 95% defined.

 I don't have the cash to start a business like this, but crowd funding thru a website like kickstarter.com can make all the difference. That's why I'm revealing the basics of this project now, so I can create some awareness in preparation for launching a kickstarter campaign in July. That campaign will give you an opportunity to contribute to the project in return for some of the products, as well as a variety of unique rewards at varying contribution levels.

Gee Bee R-1 racer right after winning the 1932 Thompson Trophy race

 I'm most excited about the way I'm incorporating Gold Age of Air Racing aircraft into the packaging. I wish I could share the first package graphic with you but at the moment I can't, but I'll tell you that it's the coolest looking food package I've ever seen! I'm also confident that people who have no specific interest in aviation will find the packaging fun, exciting, and motivating. FLY bars are intended to be for everyone and anyone... it's just that people who love aviation will be all the more drawn in : )

 I'll be using custom artwork based on amazing race aircraft from the 20's and 30's like the Gee Bee R-1, Hughes H-1 and the Curtiss RC3 to encourage people to see how eating a FLY bar will help them feel like they're able to spread their wings and do their own flying thru the day.

The Howard Hughes record-setting H-1 racer - first flown in 1935

 FLY Energy Bar is meant to represent more than just food... it's all about a culture of being driven to succeed while also making the world a better place to live. I have some huge concepts to go along with the making-the-world-a-better-place idea, but again I have to wait to tell you about them. I'm as sure as I can be tho that you'll really connect with what I have in mind. I also feel that these benevolent aspects will really encourage people to contribute to the kickstarter campaign once it's up and running.

Curtiss R3C seaplane in the late 20's... beauty and grace meet power and speed!

 One other plan for the culture of FLY Energy Bar is an annual event called FLYfest... mixing several cool elements all into one awesome event: a fly-in focusing on antique/classic and homebuilt aircraft, a small airshow, lots of live blues music, AND a BBQ food fest! The goal would be for the first event to take place in the summer of 2014. And, since I founded and ran a Christian rock music fest for 10 years (1999-2008), I'm thinking pulling off an awesome FLYfest would be right up my alley : )

 I hope you think this all sounds cool and that you'll consider contributing to the kickstarter campaign, once it's up in July, so you can be a direct part of making FLY come to life. 

 FLY: fuel for you.

Video: 19 Foot Wingspan RC B-17 In Austria - Wow!

 Dude, that's one big RC B-17! And since we played with a B-17 in the Caption Contest last week, I figured now was a perfect time to post the video of this amazing piece of work. It appears to be both built and flown by Peter Pfeffer in Austria. The first flight, as seen in the video, is from just over 2 weeks ago.

This view before completion gives a great perspective on the size of this RC B-17!
 

 This beast has a 19 foot wingspan, is 14 feet long and is a whopping 187 pounds of retro WWII UAV! The four engines appear to be VT 42 single cylinder four-strokers like in this video. They come from Armin de Vries, a model engine builder in Germany, and are known for high power, low weight, and a great sound.

 You can also see an extensive gallery of construction pix at this flickr page.  Truly an amazing accomplishment of both construction and flying... long live the Flying Fortress!

 Man and machine... Peter Pfeffer and his 1:5.6 scale RC B-17