Video: Let Skip Stewart Turn Your Election Day Upside Down! (Must See)

 This video was just uploaded on Skip Stewart's youtube channel today, election day (November 6, 2012) and it's awesome to say the very least! And since this election is sure to make some people feel very upside-down tomorrow, I figure this video can help us all feel that way right now... you know, so we can all be in this together : )

 You might be familiar with Skip Stewart flying his highly modified Pitts he calls Prometheus very low to the ground in a knife-edge (like the pic below), but if you watch the video above you'll get to see what that looks like from the cockpit right after takeoff! What's even more interesting is that this is just the third flight on a new set of wings he's testing out for the airplane. It's a pretty hardcore workout for a new set of wings! And be sure to check out the instruments during some of the maneuvers... like how fast the big needle sweeps the altimeter on one of the vertical climbs (3:30) - wow!

 It appears that these wings are on the 'extra' airframe Skip has, and they aren't yet painted to match the primary airframe. They'll get paint and moved over to the airshow airframe for next season after they've been fully tweaked here. So I suggest you select the 720p HD option on the video, tighten your seatbelt, and hang on to your lunch as you go for a very intense ride with Skip Stewart. Oh, and don't forget to vote today!

Skip Stewart and his hot-rod Pitts 'Prometheus' in a low knife-edge in 2010 (photo: wiki)

Star Wars? Whatever... I Just Found Out The Rocketeer Might Return!

The less common (more horizontal) Rocketeer movie poster image from the 1991 film

 I had a brush with Art Deco tonight (the 1930's graphic style not some guy named Art) and that pretty quickly drove me back into the arm of the Rocketeer. That Disney film from 1991 is still one of my all time favorites... tho I realized when I hopped into youtube for a little visual stimulation Rocketeer style that I haven't actually watched the film for several years now. That's gonna change real soon! I was a little surprised that the entire film can be watched at youtube in a string of just-under-10-minute-segments (wait till Mickey finds out about that!) - so I watched the first segment... wow I love that film! Any movie that shows me Miss Los Angeles, the Gee Bee Z, AND a Travel Air Mystery Ship all in the first 2 minutes pretty much owns my heart!

 So I felt compelled to say something about the Rocketeer tonight. And since you already know that my love for the film drove the design concept for the AirPigz logo, I had to find something else to say... and wow, did I find something interesting! In late August there was some gossip floating around the internet that suggests that the people at Disney are kicking around the idea for finally giving us a second Rocketeer movie! I'm not sure how I missed hearing about this, but I had no idea... so while the big news to most people right now is that Disney just bought all of Lucasfilm for $4 billion and now owns the rights to Star Wars, I'm way more interested in this new Rocketeer possibility. 

 However, it appears caution is needed here as we look to the future. It seems that this new Rocketeer thought is probably just that, a thought. I haven't seen any green light indications yet, just some info suggesting that Disney was shopping for writers and storyline ideas. Plus, it also looks like this might be a reboot of the story, which means it might get hammered and re-formed enough to make the old-schoolers like me get really really mad. However, it could also mean that a new project might steer itself more into the path of the comic book version of the Rocketeer (orginated by the late Dave Stevens in 1982) which would clearly be different than the Disney film but it night also be pretty fantastic.

 For reasons I don't understand, the 1991 Disney film of the Rocketeer didn't do very well at the box office (at least compared to what it cost to make) and it wasn't really very well liked by the critics. Joe Johnston was the director for the film, and he's had some recent great success as the director of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) which leads many to think he'd be the perfect fit to direct a new Rocketeer. It's funny tho, I remember him saying after the first Rocketeer, when asked if he'd do another one, he said something like: I'd fake my own death before I worked with Disney again.

 Oh well, all I know is that I'm a lot more interested in a new Rocketeer then I am three more Star Wars episodes...  

The first 9:59 of the Rocketeer movie from 1991

Poll: Which Logo Best Represents The Experimental Aircraft Association?

 This is the same poll I put up almost a week ago in 3 Reasons Why I Should Be The New EAA President (And 3 Why It'll Never Happen), but the poll wasn't the focus of that post so I thought it might be good to make it easier for people to find it. Almost 200 votes have come in since last Tuesday and I have been extremely pleased to see that my retro logo is currently running at over 82% favorability! I'd like to see where the numbers are at with about 1,000 votes, so if you haven't voted in this poll yet, please do.

 The real purpose for this poll isn't to see if my particular version of the old original EAA logo is better liked than the the current one, it's really about seeing if there's a real desire within the EAA membership to see the organization return to its roots. That doesn't in any way mean shunning new technology for homebuilt aircraft, it's really all about how the organization is run and what it considers its primary mission to be. In my opinion, the EAA of 1970 was doing a much better job of representing its members than the EAA of 2012... and the logo battle is a pretty good graphic representation of all that.

 Oshkosh 1970: grass trampled around Ray Hegy's one-of-a-kind El Chuparosa

Winding Up A Winner In Caption Contest #77!

 Congrats to Chris Muncy for 'winding' up a winner in Caption Contest #77 - I hope Oshkosh 2013 is in your plans for next summer so you can claim your bacon sandwich prize! And a big thank you to everyone who submitted some avgeek humor this time around, that was a big collection of really good captions from everyone.

 So, is this pic for real? It appears to be real to me... but the heck was it all about? Well, I found the pic in this post over at Modern Mechanix where they had an article from 1930 claiming that an inventor had a solution to the problem of not being able to make repairs to an aircraft (especially at the tail) while in flight. Hmm, I'm not sure I'd call this a solution! The obvious risk of falling, the difficulty of carrying tools, and the affect on the CG having a man all the way back at the tail (along with the potential aerodynamic disruption complications) make me question the reality of this being serious.

 I'm thinking I'm gonna call this one a crazy stunt... what do you think?

Poll: Which LSA Can Best Save General Aviation? (RV-12 SLSA, CH750 SLSA, Piper Cub)

Just announced: Vans RV-12 SLSA - factory built / ready to fly starting at $105,000

 Today it was announced that Van's Aircraft will be making their 2-seat RV-12 aircraft available as a factory-built and ready-to-fly SLSA with an introductory price of $105,000. The RV-12 has been available as a homebuilt kit aircraft since 2008 with about 200 completed and flying. The RV-12 has a side by side cockpit, all aluminum airframe, tricycle landing gear and is powered by the Rotax 912ULS engine that makes 100hp for takeoff. This smallest RV from the family of wildly popular RV airplanes has a useful load of about 570 pounds and cruises about 120mph. The RV-12 SLSA will be built in the USA by Synergy Air of Eugene, Oregon. Orders are expected to be first be accepted in November 2012 with initial deliveries beginning in early 2013. Get more info on the Van's Aircraft website.

Now available: Tenn-Air CH750 SLSA - factory built / ready to fly starting at $74,900

 Tenn-Air has recently licensed with Zenith Aircraft Company to make a factory-built version of the popular 2-seat Zenith CH750 STOL aircraft available as a ready-to-fly SLSA with an introductory price for $74,900. The CH750 has been available as a homebuilt kit since 2008 with over 50 completed and flying. Over 800 of the smaller but similar CH701 homebuilt have been completed since it was introduced in 1986. The CH750 has a side by side cockpit, all aluminum airframe, tricycle landing gear and is powered by the Jabiru 3300 engine that makes 120hp for takeoff... a combination good for a useful load of about 550 pounds and cruises about 100mph while also offering very strong short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. The CH750 SLSA will be built from Zenair kits by Tenn-Air in Shelbyville Tennessee, and first deliveries are expected to be available in November or December 2012. Get more info on the Tenn-Air website.

75 years strong: Piper J-3 Cub - rebuilt / ready to fly ('0' time) for ~$50,000 or less

 Production of the 2-seat Piper J-3 Cub ran from 1938 until 1947 with almost 20,000 aircraft being built. Today, a completely restored '0' time J-3 Cub can be bought, ready to fly, for around $50,000, or even less. This iconic aircraft that taught thousands and thousands of people how to fly features tandem seating, steel tube and wood structure with fabric covering, taildragger landing gear and is typically powered by a Continental engine ranging from 65 to 90hp. The Cub has a useful load of about 520 pounds and cruises around 75 mph. Thousands of Cubs are still around today with hundreds of them ripe for being restored to like-new condition (ready to serve as trainers and recreational aircraft indefinitely) all for a $50,000 (or less) investment.

 So there you have it, three aircraft that are somewhat similar yet still very different. And I'm here once again to make the case for the idea that our best step forward to try to save General Aviation is a giant step backward! I believe that the J-3 Cub makes way more sense than an RV-12 or a CH750 as a way to draw more people into aviation. Don't misunderstand, I think those two modern flying machines are both great little airplanes that have a lot to offer. But when the Piper Cub is cheaper to acquire (by far)... as cheap or cheaper to operate... has a longer lifespan... creates better pilots (because it's a taildragger)... and it's about 243% more fun to fly, you have a clear winner here.

 Maybe I'm in the minority, but I also absolutely believe that the Cub has significantly more curb appeal. That curb appeal is really all about passion. Passion for its fabulous style, its perfect nostalgia, and its pure and honest flying pleasure. Spend and hour or two flying over God's green Earth with a good friend and the door open and you'll experience the kind of flying that you'll wish would never ever end.

 My vote in the poll below is going to the '0' time restored Piper Cub as the LSA that has the most to offer in trying to save General Aviation in America. Now if I can just get a group of people together to agree on this so we can start cranking out like-new Cubs from a dedicated restoration facility, we can get a whole new generation of pilots into the sky... affordably, with great stick and rudder skills, and in love with the world's greatest airplane! 

Video: The Affordable Sport Fighter - The Sonex 'Onex' Homebuilt

 I've been a fan of the Sonex Onex since it was just a concept... and as this video shows, the little single seat Onex has a long list of enticing qualities. With the first two of customer built Onex's now listed on the Sonex Aircraft completions page, we can expect a steady stream of additional completions to begin taking to the sky.

 The affordable base kit price of $12,995 (without engine) means a completed aircraft can be in the air for just a little over $25,000 when you include a brand new 80hp AeroVee engine. Check out the Sonex Aircraft kit pricing page for more info - scroll down the page for the Onex kit pricing info and options.

 The combination of affordable cost, fast-to-build 'matched hole' prefabricated parts, folding wings for storage in small places, and truly sport-fighter performance in the air makes the Onex a truly remarkable aircraft! I think we should all have at least One[x] : )

(this video is an excerpt from the Sonex Story video)

Video screenshot showing the ultra fun Sonex Onex in the taildragger configuration

Video: Avspecs de Havilland Mosquito Landing Back At Ardmore On First Flight Day!

 The Historical Aviation Film Unit (New Zealand) has uploaded a video of the Avspecs de Havilland Mosquito from the first day of flying after their long and extremely detailed restoration. See my post from this morning on the first flight of the Mossie for more details. (if you're at the main page of AirPigz, it's the post right before this one)

 This video is of the airplane returning to Ardmore Airfield where the restoration was done and the first takeoff had been made a little earlier. The airplane spent some time flying in the Auckland region after departing on the first flight and made its first landing at Auckland International Airport. A pitot static system issue was resolved while at Auckland Int'l. The video that shows the airplane departing Auckland (that is included in this morning's post) is re-posted below in case you haven't seen it.  There will likely be no shortage of great videos to come here in the near future, but for all of us right now, anything that shows this amazing aircraft in the air is definitely 'must see'. Enjoy!

Stellar Achievement! Avspecs de Havilland Mosquito Makes First Flight!

Avspecs (New Zealand) Mosquito restoration first flight 9.27.12 at Ardmore Airfield

(7 pix and 3 videos - all photos from the facebook page of Ned Dawson)

 The massive restoration project of a de Havilland Mosquito by Avspecs Limited in Auckland New Zealand for Jerry Yagen and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach Virginia has reached the ultimate goal... the Mosquito is back in the air! The first flight took place before noon Auckland time (Wednesday evening 9.26.12 in the US) and it appears to have been a great success. The airplane departed Ardmore Airfield and then landed at the Auckland International Airport. They did have some sort of pitot static issue that was resolved while on the ground and then the aircraft returned to Ardmore.

 The following photos give you a first look into the departure from Ardmore and the return back there. I've also included three videos that are very much worth your time. The first of the videos, the only one showing the Mosquito in the air, includes the takeoff at Auckland International on the way back over to Ardmore. Wow! The Mosquito is truly one of the greatest airplanes ever built. Much more info will follow in the coming days as this amazing effort is being and cheered by people all over the world!

Crew photo op after the first flight success of the only flying Mosquito in the world

Engines starting at Ardmore Airfield in preparation for the first flight since restoration

Click to read more ...

Video: Precious Metal - Journey To Reno Plus Racing From Cockpit!

 This video has two parts... the first is time-lapse footage that shows the journey from Kissimmee (FL) to Reno. It's a sweet look into a journey that most of us never think much about - but you gotta get to Reno before you can race! And then the second part takes you inside the cockpit with Thom Richard as he runs the course with a pesky Sea Fury on his tail!

 There's likely to be a lot more Precious Metal video to surface before long, but this one gets it all off to a great start. I'll add that while I clearly stated yesterday that I'm a long standing fan of Rare Bear, the only merch I bought at Reno was a Precious Metal hoodie and hat. I'm doing my part to support Thom and the fabulous mixmaster P-51 : )

 
Video screenshot: Thom and Precious Metal going past the home pylon at Reno 2012

CoolPix: Crowd Favorite Rare Bear - In The Evening At Reno 2012

(click pic for hi-res) The beast lives on... the Grumman F8 Bearcat racer: Rare Bear

 I respect and admire the P-51 Strega for what it represents; a team of people that have pursued power, speed, reliability, and flying consistency. If you don't respect what that airplane stands for then you don't really love air racing... and a Sea Fury like September Fury is an awesome and beautiful airplane - one that I have loved since seeing Frank Sanders fly aerobatics countless times at Oshkosh way back in the day... and I really appreciate what the P-51 Precious Metal brings to Reno racing with its fabulous counter-rotating props and a colorful team that is really enjoying their chance to play in the big game... but deep down in my heart, I can't deny that I'm a Bearcat guy. With that in mind, I'm not afraid to tell you that Rare Bear stole my heart a really long time ago.

 It really all started for me when I was a kid and my dad took me to the Reno Air Races in the late 60's. Even tho I wasn't even 10 years old yet, I understood the amazing things going on out in the desert in Nevada. The first Unlimited racer to stir my imagination was another F8 Bearcat named Conquest 1 flown by Darryl Greenamyer. Conquest 1 wasn't just a Bearcat tho, it was the dominate racer of its day, and the airplane that set the speed record of 483.041mph on August 16, 1969. I had the amazing opportunity to be at Reno and see Conquest 1 race from 1967 thru 1970. The Grumman F8 Bearcat was forever burned into my mind as the ultimate racer, and Darryl Greenamyer was my hero.

 So now, in the 'modern era' of Reno air racing, the ultimate racer role (in my mind) has been played by Rare Bear. The Bear has a long and impressive history of winning, even tho for the last several years it's been looking at Strega from behind... sometimes pretty far behind. But it remains a crowd favorite. At this year's Gold race, the announcers stirred up crowd reaction to the different racers, and Rare Bear got the biggest response. We love all the racers, but there's just something special about Rare Bear! So today I'm sharing an awesome CoolPix image of Rare Bear that I captured on Thursday evening at Reno. It was actually about an hour before I got that amazing pic of Precious Metal running after sunset with the wild reflections coming off the props. That was a really great evening for me!

 I hope you enjoy this beautiful CoolPix image of a truly fabulous racing airplane. And, for your continued enjoyment, I've made it available to you in four popular desktop sizes in case you'd like to look at this amazing beast every day : )

Rare Bear in the evening at Reno 2012 desktop pix:

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 You might also like these other AirPigz categories:
Reno Air Races
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