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

Would You Please Buy Me An Airplane? (Support AirPigz Today!)

VW powered Nieuport 11 replica homebuilt for sale on barnstormers.com - $8,900

Use this donate button to support AirPigz and help me buy this airplane!

($220 in donations as of 3:59pm EST on 1.13.13)
 

 This might be preposterous (btw, that's the first time I have ever spelled out preposterous in my life!) but I'm asking you to consider supporting AirPigz today with a least a $10 donation (or more, or much more if you are willing and able) so I can buy a very inexpensive flying machine. A great example, and one that I would absolutely consider if it's in good airworthy condition, is the Nieuport 11 replica pictured above that I found on barnstormers.com last night. It's a VW powered homebuilt with 160 TT and is available with an asking price of just $8,900. Just $10 from about 1,000 AirPigz friends gets me back in the air! I floated this idea on twitter and facebook last night and raised $50 already... so maybe I'm not so crazy afterall for asking : )

 But why would you give me money to buy an airplane? Good question, and I'm glad you asked. Well, I have a list of reasons starting with the fact that I'm four years into running AirPigz.com and the total amount of revenue thus far is around $1,000. That's pretty sad. And there are many reasons for it... but it isn't because I haven't been working hard! It's also not because I don't have a pretty good sized audience... I am now solidly over 50,000 page views each month with 25,000 or more unique visitors each month. It's taken quite a while to get to that level, but that's a pretty good aviation audience for a one-man operation. Seems like a small donation to support the one-man-show efforts here at AirPigz isn't really so preposterous! (you paid how much for that fancy cup of coffee?)

 Btw, this might be a good time to point out the CoolPix category here on AirPigz which includes a rather big collection of large images (many now also available in 'desktop image' sizes) - some are historical images, but many are photos I've captured and made available here for you to enjoy at no charge.

A weathered AirPigz logo and web address would look perfect on this Nieuport replica!
 

 I have spent an unbelievable amount of time developing this website as a fun and interesting outreach, and as an entertainment tool for aviation. But the ads you've seen here on AirPigz (except for the book ads like the one currently at the top right) have been just me trading promotion or service with other avgeeks. The book ads are a good idea, but so far the revenue there isn't enough to cover my $20/month blog platform fee. And, in the last 18 months, my day job as a ceramic tile and hardwood/laminate installer has picked back up to the point that it's about all I can do to keep the quality content showing up here 5 to 7 days a week. There's not much time left for figuring out the enigma of generating internet revenue. Most all of my day-job income is still going toward undoing a pretty severe financial crisis that occured in 2008/2009... I'm still on the deep stall side of the power curve!

 I'll happily answer any questions you have about my financial situation, but mostly I'd like to ask you to consider making a donation to support the quality avgeek content that I put out on a consistent basis... and if enough money comes in from this request to buy an airplane like this cute little Nieuport 11 replica, then you can feel good about putting a passionate avgeek, who has worked hard to bring the best of avgeekery to you, back in the air again. (I have about 1,000 total time but haven't been current since 1995)

Thank you for considering my request : )

2nd Annual AirPigz/Air Force Museum Meetup: January 27-29, 2012

A de Havilland Mosquito in U.S. markings at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio

 2nd annual AirPigz meetup at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio will
take place January 27-29, 2012 (Fri, Sat, Sun - come 1, 2 or all 3 days)

Click here to be added to the meetup email list for more details

(10 pix)

 Come-if-you-can to this casual gathering of avgeeks to again experience the amazing collection of aircraft at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Nine people made the trip in 2011, including two that flew via the airlines to join in. Museum admission is free and of course the meetup is too. This is a great winter getaway and a fantastic aviation history experience.

 Friday (January 27, 2012) will include the behind-the-scenes restoration shop tour. You must register in advance with the museum for the restoration shop tour (free) that only runs on Fridays - click here for more info and to register (look for the behind-the-scenes info in the lower left) - BE SURE YOU REGISTER FOR THE JANUARY 27TH DATE. Tour check-in is at 11:45am, with the short bus trip across Wright-Patterson AFB at 12:15pm. The guided walking tour runs about 3 hours... and it's worth the trip no matter how far away you are! Check out the pix below from the restoration shop last year.

 Saturday & Sunday (January 28 & 29, 2012) will give you the chance to take in the massive collection of unique and historic aircraft at your own pace, with a casual gathering for lunch (buy your own) in the Valkyrie Cafe inside the museum from 11:30 to 12:30 both days. You can come for just one of the meetup days, or two, or even all three if you have the availability.

 We'll plan to meet in the entrance lobby Saturday and Sunday at 9am (museum hours are 9 to 5) and then people can journey into the museum on your own or together with friends. For more info on the meetup, click here to get on the Air Force Museum Meetup email list.

 And here's a few more pix from last year at the museum to help convince you that you should make the trip! (and you can also check out the AirForceMuseum AirPigz category for a few more posts)

The 'Swoose' B-17 project in the Air Force Museum restoration shop

Click to read more ...

Fab Video Of Fab Aeroplanes From The Fab Shuttleworth Collection

 If you've had a frustrating day like I have, then the gorgeous sights and sounds of fabulous vintage aeroplanes flying at Shuttleworth (as captured by FlyingMachinesTV) is almost sure to make you feel better. A lot better. Such an amazing collection of stunning flying machines : )

#SNF11 - Severe Weather And A Day At 'Fantasy Of Flight' (16 Pix)

(16 pix) 

 The last several hours of my drive from Indiana to central Florida early Thursday were under low ceilings and rain, so I decided to start my Sun-n-Fun 2011 experience over at the Fantasy of Flight Museum since the weather wasn’t cooperating very well. The museum is about 20 miles northeast of Lakeland Linder airport were SNF takes place. Plus, the ‘Splash-In’ with seaplanes was scheduled to take place Thursday on Lake Agnes (right next to the museum) so it seemed like I had a plan. 

 As it turned out, the weather went from bad to worse. The Splash-In was cancelled and re-scheduled for Friday, but as you most likely already know, severe storms came thru the area in the afternoon (see the radar pic) causing substantial damage to a lot of aircraft and temporary structures at SNF. Fortunately it appears injuries were minimal… and as it turned out,  the museum site didn’t experience any damage at all that I’m aware of. 

 Getting Sun-n-Fun back on track will require a lot of effort, but I have no doubt that the job will get done. Similar to the challenges with extremely heavy rains at Oshkosh in 2010, the aviation community will come together and rise to the challenge. And while many people are dealing with the loss of their aircraft right now, we can all be thankful for minimal injuries, and for a very sunny weather forecast for the remaining days of SNF.

 The following 15 pictures and captions show some of the cool aircraft and aviation oriented experiences from my day at Fantasy of Flight. A lot of people were enjoying the chance to be an avgeek and stay out of the rain… and while this was my second visit to FoF, I have to say I enjoyed this time every bit as much as the first. It’s a great facility that I highly recommend you take time to experience anytime you’re in the area.

The Art Deco inspired entrance to the Fantasy of Flight museum. It was definitely an umbrella kind of day.

Fantasy of Flight is run by Kermit Weeks (arms folded) and he was seen all over the facility today… here he’s enjoying conversation with some people in the entrance area.  

Click to read more ...

Video: Rotary Powered Sopwith Camel In Formation With A Spitfire

 If you're in a hurry, jump up to the 2:30 mark in the video to see the Sopwith's rotary engine started.  It's like a 160hp rabid animal attached to the front of the airplane!  You kinda get the feeling that the engine is the crazy master here, and the best you can do is not make it mad!  Actually it looks very cool, but you can sure see how much of a challenge operating an engine without a normal throttle is... especially one that weighs 345 pounds and spins with the prop!

 This nearly 9 minute video, from 2004, then moves on the show the WWI Sopwith Camel flying a pretty tight formation with Red Bull Air Race pilot Nigel Lamb in a WWII Supermarine Spitfire.  It's beautifully shot and is quite a treat to see these very different aircraft share the sky together.  It all comes from a group of people in New Zealand doing some amazing stuff building authentic World War I airplanes and engines.  Be sure to check out TheVintageAviator.co.nz website to learn more about their gorgeous work.

The Red Baron Draws Enthusiastic Response At Reel Stuff Film Fest

 It was only a couple weeks before the 2nd annual Reel Stuff Film Fest took place that I found out about it... but the concept of an aviation film fest interested me enough to spend 3-1/2 hours on the road (each way) to Dayton Ohio on Sunday March 15th to check it out.  I'm glad that I did. 

 The U.S. premier of the German made film about WWI flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, 'The Red Baron' was all it took to get me to chase down a little white-line fever.

 There were 13 films in all, tho I was only able to make it for one.  But it was well worth the trip.  I'll be planning to take in most, or even all of the festival next year.

 The event is operated by the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and all of the proceeds go to support the NAHF learning center in Dayton.  The festival director indicated that the 2009 event was a success, with increased attendance over the first year, and there will definitely be an event in 2010.

 A little over 400 people gathered for 'The Red Baron' screening.  This is definitely a niche festival that's still in its early years, so you don't have huge crowds in attendance yet.  However, this is exactly the kind of event that people interested in aviation should be supporting.  I hope we all see the value in it and get behind it.

 The location for the screenings on Saturday and Sunday was the Dayton Convention Center downtown. The facilities were very nice, but the screen for ‘The Red Baron' was a little smaller than you find in your typical mega-plex. 

 The facility did make for attractive and comfortable surroundings tho. And, once the movie started, the size of the screen was quickly forgotten as the action pulled you in.

 The large area outside of the auditorium included a vendor with airplane models as well as several other tables set up with info related to the festival.  It all felt well organized and under control.

 The audience pic is from about 20 minutes before the 'The Red Baron' started, and while the seating did fill in more, there were still plenty of seats left over... you should have been there!

'The Red Baron' writer/director Nikolai Mullerschon answering 
questions from the audience right after the screening

Nikolai Mullerschon signing a large Red Baron poster that had been purchased

 The one part of the event that I had hoped would really make it special was the question and answer time with the film presenter, right after the screening.  As it turned out, this was the standout element of the day.

 Nikolai Mullerschon, the writer and director of 'The Red Baron' answered about 15 questions from members of the audience.  All of the questions were well thought out and relevant, and the answers were very interesting to hear.

 The movie itself was well done too. I'd probably give it 3 stars out of 4. While there are quite a bit of flying scenes in the film, it's interesting that there wasn't any real flying done at all.  There were a lot of 1:1 scale models used for close ups with the pilots, and then all of the inflight work was CGI, or computer generated imagery.

 The CGI was among the best I've ever seen in a movie.  But I have a hyper-critical eye when it comes to these things, and I sometimes found control surfaces slightly out of place or a maneuver that didn't quite look right.  But don't misunderstand, it was extremely impressive what was accomplished.

 The movie might be making it to U.S. theaters sometime here in the future. Nikolai indicated that talks are underway right now.  I hope it does,  this is definitely an aviation movie that every pilot should see.

 My experience at the Reel Stuff Film Festival was a really good one.  I've got a feeling that they have a solid concept going and that the future will be good to them.  But the bottom line is that they need people like you and me to support their efforts any way we can!

Reel Stuff Film Festival - Because Airplanes And Popcorn Go Together

Reel Stuff Film Fest - March 12-15, 2009 in Dayton, Ohio 

Matthias Schweighöfer as Manfred von Richthofen in "Der Rote Baron"

Der Rote Baron (The Red Baron - 2008) showing Sunday, March 15, 2009

 The Reel Stuff Film Festival is only in its second year, but it seems to be getting some serious traction.  The event will take place Thursday, March 12 thru Sunday, March 15, in the birthplace of aviation: Dayton, Ohio.

 It's a pretty cool idea really... to take some of the best films that feature aviation from the past and then mix them up with new (and new-ish) projects that really capture the spirit of flight.  Then, gather together to watch them, talk about them, and celebrate a little. And, maybe most important, to inspire pilots and filmmakers to push harder to make more great aviation films in the future.

 I like this idea so much that I've just decided that I need to make the three hour trip (each way) to Dayton on Sunday to go watch the US premier of "Der Rote Baron", the 2008 film about WWI ace Manfred von Richthofen: The Red Baron.  Some of the reviews I've read say the story is a little flat, but after seeing the trailer, it looks stunning.  I'm willing to risk it.

 There will be 13 films in all shown over the four days, and admission is just $10 for each showing. There's also an all-shows pass for $95, but I'm not sure if it's available at-the-door. The screenings include an up front presentation as well as Q & A right after with those who are presenting the films.  Go to the website for all the details.

 I highly encourage you to become aware of this unique film fest, and I'm trying to knock you off the fence and get you involved.  If you can get there, do it!  And if it's simply not possible this time, stay connected to it so maybe next year you can be right there in the thick of it all.

 In many ways, aviation is in peril, and I think film is going to be one of the most powerful ways we're gonna get people into the sky in the future. We really need to support projects in the works like Wilco Films "A Pilot's Story" (see trailer) and events like the Reel Stuff Film Fest.  Everyone comes out ahead when we do.