Pietenpol Power: 100 hp Corvair vs 65 hp Lycoming
Friends,
Bob Lester flew his Pietenpol, newly converted to Corvair power, over to our airstrip this morning. I wanted to get a look at it, and run a weight and balance with the same electronic scales that I used to do the calculations last year when the plane still had its original Lycoming 65 hp engine installed. The information is interesting because it is data that dispels misconceptions that many people have about aircraft performance.
Above, Bob stands beside Grace in our front lawn in December of 2009, when the plane was still powered by the 65 hp Lycoming. The 2009 photo caption said “On an overcast, blustery Sunday, we were surprised with a visit from Bob Lester. He lives on the other side of Northern Florida, and bundled up and flew over. His Piet was built in the 1970s, and sports a Lycoming 65 hp power plant. Bob found the aircraft in Arizona last year and flew it back on a 25-hour adventure. From my first days in aviation, I really wanted to live on a grass strip. Fifteen years of hard work later, we made it. Having old friends taxi into the front yard is one of those moments that makes working past midnight on two thousand nights and saving our pennies worthwhile”
Although Bob really liked his Piet, it had marginal performance on the original engine. In spite of being we built and fairly light, the plane barely had a 300 fpm climb rate solo on an average day. With two people on a very hot Florida day, Bob said that he had found the plane to just barely have a positive rate of climb. If you live in the rural midwest, you might not think of this as critical, but Florida has the combination of hot and humid weather, short grass strips, and some types of terrain and restricted airspace that makes a plane much more useful if it can climb to 2,000′ agl in two and a half minutes rather than 10 to 12 minutes. The biggest issue with any plane with this poor climb, especially a four-cylinder one, is that is you have any problem, like having one mag cut out, the aircraft will not climb, and you are going to have a forced landing.
Additionally, Bobs Lycoming, like it’s 65 Continental brethren, was a hand prop engine, and it was problematic to start when hot. I looked at the details of Bob’s old engine, and there was nothing wrong with it, the impulse on the mag worked, and the carb was set correctly. It just that heat soaked mags on a 6:1 compression engine with a wood prop isn’t always an easy starter. This issue was an additional factor in Bob’s choice to go with a Corvair. Bob had been flying with a Corvair since 2001 when he removed the Subaru from his KR-2 and replaced it with a 2700cc Corvair, so he is not new to the movement. Bob had built a 2700/Dan bearing engine and run it at CC#17 and briefly flown this on his KR, and now had it available for transplant. A few months ago Vern and I made Bob a custom motor mount and an intake for a Stromberg carb, and he went to work on the engine swap.
The results: Lycoming 65 hp; cruise 65 mph, top speed 72, gross climb (at 59F) 250 fpm. With Corvair: cruise 75, top speed 95 full gross climb (at 75F) 800 fpm. Solo climb rate 1,100 fpm. Bob installed a battery and electrical system with his Corvair and changed his fuselage fuel tank to aluminum from fiberglass, and made a very quiet muffler system. The empty weight went from 644 to 739 pounds. Yes, the above measured performance increases are with an aircraft that weighs nearly 100 pounds more than before. 35 extra hp is worth far more than 100 pounds less weight. I can not count the amount of times in the last 25 years I have heard someone pontificate in a hangar flying session just the reverse of this reality. Yes, building things light is important, but the empty weight of the plane is not the single factor in climb rate. If you have an ‘expert’ at your local airport that debates this, just know that he has never done a test like we just did with Bob’s aircraft.
First question is how if the plane got 35 hp added to the original 65, an increase of 54%, does the plane now climb at several times the original rate? Planes climb on excess power, not total power. If the climb speed is 60 mph, first consider how much power it takes to fly the plane straight and level at this speed. In Bob’s case, it might be 50 hp. From that point, the Lycoming only had 15 hp available to climb. At the same 60 mph, his Corvair has at least 50 more horses in reserve for climb, a 330% increase in climb power. Just saying this, I know will generate disagreements from net, but the people who don’t understand it don’t own a well-worn copy of Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators, far less a B.S. in Aerodynamics and Performance. If your new and having a hard time picturing it, think of any plane at top speed in level flight. What is the possible rate of climb? always zero. The plane is using 100% of its power to go forward, it has none for climb. If the pilot pulls back on the stick, yes, plane climbs, but first it instantaneously slows down. A planes best climb speed is near the L/D speed, (the best glide) because this is the point in the envelope where the plane requires the least power to fly straight and level, thus having the most power in reserve for climb.
Also very important in a Pietenpol is the CG location. The range of the design is 15-20″ from the leading edge. Ryan Mueller and I have done a lot of work accurately documenting the CG of examples of the design. Many builders over 160 pounds with light engines are actually flying behind the aft CG limit, which is a great idea if you feel you have already accomplished every thing you wanted to do in this life. In my book if, you want to knowingly fly out the aft cg limit of a homebuilt, it’s your choice, I don’t base my happiness on the actions of others. If someone wants to tell other people this is a good thing to do, then they will find me disagreeable. If a guy wants to go a step further and fly passengers who know nothing about CG, like little kids, they will find me to be a vocal opponent of theirs, no matter who they are. When it comes to speaking up for the safety of unwitting passengers, I am not intimidated by any combination of the offending pilots wealth, experience, popularity or physical size far less peer pressure or being thought of as a mean spirited sob.
Bob weighs 210 fully dressed up for open cockpit flying. with his Lycoming, his plane was flying near the back of the CG range at 19.1″. With the Corvair we moved it forward to 15.9″ This is a dramatic shift, and it would now take a pilot over 320 pounds to move his CG to the aft limit. This is a much better position to be in. Piet builders interested in comprehensive CG info can get the 5 article series in back issues of the Brodhead Pietenpol association newsletter http://www.pietenpols.org/.
Bob will have his plane on hand at CC#24. He is retired now, and he plans on doing lots of flying in his bird, traveling the country as barnstormers did. He now has a good simple smooth and powerful engine to serve him. If you have similar ideas, sign up for the event and come get to know people who share the same dream.-ww
Another new “Zenvair” 601XLB, Jim Ballew, 2700cc
Friends,
I got a quick note from Jim Ballew yesterday saying that his 601 XLB took to the air on Corvair power. Today he had a chance to send me a photo. Jim’s name is known in the Corvair movement for good reason….He now has three Corvair powered planes. This Zenith Joins Jim’s 500 hour DA-2 and his Pietenpol. Wondering if a Corvair is the right engine for your project? When old school builders have them on a trio of their creations, it’s probably a good choice.
Above, Jim’s 601 on the day of its first flight.
I have to go back and look at the records, but I am pretty sure that it is the 60th Zenith 601/650 to fly on Corvair power. In the last 30 days we have had two other Zeniths make their first flights, and we will have updates on them shortly. Combine this with new Pietenpols and a Merlin, and we have been averaging one new Corvair powered plane a week since Oshkosh. A year ago a negative internet personality predicted a decline in Corvair popularity because “only a limited number of people want to get their hands dirty.” Well, things are not going as Nostradamus Jr. predicted. Corvairs are not for everyone, but there is no shortage of traditional homebuilders, people interested in learning, craftsmanship and pride in making something yourself. Everyone who has met Jim over the years understands that he is an outstanding example of the gregarious, friendly, salt of the earth builders that exemplify the Corvair movement. I look forward to having Jim at a number of events in 2013 where builders new to the Corvair movement can meet one of its most exceptional builders.
Jim sent us this note with the photo:
Grace and William;
FINALLY. Made the first flight of my CH601XL today at 1535. 2700,40 over with a Dan 5th bearing. Engine ran flawless. All temps stayed in the green. A couple of tweeks on the plane all will be great. Thanks for all the great info you provide and the fantastic parts you provide.
Have a great evening, I’ve had a fantastic day:):):)
Jim Ballew
pietn38b@aol.com
For a look at Jim’s Pietenpol, look at this link to our website:
http://www.flycorvair.com/ballewpt.html
For a look at Jim’s Davis DA-2, look at this link to our website:
http://www.flycorvair.com/ballewda.html
-ww
Second “Zenvair”, the McDaniel’s 2700cc 601XLB
Friends,
Shayne & Phyllis McDaniel have just finished and started flying their second Corvair powered Zenith. They are both accomplished pilots and builders. Having a second “Zenvair” keeps them from having to figure out who gets to be PIC. Now they both can be at the same time.
Shayne stands in front of their second Corvair powered Zenith. The first one they built was a 650. Not just any 650, it was the first amateur built one licensed by the FAA. After it was complete, they began looking for a second plane so the could have ‘his and hers’ models. I built the 2700cc/Dan bearing engine that is on the 650, but for round two Shayne and Phyllis decided to assemble the engine themselves, and it is virtually a clone of the 650 engine. Both aircraft utilize all of our Zenith installation Components.
Second airframe was started by Corvair/Zenith builder from California. I had met the guy at a west coast College. A nice enough person, but he had a bit of a ‘glass half empty’ perspective. This builder worked on the kit a bit, but eventually decided he wasn’t getting anywhere. In my opinion, the lack of progress on his project could have been credited to many of the decisions he made. He put the plane up for sale. If the project seemed insurmountable to this guy, it seemed like a good deal and an easy completion to Shayne. One man’s mountain is another man’s molehill. We are not talking about a financial barrier. What we’re really talking about here is a positive attitude problem, something that doesn’t seem to affect Shayne.
My heart goes out to any serious builder who has to part with his project for legitimate financial reasons. This happens, and it’s never pretty. Other builders after giving it a shot, decide that it doesn’t fit into their lifestyle, and this is okay too. But when a builder is surrounded by positive examples, has the financial capability and still sees it as un-doable, the story is different. Every one is entitled to down days and frustrating moments, but there are a great number of people who start kits, but never make progress. Often they are far more inclined to blame the kit or some other factor than see their own perspective as the culprit. A common characteristic that many of these people have is making a roadblock out of some small issue which they will not get past. One of my favorite sayings is “the difference between adventure and ordeal is attitude.” People with positive attitudes can do some really impressive things.
Shayne is a very accomplished pilot and flight instructor, and has built another aircraft before his Zenith 650. He is the kind of guy would never bring this up in discussion, but everyone who has met the man in person understands that these impressive accomplishments have been achieved by a man who has only one hand. He has my profound respect. Clearly he
does not build, nor accept, obstacles between himself and success.
Above, Shayne & Phyllis with their 650 at the 2012 Zenith open house. This aircraft was seen by thousands of builders at its Oshkosh debut, it displays outstanding workmanship.
During a year, a number of builders will take a moment to personally tell me they find the work we do in support of the Corvair movement, particularly the writing component, motivational or thought-provoking. Generally, I listen and hear their perspective, and politely say “thank you.” If the setting and the moment allows, I try to take the time to explain to these builders that all of the things I write about come from knowing many different aviators, people I truly find inspirational, people worthy of serious consideration and appreciation for their accomplishments. All of the credit actually belongs to them. My only part in the equation it writing it down and trying to share it with other builders.
If any builder would like a singular example of a builder that I personally find inspirational, they can directly look to the accomplishments and positive perspective of Shayne McDaniel.
Hats off to Shayne & Phyllis on their completion of these second Corvair powered Zenith.-ww
New “Zenvair-750”, Jeff Cochran, 2,850cc engine, N750ZV
Friends,
Jeff Cochran of Alabama has been flying his Zenith 750 on Corvair power for the last few weeks. Below is a quick look at the plane and Jeff with his running 2850cc Corvair at CC#19. I spoke with him recently and he is planning on flying the plane to Corvair College #24 if he can get the test time flown off.
Above, Jeff on the left on the day he passed his airworthyness inspection. The plane displays outstanding finish and appearance. In working with Jeff I can attest to his methodical and professional approach to aircraft construction. He asked very specific questions that reveal a lot of thought and reasearch.
Jeff supervises the run-in of his 2850cc Corvair at Corvair College #19. Jeff chose to have us build the engine for him. We delivered it at the College #19. The engine features a RoysGarage.com bearing, the 2850 cc dished pistons, all of our Gold Systems, and Falcon heads equipped with Inconel valves and exhaust rotators. This is a seriously robust engine. The Zenith 750 is a large airplane capable of climbing at very low airspeeds. This combination makes it brutally unforgiving on engines with inadequate cooling or light duty construction. The Corvair’s outstanding cooling and high quality components make it impervious to installations that are the undoing of lighter engines.
Although we assembled the engine for him, Jeff has invested the time to attend Colleges #16, #17,#19, and #21. Because of this, he knows his engine far better than builders who opt for a ‘Buy-it-in-a-box’ imported engine. I wouldn’t characterize Jeff’s Corvair college experiences as purely educational, if you look at the photos from these colleges there was a lot of fun mixed in with it. Jeff’s path to success high lights the Corvair’s flexibility to adapt to the needs, budgets and time lines of individual builders. With other engines, builders have to accept the power plant the way that it is offered, and pay for it all at once. No such condition exists in the Corvair movement. You can tailor it to fit your individual goals.
Thinking of getting started? Haven’t made enough progress this year? The most common thread in the stories of successful Corvair builders is attending a College. We are 33 days from the last College of 2012. Make your plans now, decide to head for Corvair College #24.
Hats off to Jeff Cochran on the completion and first flights of his Zenith 750.-ww
Wisconsin 2012 Air Adventure
Friends,
We are just back from a 13-day trip up north to the Brodhead Pietenpol Fly In and to a week at Oshkosh. I am sending out this report in several sections to give everyone a sense of what the events were like in person. After more than two decades of making this pilgrimage every flying season, it still remains an adventure, because it is filled with characters who make every year something new. As you read through the notes, picture yourself there and part of each day. They were all well spent in the company of good people. If you are going out to your shop tonight to put in a few hours on your project, work knowing that you have many friends out there, people you are yet to meet, but people with whom you share a basic passion of learning, building and flying. When you make it to Brodhead, AirVenture or a College, you will be warmly welcomed by your fellow aviators who also remember the type of people who founded the EAA.
The first aircraft I saw at Brodhead was Randy Bush’s Corvair powered Piet Miss Le’Bec, making its 4th appearance at Brodhead.
The emcee of all the Saturday forums at Brodhead is Corvair powered Piet pilot P.F. Beck. PF is also well known as the host of Corvair Colleges #19, #21 and the upcoming #24 in South Carolina in November. P.F. shared that he has now flown 250 people in his Pietenpol.
A quick glance around the airport revealed Tom Brown’s Corvair Powered Piet hiding from a short rain shower in one of the art deco Brodhead hangars. Tom’s plane is the high time Corvair powered aircraft in the world with more than 1,500 hours, all logged on a very basic B.H. Pietenpol style installation.
Brodhead is also a gathering place and home to a very wide array of antique aircraft. I walked around a corner and found this pre-war Chief. These are rare enough that I had not seen one in person in more than 15 years. This one was flown up from Texas.
Tom Brown’s Piet in flight over Brodhead.
A perfect replica of a Bleriot (the first plane to fly across the English Channel-1909) was on hand complete with rotary engine. This was later flown in the calm air of sunset. Igor Sikorsky’s most famous quote is, “In the beginning, aviation was not science nor art, it was a miracle.” This aircraft design was the transition point from miracle to rudimentary engineering.
Above, The Last Original, B.H. Pietenpol’s last aircraft of more than 20 he built. A masterpiece by the patron saint of homebuilt aircraft. It has more than 800 hours on it. It is owned by, cared for and loved by Bill Knight. Bill understands that this aircraft is a treasure, but he also knows that it doesn’t belong in a museum, it needs to be flown in front of people, especially Piet builders. Very, very few other homebuilt aircraft groups have a their most significant aircraft in its natural element and totally accessible. My wife Grace has flown this plane, and considers it a complete honor and perhaps her best day in aviation. Bill decided to have the inside of the engine brought up to current specs with forged pistons and a nitrided crank, Falcon heads and Dual Ignition, while retaining the complete original look. This will keep this aircraft in good shape for another 30 years. Hats off to Bill Knight, patron of the art of aviation.
The Piet of Kevin Purtee and Shelley Tumino at Brodhead. The aircraft has more than 300 hours on it. Kevin and Shelley are well known in both Piet and Corvair circles, and they hosted Corvair College #22 in Texas. Brodhead ends Sunday morning, and Kevin had plans to fly on to Oshkosh. He had a power loss right after take off and had a forced landing off the end of the Brodhead runway. Kevin was very seriously injured and the aircraft was heavily damaged. We were already at Oshkosh, but a number of people saw the accident in person and were justifiably shaken. Within a day, word came back that Kevin would have some new scars, and some time off, but he is going to make a full recovery. With Oshkosh just up the road, the FAA sent an accident team right to the undisturbed site in the cornfield where they found a lot of water in his fuel system. At the end of the week, Grace, Mark Petz and myself had a chance to spend a few hours with Kevin and Shelley, who were on their last day in the Madison hospital. They both ran out of words to express their thanks to everyone who had called, written and gone out of their way to help. It was a very moving example of how aviators care for each other when it counts. It lifted my spirits greatly when Kevin announced that he and Shelley are going to rebuild his plane in the next year, and he is going to run a 5K by the end of this year.
On Saturday, Ron Lendon of Michigan flew in to Brodhead in his new 601 XL. Ron is well known in Corvair and Zenith circles. His aircraft is plans built, and displays first class craftsmanship. When I took the photo, his plane had 55 hours on it, but it had been flying just 30 days. He flew his first 40 hours off in 10 days. This only happens when two things come together: He followed a proven path that we advocate, and he put care and craftsmanship into his work. These two combine for an absolutely trouble free test period. Countless times we have heard of people having an issue with a new homebuilt, particularly alternative engine ones. Every bit of my work with Corvairs has been aimed at never having these issues for our builders. Problems that other people have are often directly linked to some new installation or an overworked design that was never proven over years of testing. We have countered this with a careful program of seeking out “Old And Proven” in the place of new and exciting. The ultimate benificiaries are builders like Ron who get to achieve their dreams of flight and self reliance with as low a risk and stress as possible. Hats off to Ron Lendon.
On Saturday I had an afternoon forum on Piets, Corvairs and Weight and Balance. Above, P.F. Beck and I get started.
Standing with the Corvair shirt is Ryan Mueller, who did the 5 part series with me on Weight and Balance that appeared in the Brodhead Pietenpol Association Newsletters, available at www.Pietenpols.org.
Randy Bush offers his testimonial on Corvairs and Piets in combination. He now has more than 420 hours on his plane. This is a lot for an open cockpit aircraft based in Tennessee. Many Corvair people met Randy at previous Colleges. Both he and I have had many conversations about how homebuilding and developing and exercising your craftsmanship in aircraft building is a refuge of sanity and stability in our personal lives. We have both noted that when many people hit a rough patch in life, one of the first things they think of doing is quitting their aircraft project. Either of us, and everyone else who has finished an aircraft under challenging circumstances, would gladly offer that selling your project is the last thing you should do. When little else is going right, and few people are on your side, hours spent in your shop will show you that you still control much of your life, and the opinions of you held by others are often worthless. In your own shop, your are in charge, and any hour spent building something with your own hands is well spent and the things you learn can never be taken from you. Go back and read the Sterling Hayden quote about what men really need to lead meaningful lives.
On hand at Brodhead forums were Ed and Val Fisher, hosts of Colleges #12 and #16. Ed has restarted the SAA, Paul Poberezny’s core EAA values group for people who want to preserve and enjoy the spirit that started the EAA 60 years ago.
Forums lead to “Tailgate Seminars.” Here, we go over details of engine selection and building with a good core example. Teaching is at the root of all of our work. At Oshkosh, engines are often promoted and sold by people who hardly know a camshaft from a crankshaft. You can buy something from a salesman, but you can’t learn anything from him. When I went to Embry-Riddle, every professor was required to present each student a very detailed syllabus on the first day of class, often several pages long. My first class in aerodynamics was taught by the department chair. He understood the syllabus requirement, and met it by handing out a single piece of paper with one sentence on it: “You are here to learn, and I am here to teach, and all else is secondary.”
It was nearly 100F outside, but we covered more than an hours’ details. I have heard that most Rotax seminars are PowerPoint presentations held in Holiday Inn banquet rooms. I will put the engine knowledge of our successful Corvair builders against any other make of powerplant. We have always made learning the focal point. Everyone who gets started in experimental aviation should have personal goals of expanding what they know. The depth of these goals varies greatly from person to person. After 24 years in this game, I am in a very good position to confirm the obvious: The people who get the most out of this are the people who are willing to learn the most; People who think only spending money here will offer the same achievement as those who invest time and real effort will end up finding otherwise. If the engine section of a person’s personal goals in aviation are so shallow that they can be met with an “appliance” that basically has a tag saying “No user serviceable parts inside,” then a Rotax 912, or any of the other “imported-in-a box” engines, will cover their needs. For those who got into experimental aviation to find out how much they could learn, not how little, we have the Corvair. I do not begrudge consumer mentality people an engine product to meet their modest personal goals. And it comes as no surprise that people with the consumer mindset might fail to understand those of us who approach aviation as the learning opportunity and challenge of a lifetime. The goals and choices of others are not my concern nor focus. I am here to serve and work to advance the goals of the people who are in experimental aviation to get the most out of it. Since 1989 these people have always proven to be the best people I have met in aviation, and I look forward to every hour in their company.
Above, four Piets in flight at sunset over Brodhead. You might have a hard time remembering what you had for dinner last night, but this is the kind of 15 second moment that you can remember for 10 years. In years to come I will be able to glance at this photo and remember the sound, how hot it was and who was there. Getting something out of aviation is made of putting together as many of these moments as you can in the company of good people.
When the air was flat calm, the Bleriot came out, and we got to see what aviation looked like 100 years ago. If you took out a 1912 Model T and drove it down the road, chances are that you would have some D-bag in a Prius next to you text messaging instead of driving. (To the three Prius owners in North America who don’t text message and drive, Becky, Mark and Bob, I apologize in advance.) The sunset sky over Brodhead offered no such distraction, and the moment was perfect. The planes’ motion through the sky was as mesmerizing as watching an eagle riding on a thermal.
On to Oshkosh 2012
Above, three Zenith builders who flew their Corvair powered planes to Oshkosh stand with Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith, in front of our tent. Left to right, Ron Lendon, Michigan, 601 XL, Roger Pritchard with his son Ben, New Hampshire, 601 XL, Sebastien, and Dave Gardea, Indiana, 650. All three planes were making their first appearance at Oshkosh.
We have many more stories of Oshkosh in the next two segments we are working on. … We will have them up shortly-ww
Two More Flying Planes: Merlin and VP-2
Friends,
Two weeks ago, we received notes on the same day from two different builders saying that their aircraft had flown on Corvair power. When we were getting started 20 years ago, getting two more planes airborne in a summer was getting something done. Today, after a lot of hard work, two in a day is a real achievement. This is progress, especially when you consider that both of these builders did a lot more than take an engine out of a box and bolt it on. Each of them built their own engine, and in the process learned a lot more than anyone just buying an engine could. The additional challenge that both of these builders faced was not only the unique installations required by their airframe choices, but also the fact that neither of these builders are located in the United States.
Above, Darren Barnfield’s VP-2 on its first flight, in Australia. It is powered by a 2700cc Corvair that uses many of our conversion components. The second aircraft is Jeff Moore’s Merlin on floats in Newfoundland, Canada. Jeff’s is the first Merlin to fly on Corvair power.
After thinking about it, I looked on the Web to find an air miles calculator and figured out that these two builders are 11,350 miles apart. Yes, they truly are on opposite sides of the globe. Over the past 10 years, a handful of Corvairs have flown Down Under, and over the years, about 25 have flown in Canada. But the timely first flights of these planes gave me pause to think about how far the Corvair movement has come.
Jeff’s aircraft previously flew with a Rotax, but he has opted to repower his plane with a Corvair that he built with our conversion parts, http://www.flycorvair.com/products.html. His engine is a 2,700 cc 100 hp engine with all of our Gold Systems and a Weseman bearing. Jeff built his own mount utilizing one of our pre-welded trays. The Exhaust seen in the video is one of our Universal #2 Systems. You can get a look at Jeff’s aircraft running in this YouTube video:
Both of these builders wrote to say thanks for our support of their craftsmanship. Jeff wrote the quick note:
“Hi William and Grace, I test flew my Merlin yesterday. So far so good !! It came off the water very well and flies excellently. I’ll have some pics and video later on. Thanks very much for your help and advice. -Jeff”
Darren, who goes by the handle “Daz”, wrote the following:
“Subject: Aussie Corvair. G’day William and Grace,
Well the most amazing thing happened. My Corvair powered VP-2 has flown. We checked out the aircraft and did a few good runs. On the 3rd test the VP-2 just levitated off the ground and flew off into the distance. I haven’t had the chance to pull the cowls off since the first flight so will go down this week-end.
I had shut the engine down after the first flight and it fired straight back up afterward. Now the real fun starts. I just wanted to thank you William, as none of this would have been possible without you. You have been a fantastic reference and you’re an amazing person to look up to. Thanks for all your help and assistance over the past 12 years. I will be in contact with further questions and pics so you’re not of the
hook yet. Thanks again mate. You’re a star. Sincere regards, Darren Barnfield, Corvair powered VP-2 (Now flight tested)”
If you’re reading this at home and harboring some doubt about whether or not you’re going to be a successful builder, consider the following:
Chances are, you are a lot closer to us than either one of these guys, and you will have much easier access to cores, parts and Colleges. These two flying planes are good examples that we keep Corvairs accessible to everyone. If you live in the U.S., I can make a good case that any Corvair part is easier to buy than one for an O-200. (As an exercise, type “pistons for sale Corvair” vs. “pistons for sale O-200” into Google.)
Second, we are here for the long run. Darren’s adventure spanned more than a decade, several times the lifespan of most alternative engine companies, but just half of our time in the game. We will be here to help you, not just today, but for good.
Third, no matter what your airframe choice, we are the best asset you have in Corvair powered flight. We have directly supported well over 90% of the Corvair powered planes finished in the modern era. Even engines not thought of as our standard conversions almost always utilize our ignition and oil systems. This is why every flying pilot has something good to say about us. The flip side is that the Internet has a number of people who continuously crop up to say that they are going to do something new and revolutionary with Corvairs, far from the things we teach people in our Manuals and DVDs or at the Colleges. The common thread between those Internet people is that they have no flight experience with the things they propose. No serious builder is served by a poor idea proposed by a here today, gone tomorrow Internet personality. Homebuilding is a difficult enough challenge without help from such people. If you want to succeed like Darren and Jeff, the pattern is proven: Let us assist you with information, training, parts and components, and take advantage of all that we have learned and are more than willing to share.
If you lived 1,000 years and everyone who started a homebuilt eventually flew it, it would still be a waste of time to get advice from people without a successful track record of working with Corvair flight engines. Unless you’re immortal, it is dangerous to try to fly unqualified advice. Truth is that we are here and capable of flying for a limited time and homebuilt completion rates are way below 20%.
Crucial to understand: The successful builders are NOT chosen at random by fate from the pool of starters. The successful builders set themselves apart from the others with good decision-making. First and foremost in these decisions was choosing whose advice they would take, and whose they would ignore.
Everyone understands that if you wanted to climb to the top of Everest, you would hire a Sherpa, and the first question you would ask at his interview would be, “Have you been to the summit of Everest?” If his answer was “No, but all mountains are the same,” only a fool would hire him. Yet countless builders over the years have essentially accepted such an answer when asking for aircraft building advice. The connection between mountaineering and homebuilding is that they are both very expensive, they both have low success rates, and they both have a terrible set of penalties for taking unqualified advice.
I cannot sing nor dance, I will never graduate from charm school, and I have no valid advice on fashion or flower arranging. I cannot solve the Middle East peace crisis, I do not know the solution to the Riemann hypothesis, and I do not understand why some people drive Volvos. But, I do know Corvair flight engines. No one has guided more builders to successful flying. If your goal is to get to the top of this mountain, I am here to be your sherpa.
Today can be the day you decide that you will accept the homebuilding challenge. You will be willfully acknowledging that we don’t live forever, but you are not going to waste any more of your allotment on TV or the Net. It would be great if each of us had a lifelong friend who cared enough to stop by, shut off our computer and throw our TV away, and drag us out to our garage and say, “Life has started, you missed the starting gun, get going now like you intend to win. Clean up the shop, buy a set of plans and get started. If you don’t start, you can’t win. You deserve this. Building things is how an individual combats a system designed to steal your pride, If you get started, real builders will rally to your side when they see your determination. Get Going.”
Few of us have such a friend. If you’re waiting for him to show up, chances are you are going to stay on the couch. The only solution is that you have to be your own best friend here, and make this happen for yourself. Decide now. -ww
New Zenith 601 XL(B), Conventional Gear, Jerry Baak, S.C.
Friends,
I had a few calls back and forth with Jerry Baak in the past 10 days leading up to his first flight. Every single thing I could think of to ask him had already been taken into consideration. He was very well prepared for his first flight, and when the morning came, it went off without a hitch, because prep work always pays off in aviation.
Above, a good look at Jerry’s 601XL on the first flight. His aircraft has conventional gear just as our 601XL did. The Zenith makes an outstanding tailwheel aircraft for builders who choose to build it in this configuration.
Above, a full, but fairly conventional panel and dual stick controls. Our 601XL was the first XL kit with dual sticks in place of the traditional Zenith Y-stick. The stick geometry on our prototype was good, but the production dual sticks had a slightly revised design that had better control harmony. The military style grips in Jerry’s 601 are appropriate; he has a lot of experience flying F-101 Voodoos in the USAF.
Above, a nice profile of a very good-looking aircraft. Jerry’s plane uses all of our standard installation components.
Jerry’s plane is powered by a 2700cc, 100hp engine. He has been working on it for a number of years, and it is a good example of aviation decision-making. His plane has an MA3-SPA carb of the correct model. His aircraft had Falcon heads from the start. When the Weseman bearing became available, Jerry bought one and installed it. His plane has a Niagara oil cooler. When the Zenith B model wing mods came out, Jerry installed them. Several times a year, I inspect aircraft that have none of these upgrades, but the builder has a $3,000 paint job, a $4,000 Garmin and a $1,500 interior. The choices Jerry made reflect the background of an aviation professional. He adopted all the things that would allow him to take advantage of all of the mechanical upgrades that we had taught builders over the years. You can always paint later.
Jerry’s success brings several thoughts to mind. If you’re wondering if homebuilding is an adventure worth all the effort, let me point out that Jerry has previously flown around the sky in a 1,000 mph fighter and he still finds homebuilding an aviation endeavor well worth the effort. Second, Jerry’s aircraft is another example of the success of our methods of teaching people to build and install Corvairs. I have never seen Jerry’s plane, nor his engine in person. The information transfer on how to build and install the engine was done by Manual, DVDs, a few e-mails, and a handful of calls. For people who are in aviation to find out how much they can learn, what they can master, and what they can build with their own hands, the Corvair has unmatched appeal. Third, after being in aviation for a long time, Jerry understands that Rome wasn’t built in a day, it cost some money to do it, and that it was probably built by persistent people. It is often hard to explain to people just arriving from outside aviation that the people who will be successful have a handful of common characteristics: They are persistent; they like learning; they understand that having a small cast of knowledgeable supporters is very important.
Those new to aviation are often told the myth that they can substitute money for the first two, and they often think that easy answers from local “experts” or anonymous people on the Net are better than factual ones from proven sources. The rest of the world likes answers as fast and conveniently as possible. This works just fine if you’re trying to buy an overpriced mocha cappuccino, if you need to know if Lindsay Lohan is back in rehab, or if you need to know what some D-bag from a PAC just tweeted about his candidate. Having the wrong answer carries little penalty in the above matters. Successful people in aviation all understand that having the correct answer in aviation is always imperative, and quick answers are not a substitute.
If you would like to see a short video clip of Jerry’s plane landing, get a look at this clip:
Above, the machine and its proud creator. Sharp eves will notice that is has a Warp Drive prop, but the decals are from a different company. The plane ran flawlessly, and displayed very good cooling, despite high ambient temps and the engine just beginning its break in. Jerry plans to open up the inlet holes to 4 and 7/8″ and install inlet rings for good measure. This will ensure that the engine stays cool, even at full gross, the slowest climb and full power on the hottest day. Jerry’s plane is the 50th Zenith 601 to fly on Corvair power. It has now been more than eight years since we pioneered the Corvair/Zenith combination with our own aircraft. Zenith builders have a broad variety of possible engines to choose from. The appeal of the Corvair is many fold: It is inexpensive, it is very smooth, very simple, you can build it yourself, it is long proven and well supported, and it is made in America. It isn’t for everyone, but for those who do choose it, it will serve them well.
Hats off to Jerry Baak, the world’s newest Corvair pilot.
-ww
Flying 2700 cc Zenith 601 XL(B), Alan Uhr
Friends,
Below is the 601-xl of Alan Uhr, of central Florida. About a week ago I got on the motorcycle and rode 150 miles down to his airport to pay a house call. I gave Alan and his son a hand installing an E/P distributor to replace the dual points model that they originally used. The trip gave me a chance to see the plane first hand. In our industry, very few companies have the HMIC, (head monkey in charge – me) pay house calls to builders. The goal of most companies is to just sell things, and they place very little value on inspecting progress of builders. Conversely, our goal is to teach builders, and thus personally inspecting their progress in the field is critical to understand their needs and evaluating how well our instruction methods are working.
In a recent conversation, a magazine writer told me that he “Had his finger on the pulse of experimental aviation” because he read “all the important web discussion sites” and went to many airshows. I have been part of experimental aviation for more than 20 years, and I a pretty sure that no one ever completed a plane by sitting at a computer, and the only plane I have ever seen built at a show was when Zenith used to build a plane in a week at Sun n Fun. There are some useful things on the web, but they are most often lost in a sea of disinformation and negativity, and the Zenith factory team is not typical of homebuilders working in their shops. Reading sites and going to shows gives a very distorted view of experimental aviation. You can find out what people are talking about or buying, but this has little to do with actual building. We don’t call it homeTalking nor do we call it HomeBuying, experimental aviation is HomeBuilding, and to find out what people are building, you have to go to their shops and see it in person, and listen to them. Over the years, I have made several hundred house calls to builders. This is a good measure of my actual contribution to the success of fellow builders, and of my understanding of the state of rank and file homebuilding.
Above, A side view of Alan’s 2700cc corvair. It has flown about 40 hours. Initial progress was slow because Alan mistakenly had a MA-3 from a 145hp-O-290 Lycoming instead of the MA-3 from an O-200 contential, as we specify. The correct model number is a 10-4894. Alan went direct to D&G in Niles MI for the correct carb, and instantaneously the engine ran vastly better. Many people don’t understand that too large a carb on an engine will often run way too lean, not too rich. A very large venturi and oversized idle circuit tends to have a weak pressure signal to the fuel in the bowl. Before the incorrect carb was diagnosed, Alan was besieged by local “Experts” who tried to talk him into changing every other aspect of his installation, even though none of them had ever seen a Corvair in a plane before. To me this is akin to a veterinarian offering neo-natal advice to a mother. Children and dogs are both mammals, but the detail advice is crucially different on some points. Corvairs and Lycomings are both engines, but the details differ, often in ways that are not good for your heath to ignore. If any one needs advise on a Corvair installation, I am a better resource than your local “Expert.” If your child has fleas, I am of no help, but I would suggest the MD over the Vet.
Above is the rear view of his installation. It has a complete heavy-duty gold oil system and a Niagara cooler. Alan’s aircraft is very much like the other 45 Corvair powered Zeniths that have been flown by our builders. Let me use this to point out a very basic, but critical concept in homebuilding. Woody Harris and Phil Maxon, who each have nearly the same corvair powered Zenith as Alan, can and have flown their planes literally around the USA without issue. Either Woody or Phil could push their planes out of their hangars today and fly to the opposite coast of our continent at will. We have plenty of other Zenith flyers Like Lynn Dingfelder, Dave Garda and dozens more who can do the same.
Here is the critical point: When Alan was having an issue, His local “experts” ignored the fact that plenty of other people are very successfully operating the same combination of airframe, engine and systems. They all wanted to redesign everything. Conversely, the approach of any actual mechanic is to look at a proven plane like Woody or Phils, and then carefully study what is different about Alan’s, and then only change that to make the plane identical to the proven working ones. Aircraft do not love you, and they do not play favorites, and the have no prejudices nor pet peeves. They are machines, and they owe 100% of their loyalty to Physics, chemistry, metallurgy and aerodynamics. If plane A works perfectly, and plane B does not, all you need to do to fix this is to detect the differences between A and B and then make B just like A. Understand that this strategy isn’t just likely to work, or even almost certainly going to work, It is absolutely going to work.
Most people in aviation have flown in a Cessna 172, and know they have a 50 year track record of being a trustworthy aircraft. When a 172 comes in for an annual, all the mechanic is doing is looking to see how that particular 172 is different from the specifications from the type certificate and then he goes about making the plane back to the known accepted standard that has proven to work. It is a skill, but the concept isn’t deeply philosophical. The mechanic doesn’t get creative and offer to reconfigure the fuel system, he just makes it identical to the ones that are known to work. Just because a plane has the word “Experimental” painted on it, doesn’t mean that the rules of reliability go out the window. The plane can’t read the word experimental, but it is smart enough to know that it is only going to respond to the laws of physics, not the psychology of local “Experts.”
Above, a side view of Alan’s plane. He has a very good background in Gyrocopters and is a pretty good craftsman. The aircraft demonstrates very nice workmanship in person. I have known Alan for a number of years, and he is a very good guy, exemplified by his positive attitude. Although he had some frustration moments in getting is aircraft squared away, he never lost sight of the big picture, that he had persisted to achieve what many people start, but far fewer finish, building a plane with ones own hands. Hats off to Alan Uhr, Corvair builder and pilot.
Andy Elliott- Corvairs, airborne and land-based.
Friends,
Corvair builder and Pilot Andy Elliot sent in the following note and photo:
WW:
Last weekend, I offered to help out someone who needed a lift up to Page, AZ (KPGA) for a trip to the Antelope Slot Canyon on the Navajo Reservation. Imagine my surprise when he rolls up to the hangar in a renovated 64 convertible! Couldn’t resist taking the attached pre-flight photo. Beautiful, smooth air night flight back also, with about a 46% moon directly overhead. I thought the pic would be nice for your website!
Andy Elliott – N601GE/Z601XL/TD/Corvair -435 hrs since 11/08
