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UPDATE: This has been sold to a very good home in the Corvair movement. I was very pleased to hear this news. Roger would like to thank everyone who showed an interest in his project and his story as an original EAA member. When we get progress pictures from the new builders, we will be glad to share them. Thanks-ww.

Builders,

Below is a unique project for sale, offered by Roger White, a fellow Corvair builder who is also an EAA legend, with a two digit EAA number.  If you are interested, or know someone who is, Roger’s number is listed below.  Anyone who  buys the engine (a Weseman 5th bearing equipped 2700 with older black series systems) or the airframe or both, who deals with Roger fairly and with great respect, can count on my support with the engine. Roger is a warm and friendly guy and an experienced aircraft builder. He is a pleasure to speak with, and at 89 years old, he is an American from a different era, when people had simple decency as a common trait.

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The plane is a 90% complete Bolkow Junior, a two seat, side by side all metal professionally designed aircraft . More than 200 of them were built in Europe, but the design originated as a homebuilt in the US, designed by a Convair engineer. It is not a difficult plane to fly. It is not specifically listed as an LSA aircraft, but the builder of record, it could be listed as such. Although it is almost done, there will not be an issue getting it registered as 51% amateur built. The FAA just wants to know that 51% of the plane was built by amateurs, it doesn’t require the last builder to do 51% of the work.   The design has a long history, including being used as a highly successful attack aircraft in the Nigerian civil war. Flown by European mercenaries on behalf of the starving population of Biafra, it was used to destroy most of the Soviet supplied Nigerian Air force MiGs with rocket attacks.  Read more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malm%C3%B6_MFI-9

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The plane is located near Tulsa OK.  Roger is Asking $4000 for the engine, and another $4000 for the airframe. He is willing to offer a slight discount to a builder who would like to buy both. It is not a difficult project to transport. I have not seen it in person, but highly skilled Corvair/Piet builder Mark Chouinard has, and reports of impressive workmanship. If you wish to contact Roger, feel free to mention reading of his plane here. I have absolutely no angle on it’s sale, but it will tell roger that you have read and understood the notes shared here.

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It should go without saying, but I will make this crystal clear: Roger has hundreds of friends and admirers in experimental aviation.  If I hear the slightest report of anyone with a lowball offer, failing to treat Roger with the utmost respect, or failing to have a square deal with him, I will regard it as my duty to inform Rogers friends as to the identity of that individual. Aviation is a small place, and poor behavior in dealing with Roger will have long lasting consequences. Inexpensive projects offered by senior aviators have a way of attracting rip off artists, but let me assure such people this is the wrong place to try something.  Let this be enough said.

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Above, a picture of Roger and myself at Oshkosh 2010.  Here was the commentary from our Oshkosh coverage that year: “Noted old school homebuilder Roger White stops by the tent at Oshkosh. His current project is a very nicely done Corvair installed on a Bolkow Junior. The theme of Oshkosh this year was “A Salute To Veterans.” In last month’s update, I mentioned the irony of people promoting Chinese-made products at the same location. If you look closely at Roger’s hat, you’ll see a rectangular blue patch with an embroidered musket. In an era where we talk about saluting veterans, people should be taught to immediately recognize the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. This is only awarded to men who served in the U.S. Army who were directly engaged in combat face-to-face with the enemy. Too few Americans understand that the Korean war was directly fought against Chinese Communist troops. No matter what position people hold on a conflict, we are all intelligent enough to understand young foot soldiers don’t make national policy … they just pay for it.”

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 Bolkow MFI-9HB  –  Bolkow Junior

Due to health and circumstances I need to find a new home for my project.  NOT A KIT!

Aircraft built by amateur from approximately 75% factory unfinished parts,  factory drawings and supporting documents.

Has converted Corvair engine mounted and 5th bearing conversion installed

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Above, an image of Count Carl Gustav Von Rosen’s MFI-9B, pictured in attack configuration as used in the Nigerian Civil war.  While every rich guy with a Stearman will tell you he owns a “warbird” the MFI-9B is an actual combat aircraft that destroyed a number of MiG 17s and Ilyushin-28’s.  I would like to see Rogers plane take it’s rightful place parked with the other actual warbirds at Oshkosh, particularly if the parking space had previously been used by a T-34 or other training planes.

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-ww.

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Watching the election returns at rural Florida bar;

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Ugly crowd locked in a heated argument, too close to call; 

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Clinton vs Trump? …Who cares.

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The vital argument is Megyn Kelly vs Dana Perinio. It’s ugly and partisan, and likely to be ‘debated’ in the parking lot at last call.

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Builders,

I was down at in Deland Florida today, for the Sport Aviation Showcase today as the key speaker of the day. Many Corvair people are there, and the activity is centered around the SPA/Panther  booth.  If you are within striking distance, make a travel plan, as we will all be there again through the full day. Read more here:

http://sportaviationvillage.com/

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Above, I am speaking in the main showcase tent on the afternoon of the 4th. Jana Philip and her crew have done an awesome job to prepare this inaugural event in Deland. There are planes and parts on display from more than 100 different aviation companies. Come down and get a first hand look. The day was filled with demo flights and reps from most of the popular homebuilding companies, all in a relaxed setting. Don’t miss the 5th, the main day of the Showcase.

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-ww.

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UPDATE : If you have not seen it, check out our Corvair College FaceBook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/CorvairCollege/ . Look in the comments section of this stoy and you will see Gary Lampman posted a link telling the exact and complete history of this aircraft, which was owned and operated by Air America. The record indicates the photo, dated ‘Nov. 71’ was likely taken at Ubon in Thailand.

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Builders:

I pulled these out of an album at my parents house. They are of a rare Beech 18 conversion known as a Volpar turbo 18. During the years my family was in Thailand, this was the plane my father flew around between Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Since two of those countries were ‘neutral’, flights were always done in civilian planes like the one below.

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A Volpar is a tri gear conversion. Some of them were equipped with Garret turboprops, like the one above. The N-Number belongs to a different plane today. You can only wonder what happened to this one.

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I asked Dad if he could recognize the airport, but he couldn’t say for sure, perhaps Don Muang in Thailand. When I look at the plane I wonder how it was ferried across the Pacific, how many places it saw, what ever happened to it. All interesting middle of the night questions, likely lost to history. See note in red  above

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-ww.

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Builders,

At the Friday night dinner at Zenith’s open house, I was very surprised when the EAA’s director of homebuilding Charlie Becker, presented the EAA’s Major Achievement Award to me for my work teaching builders about engines since 1989. I was completely unaware that I had even been nominated for it, and the only hint of the impending award was Charlie calling me a week earlier and saying ” I highly suggest you consider a haircut before going to Zenith.”

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With Charlie after the dinner.

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At the dinner, Charlie presented the award, and I was caught competely off guard. Several friends later said it might have been the first time they had seen me at a loss for words. The EAA considers the award for up to five members a year who have given long service to fellow members. While it means a lot that the EAA approved my award, it was very moving to have been in a room with several hundred builders and fellow industry people and have them stand and applaud. I have worked a lot of years with little evidence that anyone beyond the immediate Corvair Community understood what I was trying to share or how important it was to me. The moment it was presented was strong proof that  people in the larger home built community did understand. 

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Here is the main reason why the award was a surprise; As a harsh self-critic, I can offer plenty of evidence that I don’t deserve it.  People who have never met me often think I must be an opinionated know it all. Nothing could be further from the truth. I spend many quiet hours working alone everyday, and I spend a portion of it rexamining my perspectives and actions, and I am much more inclined to question myself than validate any opinion or action I have held or taken. If I have a sole redeeming quality, it is that I still have doubt, even when friends around me support and agree with me. That isn’t false modesty, it is just an awareness that comes from learning that the largest mistakes I made in life happened when I had the least doubt about which path to take. 

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I have many people in my life to thank for the success I have had. This ranges from builders who offered a positive and fair review of our efforts to my wife Grace Ellen who has shared 17 years of triumphs of great days and tragedies of the loss of friends, all with a resilance that asked a great deal of a very sensitive person. 

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It is my greatest fortune to have been born to my parents. There is no day where I feel I have lived up to the opportunity provided by simply being their son.  19 hours after driving away from the Zenith factory, we arrived back in our little town in Florida. The first stop I made was in front of the post office, where I carefully wrapped up the award and mailed it to my parents home in New Jersey. Walking outside, I paused for sometime in the shade to consider just how little my life would have been without them. The thought was more humbling than being presented with the award.

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Builders;

A brief note from Mexico MO; this year’s open house has drawn hundreds of Builders to the Zenth factory to celebrate their 25th year of US operations. We are glad to be invited to play a part and work with Corvair builders all weekend.

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Val and Craig Westedt’s 650, the first of four Corvair powered Zeniths to fly in. 

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Dan Weseman shares techniques with builders on the demo assembly of a 3,000 cc Corvair.

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Builders, 

Dan Weseman and I depart tonight for the 25th annual open house in Mexico Mo. This Friday and Saturday. 

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For a better understanding of the title of this story, type ‘ford man’ in the search block on the upper right of this page.

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The game plan is to hit Duncan Donuts on the way out of town and each buy a dozen donuts and a one gallon ‘Box o’ Joe.’ We should be across the Mississippi by 4 pm tomorrow. Looking forward to having a great time at the open house. 

Builders,

Because Corvair College #39 has been moved to March 2017 (Corvair College #39 at Barnwell postponed. ) the original date has be opened up on the calendar.  Almost 90% of the people signed up for #39 opted to retain their registration for the new date, but Dan and Rachel Weseman and myself had in depth discussions of what we could offer some of the people who could not make the revised date. His included a builder flying in from England to build an engine. We are very serious about working with builders to make sure everyone is treated as fair as possible.

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From these discussions, we have decided to organize Finishing School #2 at the SPA/Panther factory in Green Cove Springs (Jacksonville area) Florida, November 11-13.

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First, there are some important differences between Colleges and Finishing Schools: Get a look at these short videos from the first School: Corvair Finishing School #1, Video report. The primary differences can be understood in two words Space and Pace:

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Space: A setting like Barnwell can easily handle 90 builders without people being crowded. At the SPA shop, the space limit on engine builds  is 10-12. Big colleges require settings and planning that are a huge amount of work, ( that is why we appreciate our local hosts so much ) and would require us to pack up the tools and equipment and transport it. The finishing schools space limitation is an acceptable trade off for being able to put together a highly effective event on short notice.

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Pace: At a regular college, the approach is flexible, so that each builder can advance at the pace he prefers, move to any milestone he likes. Builders have a very good time at Colleges, and there is nothing wrong with attending as many as you enjoy. (like 20 if you are Dan Glaze) But the goal at a finishing school is to get the builders engine done and running on the test stand. This is not done at the cost of compromised learning and understanding of the power plant, it is done though prep work and having the builder be ready with every part he needs to finish.

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Because of the Space and Pace requirements of the finishing school are different and less accommodating than a College, the sign up is a little different: Instead of an on line form like the colleges have, finding out more about how your project fits in with the Finishing School starts with Contacting Rachel Weseman, at SPA 904-626-7777 (extension #1) She will gladly review the program, space and required prep work. If it makes sense to everyone, Rachel will be able to sign you up for the Finishing School.

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Observer slots: The space limitation at the Finishing School is largely driven by the number of engines on the table, not the amount of people standing on the floor. For this reason, we will have a half dozen “observer slots” at this Finishing School. We are holding these available for people new to Corvairs, particularly people who are interested in Dan and Rachel’s “Engine in a Box” option: http://flywithspa.com/?s=engine+in+a+box. Call Rachel for more information on attending as an observer.

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Above, a  3,000 cc engine after it break in run. This engine is now on the front of Jan Riddenour’s Tailwind in Idaho.

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Builders;

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks Coffee, is making the rounds on TV talk shows sharing his perspective on how we all should vote in the upcoming elections. To many people, this is an important endorsement, because Starbucks has a very carefully crafted global image as supporting human rights and freedoms. The only problem with their reputation is that it is largely hypocritical bullshit. 

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Above, photographed on my dining room table, is all the evidence anyone needs to understand that Mr.Schultz is a first order hypocrite. This isn’t a joke, this mug was purchased in the Starbucks Hanoi location by my buddy Terry Hand. Terry knows that I detest totalitarian police states, but he sends me souvenirs like this little gem to remind me that everyone supports human rights…..as long as they don’t get in the way of corporate profits or put a damper on people getting to tourist sites they can brag about on their FB page.

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Anyone can go to the Starbucks website, and see they have great passages devoted to supporting the human rights and liberties on ‘every employee and every location.’ The specific rights that the company will defend are listed in detail. It all sounds really great, right up to the point that common sense kicks in, and you realize that more than half the things listed, such as right to form unions and the right to free speech, are actually serious state crimes in Vietnam, and the government doesn’t hesitate to jail people for life over them. This isn’t just WW the unapologetic nationalist speaking: get a look at Amnesty International’s comments on the state human rights violations in Vietnam. Evidently, the Starbucks “Global Human Rights” statement prominently featured in their ‘holier than others’ image is secondary to opening a new store anywhere they can turn a profit. This doesn’t even touch the idea they already have 2,000 stores in China, and that worker’s paradise isn’t exactly compliant with the ethics preached on the Starbucks website. And that, makes Mr. Schultz a hypocrite.

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If you personally like coffee the color of dirty motor oil, with the taste of battery acid, then I say you should buy at Starbucks. If your morning isn’t complete without having to stand in line behind grown men who got out of their Prius and couldn’t make up their mind if they wanted a “Half-Caf, non fat soil milk late” or a “no caf, Venti cafe misto” Then it is off to Starbucks; if you like being lectured that “Calling a Barista a “waitress” or any other offensive sexist demeaning name is not tolerated” than off to Mr. Shultz’s you go. But, anyone who chooses to go to Starbucks because they really believe that the company never put profit ahead of workers, has been duped. Please understand I am not suggesting that Howard Schultz is no different that other greed driven CEO’s. He is different; because he wants you to believe a fairy tale, and take your money, whereas the other CEOs just want your money.

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There are 20,000 Starbucks locations on this planet, and it is a particular point of pride for me that there was one in my tiny town in rural Florida. Was, because it went bankrupt after one year. The same building is now occupied by a local, non chain coffee shop. It has been there for four years, and they are doing fine. The prices are a little lower, the smug attitudes are gone, and oh yeah, they don’t have a website full of bullshit about how much they care about human rights, nor a CEO telling me how to vote.

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Builders

Below are several photos of a current Zenith / Corvair installation I shot in my front yard this morning. 2016 marks our 13th consecutive year of  working with Zenith builders, dating back to Grace and I buying our own kit from the factory, and building and flying the first Corvair powered Zenith.

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Over the years, we have refined the installation in a number of details, but at its basic core, it is a proven American made engine with a long track record of serving individuals who selected it.

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Above 2400-L starter and DFI ignition.

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Engine is only 28″ wide.

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The firewall is common to all models of Zenith 601/ 650/750.  The mount shown is for a 750, the 600 series is nearly identical.

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Engine has a SPA/ Weseman 5th Bearing. .

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