The inventorâs spirit has long lived in the heart of the aviation enthusiast. The dream has been alive since perhaps the dawn of man, but building a flying machine that can carry man into the skies to fly with the birds has only recently become a reality. It is this spirit that drives certain individuals to plan and build their own aircraft regardless of the availability of production aircraft. There has never really been a lull in the experimental movement. As time and technology marches on, the movement continues to gain in popularity and numbers. Design innovation and the availability and use of the most technologically advanced materials has kept the fire burning while opening up doors to efficient structural and aerodynamic design.
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,100. Empty wt. 900. Fuel capacity 24. Wingspan 22′. Length 18′. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 95. Cruise mph 85. Stall mph 50. Climb rate 600. Takeoff run 200. Range 250. This little single-seat biplane is a 4/5-scale model of the famous British S.E.5A fighter of World War I. Designed by William Wienberg […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 770. Empty wt. 525. Fuel capacity 10. Wingspan 23’8″. Length 20’10”. Engine 90 hp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 190. Cruise mph 150. Stall mph 67. Climb rate 2,300. Ceiling 19,000+. Takeoff run 650. Landing roll 650. Range 300. The Sapphire is a single-seat racing airplane of allwood construction designed by Claude Piel, […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,500. Empty wt. 805. Fuel capacity 50. Wingspan 25′. Length 19’9″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 150. Cruise mph 140. Stall mph 40. Climb rate 900. Takeoff run 1,200. Landing roll 1,500. Range 900. The Commuter is a high-wing cabin monoplane that features all-metal construction with no complicated compound-curve skin panels. The two-place […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 652. Empty wt. 400. Fuel capacity 7.5. Wingspan 16′. Length 14′. PERFORMANCE: (40 hp) Top mph 130. Cruise mph 120. Stall mph 49. Climb rate 1,000. Takeoff run 560. Landing roll 400. Range 375. This Formula-V sport racer features a straight-line wing design. Its designer, Charles Lasher, chose steeltube construction for […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,391. Empty wt. 1,006. Fuel capacity 30. Wingspan 27’5″. Length 19′. Engine 145- to 165-hp Warner. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 110. Stall mph 45. Climb rate 1,500. Takeoff run 100. Landing roll 300. Range 350. This replica of the famous World War I Nieuport 21 is powered by a […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,326. Empty wt. 800. Fuel capacity 25. Wingspan 28′. Length 18’11”. Engine 95-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 115. Stall mph 51. Climb rate 1,000. Ceiling 18,000. Takeoff run 550. Landing roll 175. Range 600. The prototype PL-1 was stressed to 9Gs for aerobatics and featured a low-wing tricycle-gear […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,485. Empty wt. 1,100. Fuel capacity 30. Wingspan 23’5″. Length 19′. Engine 160- to 145-hp Warner radial. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 115. Cruise mph 105. Stall mph 50. Climb rate 2,500. Takeoff run 150. Landing roll 300. Range 350. This replica of the Red Baron’s famed fighter is not one of the […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,416. Empty wt. 875. Fuel capacity 25. Wingspan 28′. Length 19’4″. Engine 100-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 138. Cruise mph 119. Stall mph 52. Climb rate 1,280. Takeoff run 700. Landing roll 700. Range 492. Along with the PL-1, the PL-2 is the only design for amateur builders that is also […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 850. Empty wt. 578. Fuel capacity 12. Wingspan 26’8″. Length 16’6″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 98. Stall mph 48. Climb rate 650. Takeoff run 485. Landing roll 435. Range 375. When designer Ladislao Pazmany was encouraged to come up with an easy-to-build, simple, safe, and inexpensive metal plane that […]
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,250. Empty wt. 600. Fuel capacity 19. Wingspan 26′. Length 16′. Engine 78-hp Revmaster VW. PERFORMANCE: (designer figures) Top mph 200+. Cruise mph 180. Stall mph 38. Climb rate 700. Ceiling 28,000. Range 1,000. Takeoff run 450. Landing roll 550. Designed by Argentine-born Joseph Alvarez, the Polliwagen derives its name from […]
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