Draco creator Mike Patey built the airplane from a stock Wilga PZL 104. But a stock Wilga with an engine stock it is not. In addition to adding that big PT-6 up front, Patey modified the plane in dozens of other ways big and small.
What do you get when you put a turbine engine on one of the most versatile of all bush planes? A pretty epic race-winning STOL aircraft, and this year’s winner of the 2018 High Sierra STOL Drag competition. Brainchild of self-taught engineer and successful entrepreneur Mike Patey, Draco is the ultimate backcountry airplane. With its bright red skin, tall legs and heavy cloud of dust around it, Draco commands attention everywhere it lands.
Draco creator Mike Patey built the airplane from a stock Wilga PZL 104. But a stock Wilga with an engine stock it is not. In addition to adding that big PT-6 up front, Patey modified the plane in dozens of other ways big and small. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Patey drew upon his expertise with AutoCad to create new structures from spinner to tail, including a complete new firewall forward assembly. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Mike Patey puts the finishing touches on the PT6 install dreaming, no doubt, of the sound of that turboprop coming to life. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Mike with his wife, Chandra, who is a pilot, on front of Draco on the playa of the Nevada desert. A big part of Draco’s mission was to win the STOL drag race at the annual High Sierra Fly-In, which takes place in a remote part of the Nevada desert. (photo by: Jim Raeder)It took Mike Patey a mere five months and one week to build the Wilga modification he calls Draco. Highly modified to suit Patey’s aviation lifestyle, Draco really is a beast of a bush plane. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Getting ready to swing the PT-6 into place onto Draco’s new engine mounts for the first time, Patey operates the engine hoist with care. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Patey’s Draco kicks up dust in the Nevada desert during the High Sierra Fly-In. The event has a Burning Man-Meets-Oshkosh vibe, big enough for sponsorships and big-money raffle prizes yet small enough to maintain the ambiance of an intimate family reunion. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Carbon fiber parts allowed Patey to make major modifications without adding a commensurate amount of weight. (photo by: Jim Raeder)Draco at the High Sierra Fly-In, which features a 20-minute fireworks show that rivals one at a professional sporting event. (photo by: Jim Raeder)
A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.
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