Yet as demonstrated by broad participation in art, music, or sport, individuals seek more than practical solutions. Sometimes the activities that inspire us most are those which free our minds and lift our spirits.

The aircraft in this portion of FLYING’s Buyers Guide this year might be called “joy machines,” for their mission is to elevate you—physically and emotionally.

Welcome to recreational—and, yes, affordable—aviation. To offer a taste of the 158 aircraft the FAA has accepted as special (fully built) light sport aircraft (LSA)—plus more than 100 kit-built models—I’ve divided the subject aircraft into several categories, with three outlined here. These aircraft are good representatives but between them account for just a small percentage of the models available.

Buyers enjoy many diverse choices, one of which might be perfect for them. I encourage you to explore the segment more fully at ByDanJohnson.com (to become AffordableAviation.com), now a member of the FLYING family.

Our Favorite LSA

Light sport aircraft have been part of the aviation firmament for almost 20 years, and over that time, some models established themselves even as newcomers regularly arrive. The way the FAA accepts (not “certifies”) these airplanes allows rapid improvement, which has stimulated surprisingly fast progress. What will happen as the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification’s (MOSAIC) recent rulemaking comes to conclusion looks like it will only serve to expand upon the grand variety and capability we witness on the market—such as expanding the envelope of the Bristell SLSA featured in our opening spread, and in the April 2023/Issue 936 edition of FLYING.

• READ MORE: We Fly: BRM Aero Bristell SLSA

The Evektor Harmony is a next-generation model following its SportStar, which will forever hold the title of the first special LSA accepted by the FAA in April 2005 only weeks after the new sport pilot/light sport aircraft regulation was released. Flight Design’s CT was accepted the same day.

Being first often conveys some advantage, but in an industry where new ideas often emerge, a successful producer cannot long rest on past achievements. Based in an aviation-rich area of the Czech Republic, Evektor steadily upgraded its SportStar through a series of alterations. Later, the company introduced the Harmony with added sophistication.

The Harmony uses a more advanced compound wing—the leading edge does not form a straight line—to bring performance up to the top of the category (restricted by present regulation, which may change with MOSAIC). Pilots who fly the Harmony say it feels like a legacy GA airplane.

The Jabiru J-230D, hailing from Australia, is the result of years of development, beginning long before light sport aircraft came along. When FAA’s rule hit in 2004, the Down Under designer and manufacturer was quick to adapt its kit products to the new market.

The J-230D resembles the company’s J-400, a four-seater. That many seats aren’t permitted on LSA, so out they came, leaving an aft interior bigger than a Cessna 150. A third door sized for people brings the easiest luggage area loading among LSA—you can easily take your pet along. Jabiru is a rare airframe manufacturer that also makes its own engine. When you hear the word “Jabiru” (a large bird), you need to think airplane and powerplant, though the engines are also used on other airframes. A J-230D with the 6-cylinder Jabiru 3300 can readily hit the top speed among LSA.

The 2020 FLYING Editors’ Choice Award-winning Texas Aircraft Colt relies on the great success of a predecessor Brazilian design, but the Colt is all American. One of the newer aircraft to the LSA fleet in the U.S., developers had the advantage of seeing what pilots were buying…and what they were requesting.

With its conventional yoke control, the Colt breaks a familiar mold in LSA, an overwhelming majority of which use joysticks in various forms. A refined aircraft, the Colt is beautifully appointed inside and out, attracting pilots seeking a legacy GA airplane look in a ground-up-new design that can be operated by a sport or higher-certificated pilot exercising the no-medical privileges of LSA.

Built in Hondo, Texas, with local support, the Colt joins the best of an experienced Brazilian aircraft designer with American airplane-building capability in the U.S.

Seaplane LSAs

Seaplanes quickly earn a special place in some aviators’ hearts because of their unique ability to land on water and for the versatility that amphibious gear affords. The FAA recognized this interest and allowed 110 pounds more gross weight for qualifying seaplanes and also permitted amphibious gear. With a water-going craft, you have vastly more places to make a landing, whether for a pleasant visit or an emergency.

From its first announcement, pilots could see ICON’s A5 LSA seaplane was something distinctive. Its hull and fuselage blended form and function to retract gear invisibly while providing stability on the water. When its wings were electrically folded, jaws dropped; many envisioned how to launch A5 at their local marina.

The California developer went on to a long development period where every detail was sussed out to an intricate degree. The resultant aircraft that emerged addressed FAA’s current counsel to industry: “Make these aircraft easy to fly, operate, and maintain.” Three checks for ICON engineers and company leadership. They forged ahead while maintaining the smooth lines of early prototypes.

By 2022, ICON rose to be one of the leading suppliers in the LSA industry, and those of us lucky enough to have operated its well-located controls quickly acquired large smiles. A5 is simple and responsive, stall resistant, and stable. The modern sports car cabin is comfortable and spacious. Amphibious gear makes the A5 versatile and puts America’s many waterways on the list of available landing areas.

Vickers Aircraft closely observed ICON after it made a big splash with the A5. Vickers, based in New Zealand, saw an opportunity to achieve even more with its Wave. And engineers took a different approach to creating it. Using modern CAD methods and software similar to Boeing or Lockheed Martin, Vickers worked for years before unveiling a product but, when it did, it flew “right out of the box.” The company remains in testing as it works toward FAA acceptance but believes it can swiftly move to manufacturing because of the detailed preparation work. Indeed, elements are already being produced. The Wave first tempted buyers with prices substantially below ICON’s eye-watering $394,000, although continued improvements and the latest engine from Rotax have pushed up its costs. All told, the Wave is an intriguing amphibian loaded with features and boasting a large interior complete with sliding doors.

Scoda Aeronautica’s Super Petrel started its life in France. It was much different before the team at Edra, now Scoda Aeronautica, took over in Brazil. Here’s another seaplane entry from the South American nation that is very big in aviation. The Super Petrel sets itself apart from all others with its biwing construction. You may not think that’s logical in the modern world, but the Super Petrel is a highly efficient aircraft. Plenty of wing area helps it leave the water faster. The shorter the water run, the less strain on an airframe. LSA seaplanes are masterful at this task, jumping off the water in a few seconds. The higher power-to-weight ratio helps, but Scoda wanted to go even further.

Scoda’s XP designation for the Super Petrel means extra performance, but you also get more airplane. The airframe was extended by 10 inches, bringing with it a bounty of benefits, including more luggage area. With Rotax’s 141 hp 915iS engine atop the center of gravity, Super Petrel leaps out of the water with great energy.

Niche Buys

The Airplane Factory’s Sling HW, or High Wing, is an all-new design clearly aimed at FAA’s coming MOSAIC regulation. A quick glance at the specifications below illustrates that Sling HW is well outside the current regulation for light sport aircraft. That’s OK for now. It can start with a kit or import a few aircraft in the experimental/exhibition category.

• READ MORE: We Break Down the State of MOSAIC By the Numbers

Numbers are bigger than for a present-day LSA, and that’s great if you seek extra capability. Be prepared to pay for it. Most MOSAIC-targeted LSA unveiled to date are often well into the $200,000s. Several exceed $300,000. Still, that’s much less than a comparable legacy GA aircraft, and Sling HW is big, comfortable, and well equipped. A sleek composite exterior helps it outperform comparable models.

These MOSAIC light sport aircraft (MLSA) are going to greatly expand the LSA range, and Sling producer TAF has long been an innovator.

It is also supremely confident in its designs and loves to demonstrate that by literally flying a new design all the way around the world. In fact, it has done so several times.

Kit-Built

Building your own aircraft involves much more than just saving money—just ask the experts at Van’s Aircraft, who offer both SLSA and kit versions of the RV-12. For most, it is a learning experience, a use of craftsmanship, or simply an absorbing hobby. When you’re done, you will know it in a way few pilots know their aircraft. You can also put in it precisely what you want.

Lockwood Aircraft’s AirCam is no light sport aircraft, but it might qualify as a MLSA. The AirCam has been such a hit that 200 have been built as kits. It looks somewhat unorthodox with its twin aft-mounted Rotax engines on a half-open-cockpit design, but you need to know why it looks this way.

The AirCam was custom designed and built for one job—taking National Geographic-grade cover story photos of Namibian jungles and African wildlife. The country’s terrain is utterly unforgiving. Clearings are few and small. The photographer, seated up front for photo missions, needs huge visibility and no obstructions. Plus, they wish to fly at the speed of nature, that is, slowly. The AirCam accomplishes all this like it was designed for it—because it was.

This story first appeared in the September 2023/Issue 941 of FLYING’s print edition.

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The demystification of the building process and the advent of quick-build kits and builder support mean there’s a wider variety of models to choose from for pilots wanting to take advantage of the technology access and added value offered by kit built aircraft. 

But the blurred line has resulted in unintended consequences.

There’s now a significant market for already-built aircraft changing hands to what the kit built industry has termed NBOs—non-builder owners. When a person buys the fruits of another builder’s efforts, they take on that project without the same knowledge as the original builder. With many NBOs coming from backgrounds of only flying, operating, and perhaps owning Part 23-certificated aircraft, the gap in understanding can lead to frustration, wasted money and time—or an accident during the first 10 hours of flight following the purchase.

I interviewed leaders from several experimental OEMs to gather insight into the scope of the market for NBOs, the impact NBOs have had on their business, and what particular concerns they have for those who would approach the purchase of this unique slice of “used” aircraft.

RVs That Started a Movement

Van’s Aircraft, based in Aurora, Oregon, has built a business over the last 50 years on plans-built and kitbuilt aircraft that have become progressively more sophisticated—and at the same time more approachable to build. The dynamic has made it easier for new builders to join the experimental world, and increased sales to the point where there’s now a significant pre-owned market of Van’s RVs for those pilots who want to “skip” the effort involved in crafting an airplane themselves. It’s created a challenge for Van’s: “The used market is our biggest competitor,” says Greg Hughes, director of sales and marketing for Van’s Aircraft. Hughes acknowledges that a pilot who doesn’t want to invest the time it takes to build one can find a wide range of RVs “out there” ready for a new home.

However—caveat emptor. Any homebuilt aircraft will vary widely between instances, depending on the relative skill of the builder, and/or the divergence from the original kit or plan that the builder made during the construction process. Newer models, like the RV-12 and RV-14, come in novice-builder-friendly kits with matched holes and expanded instructions—and the option for some “quick build” kits. Older models evolved from plan-built airplanes, and those like the popular RV-4, where the kit was not as advanced, may offer even more opportunity for variance.

Sonex’s Schaible Weighs In

The smaller network of Sonex owners makes the approach to buying one used a very individualized experience—and because the fleet on the whole is more obviously “one of one.” However, it’s instructive to look at, because it illuminates how varied most homebuilts are—even those from producers like Van’s who have standardized the building experience as much as possible. 

Sonex president and owner Mark Schaible outlines the overarching issue facing NBOs. “Too many people are jumping into experimental aircraft and expecting them to be like certified aircraft,” Schaible says. “You’re trusting yourself to what some other amateur pilot built.” 

Schaible echoes Hughes’s comment on the NBO market: “Our biggest competition isn’t Van’s, it’s used Sonexes.” He compares the RV-4 kit as an example of how kits have evolved, as well—noting that the RV-4 kit was not as advanced at the time of its debut as the current Sonex kits. And, even with the current state of advanced kits, a pilot can’t “shake a box and have an airplane fall out.” 

Another note: While as a buyer, you may be looking at a certificated engine in some homebuilts, a Sonex is likely flying behind an experimental powerplant too, like the AeroConversions’ AeroVee, the most popular choice for Sonex builders. An A&P off the street with only Lycoming or Continental experience won’t be able to assess many homebuilts well for this reason, he says, leaving them open to the potential for error or gaps. 

Schaible’s been with Sonex since 2004, and he stays deeply engaged with leadership in the experimental/ amateur-built (E/AB) industry, serving with the Aircraft Kit Industry Association and on the Experimental Aircraft Association Board Safety Committee—which is a working group of the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee. EAA—founded in 1953—has led the homebuilt community with resources and safety programs that should be required for those wishing to enter into the E/AB space, regardless of whether the pilot builds or buys their way in. 

“You’ve got to engage the builder network,” he says, in order to help mitigate a devastating accident trend that has blossomed in the past five years among NBOs. The accident rate for E/AB aircraft overall is highest in the first 10 hours of flight—for what should be the obvious reason of testing a new build and engine in concert. 

However, the NTSB and EAA have identified that the accident rate for NBOs in the first 10 hours of ownership rivals that for the initial Phase I testing—and may even surpass it. A new owner not intimately familiar with the airplane may make assumptions about the quality of its manufacture, sometimes with catastrophic results. 

EAA’s vice president of advocacy and safety, Sean Elliott, weighs in. “We encourage people to do a thorough and thoughtful analysis of the aircraft they are interested in buying, including getting subject matter experts to look at the overall build quality and how well the airplane has been maintained—those who have a maintenance background and can do a proper pre-buy. 

“EAA stresses the importance of proper transition training in any new type…[you] can hire a qualified instructor who has flown that type before and could help you perform the actual test cards. We intend to release checklists and programs, including flight test cards, aimed at the second-owner community so as a person acquires a ‘new-to-them’ amateur-built aircraft, they can go out and perform those tests and develop their own operating handbook and learn the aircraft correctly before they start operating it.”

Composite Concerns 

Buying a Lancair, Glasair, or other primarily composite airplane on the pre-owned market involves a bit more rolling of the dice than for other types—because these hot rods require both special care during the building process and can be nearly impossible to properly inspect without partially destroying the airframe. There just aren’t inspection panels in the same sense on a composite aircraft as you would find on one crafted from aluminum. Mike Schrader, director of sales and marketing for Epic Aircraft, held a similar role with Lancair International from 1992 to 2007, primarily within the kit side of the company but also in the certified Columbia Aircraft division. He’s been with Epic since 2012, during the development of the owner-assist-build Epic LT into the Part 23-certificated E1000 GX. 

“I have been entirely in sales but witnessed the construction of the airframes,” says Schrader. “The Epic process was entirely built here in our factory so all the bonding and assembly was done under our direct supervision or by our technicians.”

According to Schrader, it’s crucial to know the builder and their documented build process—especially when dealing with composites. A robust builder-assist program exists for many high-performance experimentals. “Many of the manufacturers have or had a fast build program where much of the crucial bonding was done at the factory.” The manufacturer will have ways to help the builder during the layup process—both in construction and quality assurance—so that a future owner can have more confidence in the quality of the construction.

A CubCrafters’ Take

Vice president of sales and marketing Brad Damm has been with CubCrafters—the company founded in 1980 to make Piper Super Cubs better—since July 2013. In 2004, CubCrafters introduced a Part 23-certificated version, the Top Cub. However, CubCrafters’ greater success has been with the Sport Cub (introduced in 2006) and the Carbon Cub SS (introduced in 2007). Both are offered in subsequent versions in an array of builder-assist and kit aircraft, as well as factory-built SLSAs. Damm has looked at a lot of pre-owned Carbon Cubs and Sport Cubs in his role, especially since the company has a robust trade-in business with its owner-builder base. There’s even a page dedicated to pre-owned aircraft on the CubCrafters website. He shares what he’s learned about buying an already-built, amateur-built aircraft with FLYING.

“CubCrafters is one of the few aircraft manufacturers that offers similar aircraft in both certified and experimental categories, and the experimental category aircraft we offer include both kitbuilt and factory builder-assist airplanes,” Damm says. “We also take experimental aircraft in on trade, or directly purchase experimental aircraft for resale. I’ve probably bought and sold a couple hundred different E/AB category aircraft.” Damm also focuses on the builder responsible for the airplane’s construction. 

“It is key to learn as much about the builder as possible. Builders have varying levels of experience, along with a lot of freedom in how their experimental aircraft are constructed. Generally, first builds are rougher than second, third, or later projects from the same builder. First builds are also where we often see the more radical design choices. Later, when an amateur builder gets more experience, he or she tends to learn what works and doesn’t, makes fewer mistakes, and does better fit and finish work. 

“I am a little more cautious [with a first-time builder], and spend a little more time on the pre-buy,” Damm says. “We look more closely at the aircraft before we make an offer. If an aircraft is from a well-known, experienced builder, or an established factory builder-assist program,” it involves less risk and brings a higher price.

Focus on the Pre-Buy

Damm continues, “Once as much of the aircraft’s history has been learned as possible…it really helps if the pre-buy is done by someone experienced in the type of aircraft being purchased.” In fact, he favors a person experienced in the type over an everyday A&P. “Because there is so much builder and owner judgment involved in the construction, modification, and maintenance of E/AB aircraft, I would rather have an experienced owner/builder do the pre-buy than a general A&P that doesn’t have specific knowledge of the type. Unlike with certified aircraft, it can be less about referencing an aircraft maintenance manual from the OEM, and more about knowing the peculiarities of a specific model of experimental Carbon Cub, Van’s RV, or Glasair.” 

However, Damm still sees a lot of opportunity for those pilots who approach the market carefully. “Keep an open mind,” he says. “A huge benefit of experimental-category aircraft is the freedom you have as the new owner to modify the aircraft to your own tastes and preferences. It’s way easier and a lot cheaper to update avionics, refresh interiors, and add features to experimental airplanes than it is with certified aircraft. 

“Therefore, even if the airplane isn’t perfect to start with—maybe it’s a little dated but was well put together, has good structure, and comes with good builder logs and other documentation—it might be a great starting point for a new owner. I look at the potential the aircraft has at least as much as I look for problems or defects. A new prop, maybe some different landing gear or tires, perhaps updated avionics or new upholstery, and you might just have the perfect aircraft for your preferences and mission, and a lot more affordably than you think.” 

Damm sums it up: “The best advice is to go slow, learn as much as you can, and keep an open mind.” 

The post Buying Experimental Aircraft, Demystified appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you’re like me, you walk the rows of these E/ABs and are envious of the builders who possess the skills to complete these airplanes. While being comfortable in saying that I doubt I have the mechanical ability to complete an E/AB airplane project, I know there is still a great way to own one and fly it with confidence.

Just buy the fully-assembled special light sport airplane (SLSA) version of the popular Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS.

In the Room Where It Happens

The Aircraft Assembly Division (AAD) is a large, well-lit portion of the Van’s Aircraft factory in Aurora, Oregon. Here, employee builders dedicated to the AAD work through all of the steps it takes to go from stacks of wooden crates full of thousands of parts to a signed-off RV-12iS SLSA ready for a new owner to fly home. At several workstations, airplanes are in various stages of completion, while other areas of the AAD are dedicated to paint, installing cabin upholstery, and avionics installations.

The pace inside the AAD seems calm but focused, as the bright fluorescent lighting provides assemblers with a good look at every part. It is not a noisy factory setting with people slapping together airplane parts on an assembly line, it is more of a laid-back atmosphere, where talented builders handcraft each airplane with as much care and attention as if they were building it for themselves.

If the inside of the AAD looks like any of the private shops of E/AB builders, that’s because, for all intents and purposes, this is just a big version of the same thing, says Van’s Aircraft vice president and COO, Greg Hughes. “All the parts used to build the SLSA version of our RV-12iS are made in the same factory, by the same people, as the kits we ship to builders worldwide. The same inventory of parts that go into the AAD goes into crates we ship to customers. The parts are delivered to the AAD effectively as a customer. The process for building is nearly identical to that of a private builder—it’s the same airplane built from the same kit.”

Hughes did however explain that while the finished product is identical to an amateur-built RV-12iS, the factory process is slightly different. 

“We do pre-build or pre-configure certain parts and have those staged, and we can have different sections of the airplane being built simultaneously by different people in the AAD. So while we may not be following the exact steps an amateur builder follows, we are still doing the exact same work,” he said.

Built to Exacting Standards

Van’s Aircraft has perfected the process of designing, manufacturing, and shipping airplane kits for its RV line of E/AB models. Hughes says the Van’s parts picking and crate packing teams ship between 65 and 80 “sub-kits” each week all over the world. “An RV-7 has four sub-kits for the wings, empennage, fuselage, and finishing. So 80 sub-kits in theory represent about 20 airplanes. Just to give you some historical reference, we were shipping half that amount just a year ago,” he said.

Those same sub-kits are the ones that end up in the AAD to be assembled into ready-to-fly RV-12iS SLSAs. And every nut, bolt, and rivet is assembled with strict adherence to ASTM standards, the set of requirements developed for checking and maintaining quality. “Even though the parts are manufactured in another area of our facility,” Hughes explained, “we check each part carefully to ensure they are acceptable to ASTM standards. In the unusual event we find a part that is questionable in some way, those parts are quarantined and not used. We have all of the standards-based controls and requirements in place to guide our dedicated team of people, who do nothing but build the RV-12iS airplanes.”

Flight Tested and Buyer-Ready

Once an RV-12iS SLSA has been assembled, Van’s test pilots run it through the same types of flight tests as builders who have put their kits together themselves. As I toured the AAD, I saw a gorgeous RV-12iS in a blue and white paint scheme just inside the closed hangar door, ready for final inspections. It had completed full-flight testing and was about to be inspected with experienced eyes by the AAD staff. Once any squawks have been remedied, the airplane would be polished to appear “showroom perfect” and its new owner would be summoned to come to Aurora and pick up their new ride.

Demand Is Strong

The order book is at high levels across the entire Van’s product line, and that holds true for the RV-12iS SLSA as well. Current lead time on the fully-assembled RV-12iS is a “moderately conservative” 20 months, Hughes said, with a $5,000 deposit due upon ordering to get in line. An additional $55,000 deposit is due upon commencement of aircraft construction, with the balance due upon delivery. The length of that “line” varies according to order loads and delivery schedule.

The post Van’s RV-12iS SLSA: They Build it, You Fly it appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Fast forward to 2016, and the out-of-state business I was using the 235 to service dried up, and at 12 gph, Katy became quite an expensive hamburger chaser. Factor in the cost of maintaining a 1963 model, and it was obvious that selling the 235 was a smart move.

Since N8527W taxied away for the last time, I have not had any stick time in any airplane. I do try to keep my “stick-and-rudder” skills fresh in my X-Plane flight simulator, but I had not been PIC for about six years. So yes, some rust might have been forming on those skills. I wanted to see just what would happen when a 750-hour rusty pilot tried out one of the latest generation of SLSAs, the Van’s RV-12iS. What skills had atrophied, and what knowledge and muscle memory were retained would be quite evident in a model like this SLSA, which had the Garmin G3X touch panel with dual displays, and a sweet Rotax 912iS fuel-injected 100 hp engine.

I met up with Van’s vice president and COO Greg Hughes at the company’s factory at Aurora State Airport (KUAO), in Oregon, and we planned a hamburger run to Independence State Airport (7S5) in the 12iS. While it would be a relatively short out and back, there would be sufficient time for me to take the controls and see how much rust had indeed accumulated over the years.

Let’s take a look at my experience.

First Impression

The RV-12iS looked gorgeous parked outside Hangar India at KUAO awaiting our departure. The fit and finish looked perfect, and the paint was superb. With the canopy open, I gingerly climbed into the right seat. You do not jump into an RV like you do a Cherokee or Skyhawk—it takes a certain amount of finesse to work your feet around the control stick while avoiding stepping on the seat. But once I wiggled down into the laid-back position of the seat, the airplane fit me wonderfully.

Being careful not to elbow my PIC, I strapped in and began drooling over the Garmin panel. From the rather haphazard design of my Cherokee’s old-school, six-pack avionics, this was my first up-close meeting with a G3X system. Once Hughes fired up the electrical system, before me on the dual displays was an almost endless amount of engine and navigation information, including our pre-takeoff checklist.

When it came time to fire up, doing so in a Rotax-powered machine is a non-event. The RV-12iS started fast, more like a Honda Accord than any airplane I had ever been in before. When the Rotax starts, you know it with a distinct rumble, and the smoothness was almost unsettling.

Aren’t airplane engines supposed to cough, spit, and protest as you coax them to life? Not this one, as I could not even count the few blades of the prop go by as it sprang to life. After what amounts to a “mag” check when the PIC cycles the two “lanes” of the engine computer to check for proper operation, and with a minimal amount of touches with his finger on the G3X display to tune the comms, Hughes had us off the ground fast, and we held a nice 90 kias, 1,000 fpm climb out. The takeoff was as undramatic as you can get, as the RV-12iS seemed to want to launch from the moment the PIC pushed the FADEC engine control forward.

So far, this was nothing like flying my Cherokee. This was going to be an interesting day.

Stick and Rudder

Since all airplanes follow the same general rules of aerodynamics, I knew pretty much what to expect comparing the RV-12iS to my Cherokee 235. Push the throttle forward and the houses get smaller, right?

Wrong.

After Hughes departed Aurora, we soon hit the bumpy air of a warm day over the Willamette Valley. Even though I knew the airplane was getting punched around, it did not feel like it from the right seat. After Hughes handed the airplane off to me, I found out why.

You see, in my Cherokee—and every other airplane I had flown in my 750 hours—you had to really work the yoke to keep things straight and level in a turbulent sky. But within seconds of my hand touching the RV’s control stick, I realized that the precise handling of the RV line means you do not horse the airplane through rough air—you just think about correcting when a wing drops. With every smack upside the head from another gust, I would make a tiny flick with my hand and the RV-12iS would respond so quickly the gusts were a non-issue. I was able to easily stay on course and hold altitude to private pilot check ride standards.

I can only describe the handling of the RV-12iS as driving a Miata with sticky Bridgestone tires down a twisty mountain road instead of lumbering along in an old Chevy truck. The airplane’s flight characteristics were so intuitive, it seemed so far that there might not be all that much rust I needed to knock off.

A few “S” turns confirmed that this airplane handled like a dream. It was on rails in turns…crank it over into a turn and it just stayed there obediently; it was happy turning until you nudged the stick back with an almost imperceptible input to come back to wings level. Hughes said the RV-12iS is an “honest” airplane, and I cannot argue with that. It does what you want without drama, making flying it a pure joy.

The Airplane Is Smarter Than I Am

After enjoying a couple of $100 hamburgers that probably only cost $35 because of the Rotax’s polite fuel efficiency, we departed Independence and again Hughes climbed out and turned the RV over to me. The gusty conditions had worsened, but still, it was incredibly easy to stay on course and hold altitude. He demonstrated the Garmin autopilot, and we followed the magenta line towards Aurora where the PIC made a greased, uneventful landing.

I came away from this demo flight knowing two things. First, it would take this rusty pilot more time to learn the Garmin G3X touch avionics than it would for me to remember how to fly an airplane. This panel has so much capability, it requires a learning curve that would be significant to an old “steam gauge” pilot like me; but I also know that once mastered, this system would be as good as it could get in GA avionics.

And second, I learned that despite not flying for six years, the Van’s Aircraft RV-12iS SLSA would be a perfect choice for someone who wants to get back into flying. It is modern, well-engineered, and so easy to fly, any rust that has built up would quickly disappear once a new owner picked up a few hours of transition training.

Rusty pilot? Nope, not me. Sure, maybe a little out of currency, but with this airplane—or any of the modern LSAs—someone who has not flown in a while can get right back in the air, which we all know is where they truly belong.

The post Knocking Off the Rust in a Van’s RV-12iS appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since the very purpose of AirVenture is inspiration, EAA began a program in 2014 called the “One Week Wonder” (OWW) where a large team of volunteers and show attendees build an E/AB airplane completely in one week. And it just so happens that the 2014 OWW Zenith CH750 Cruzer and 2018 OWW Van’s RV-12iS were both light sport airplanes. This program continues in 2022 with a one-week build of a Sonex Waiex LSA equipped with an MDL panel.

Charlie Becker, EAA’s chapters director, and their homebuilt community manager explained that the main reason all the OWW projects fall within the LSA envelope is that they need to be easy-to-build projects that can be done during the show’s seven days, and many of today’s E/AB kits that can be flown with a sport pilot certificate are mature designs that are optimized to be built by a first-time builder. 

“Even with all the improvements and prefabrication in modern kits, seven days is still a compressed timeline, so we have to stick with straightforward designs. There are lots of great high-performance homebuilt aircraft but those just wouldn’t be possible to complete in a week,” Becker said.

The Genesis of One Week Wonder

The OWW program started in 1976 when EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame member Chris Heintz and several volunteers set out to build an aircraft in nine days (when the show ran from Saturday to the following Sunday), however, they finished the build in just eight days. Becker explained that he had always thought that project was a great way to inspire people to build their own airplanes, and years later, in a phone call with Sebastien Heintz, owner, and president of Zenith Aircraft, the program was imagined. 

After EAA President Jack Pelton signed off on the program for 2014, the mountain of planning needed to pull off such an ambitious build began.

“When Charlie Becker mentioned the possibility of building a Zenith for the 2014 One Week Wonder, I told him without hesitation that we were all in,” said Heintz. “As a kit manufacturer, what better stage can you hope for to showcase the true nature of the product than center stage at EAA AirVenture? The One Week Wonder projects are a great venue to educate potential kit builders that they can do it.”

Heintz added that Zenith donated the kit, organized the actual build project, and provided key staff and volunteers. The company charted out the entire build using a Gantt chart to coordinate with various parallel teams for the wings, fuselage, tail, avionics, and engine, allocating eight hours per day for the build, knowing that they had the additional hours in each day if needed.

Inspiration at the Core

EAA says that since many AirVenture attendees may have never considered building an airplane, OWW creates a real opportunity to open their eyes to the possibility.  

“Although the stated goal is to build a flyable airplane in seven days,” said Becker, “we are doing it to shine a light on the idea of building your own airplane. This basic idea is at the very core of what EAA is all about. We want to show everyone at AirVenture that homebuilding is something anyone can do, and anyone can learn the skills needed to build an airplane with a little help from EAA and its members. During OWW, we hope attendees will see that aircraft building is an affordable option to own and fly a brand new aircraft.”

EAA’s 2022 OWW Airplane

The Sonex Waiex B model with a Rotax 912iS engine was selected as the 2022 One Week Wonder because it’s an easy-to-build model from an established kit company, Becker explained. “The two-place side-by-side Waiex is an all-metal airplane and uses pulled rivet construction. The all-metal construction lends itself well to the OWW build format as it will allow thousands of AirVenture attendees to pull a rivet on the aircraft, sign their name and be a part of history.” Becker said.

Avionics for the 2022 OWW airplane will be a dual-screen iEFIS system from MGL Avionics, according to EAA. “MGL is the preferred avionics solution for Sonex Aircraft kits, and one of the great aspects of an OWW build is showcasing the amazing technology available to the amateur builder at an affordable price,” Becker explained. “We are going with a pre-wired panel from Midwest Panel Builders to save time so the avionics installation becomes a plug-and-play system.”

EAA’s OWW Team Prepares for the Worst

Ask anyone who has built their own airplane, and you will learn it is inevitable that challenges will come up requiring the builder to pivot. The EAA crew that manages the OWW builds are all experienced builders, and they know how to quickly diagnose a problem to keep the project moving forward.

“Probably the biggest logistical problem we have run into was in 2014 with the Zenith Cruzer build,” Becker said. “We were nearing the end of the week, so it was time to do a final install of the wings. Problem was that the tent poles would not allow us to get the plane out with the wings on, so we ended up doing the last two days of the build with the nose and wings sticking out of the tent. Fortunately, the tent that year had an overhang to keep the rain off.  The Sonex build this year has removable wings so that will not be a problem.”

Becker also noted that a secret of the OWW program is that they always have a second kit tucked away in case a part is missing or gets ruined. “We don’t have time to wait for a part to be shipped, so if something happens, we dig into the backup kit. Overall it has been amazing that things largely go according to plan,” he said.

OWW Possible Through the Generosity of Kit Makers

EAA said they have seen “tremendous support” from the kit industry suppliers who have donated most of the equipment needed to construct the OWW program airplanes. That generosity means the airplanes tend to be “fully loaded” with dual glass panels and autopilots, and are not budget builds. “It’s a big-time commitment from the kit manufacturers because they have to pre-plan everything and provide the team leaders at AirVenture to oversee the volunteers during the week. The good news is that we have no shortage of volunteers wanting to help. It is not the most efficient way to build an aircraft, so we don’t bother to try to track hours, just days,” said Becker.

Where Are They Now?

EAA still owns both the 2014 and 2018 OWW airplanes. The 2014 Zenith is awaiting a move to the EAA museum, and the 2018 RV-12 is part of the EAA Employee Flying Club. When the 2022 OWW Sonex is finished, the association plans to have it on display at several places including the 2023 Sun ’n Fun and AirVenture shows, as well as using it on a tour of EAA chapters and for flying Young Eagles.

“My hope is that building an aircraft gets added to thousands of people’s bucket lists by the end of AirVenture week,” Becker said in conclusion. “The OWW projects are by far and away the most satisfying and challenging projects I’ve been involved with in my 22 years at EAA. It is like being part of a championship team, except instead of a trophy, we end up with a flying airplane, which is way better than a trophy.”

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