Video Updated 10/25/21 — See at bottom for a video recorded at Sun ‘n Fun 2021… —DJ Ever in search of recreational aircraft pilots can afford, I had a closer look at Excalibur’s display at Sun ‘n Fun 2021. I’ll excuse you for thinking this is a Quad City Challenger. It’s not. I’ll also excuse you if you never saw this aircraft before. Developer Tom Karr has been building Excalibur for 25 years, nonetheless, Sun ‘n Fun 2021 was his first time displaying at the season-starting event. Excalibur’s Edge In his effort to differentiate his Excalibur kit aircraft from similar looking models, Tom made numerous changes, for example: He uses all push-pull tubes to control surfaces, not cables. The tandem seater has a “wide-body” cockpit that should fit more Americans. Shock cord suspension and a spring-loaded nosewheel make for soft, well-supported landings. Instead of flaperons, Tom uses discreet flaps.
Affordable and Familiar — Well-Established Excalibur Continues to Please Customers
Excalibur’s Edge
Developer Tom Karr (in hat) speaks to a prospective customer at Sun ‘n Fun 2021.
Big wide doors and a low side rail height make entry to Excalibur easy.
FAA Approved Kit
With that many Excalibur kits shipped, you could guess that many of them made it into the air because build time is quoted at only 150 hours. No critical dwelling is required; the factory takes care of all the precision tasks. It can go quickly. “You can build and cover a wing in a day,” Tom gave as an example, although time to accomplish tasks will depend on prior experience and mechanical aptitude.Yes, Excalibur Looks Familiar
Do you look at Excalibur and see a Challenger from Quad City Ultralights? Yes, similarities certainly exist but Tom Karr assures you that they are much different. Of course, this is common in aviation. Look how many varieties followed Dean Wilson's first Avid Flyer… which led to Kitfox, Aeropro, ApolloFox, and other variations on the theme.- Our engine is right side up, their’s is upside down.
- We can use a larger 68-inch prop. The largest prop they swing is 60 inches. We use Hirth’s own gearbox that has no side-loading. Challengers commonly use an aftermarket belt drive.
- Our engine sits right in the airstream and gets lots of air to run cooler. Challenger’s hangs down behind the fuselage where the airflow is more restricted to the engine since the fuselage is in the way.
- We have the Excalibur Shock-Cord™ landing gear, not a rigid system like theirs.
- We have a larger vertical stabilizer.
- We have a larger rudder.
- We have shorter ailerons with the same responsiveness — 8 feet versus their 15-foot ailerons.
- We have a torque tube flight control system, utilizing push-pull rods. They use cables and pulleys.
- We feature aircraft grade streamlined aluminum struts.
- We have a smaller nosecone for better forward visibility.
- We have widened the backseat so both passengers have the same degree of comfort.
- We have stretched the fuselage from the back seat forward to give both passengers the same amount of leg room, and it helps maintain center of gravity.