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EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 — Set-up Day Tour to Whet Your Aviation Appetite

By Dan Johnson || July 24, 2023 2 Comments

Do you know when you're an airshow junkie, 'er… enthusiast? Answer: When you actually enjoy observing the set-up process. I've made the following observation many times.

The night before opening, with literally hours before the show starts, the place appears in a state of chaos. Pandemonium reigns. Vehicles, crates, equipment of every kind is seemingly strewn about as if by a storm (which did do some damage on Saturday night, ironically most affecting those who started earlier). Every show I think, "No way can they get this or that exhibit ready in the 10-15 hours before the main gates open to hundreds of thousands of visitors."

You never know who you'll see at AirVenture, such as pilot and actor Harrison Ford who visited Rotax Aircraft Engines. photo courtesy Christian Mundigler, seen on right

Yet every show on opening day, I find myself saying, "What?! It's all done!" Did they work all night? Even if staff was willing to work all night, it seemed unlikely to get the job done mere hours earlier. Maybe it's magic or Santa's Elves. Look closely. I'll bet you see a lot of tired workers on day one but big crowds put smiles on their faces. In this article, I'll show you some airplanes that caught my eye. Not because they're brand new or super innovative, though I'm always on the alert for those qualities. Many airplanes go through more subtle changes, and given aviation's demands, maybe that's not so bad.

Come On Along for a Ride

Some people say they are visual learners or simply prefer video. I understand. Even as a longtime writer, I love the video format.

Fisher Flying Products is branching out into metal kits with Archon. Longtime Fisher man Mike Makepeace hinted the kit in progress in the foreground is a project of a young family member. I'll be looking into it.

If you prefer video to reading, you're in luck. I made a 5-minute quickie for you to get some views of Oshkosh on set-up day. Along the way I stopped to observe some aircraft that caught my attention. I'll write about these below briefly. Have it your way: video or a magazine-style article. The blue trio are from Fisher Flying Products, which company itself has news of a new financial partner that is helping with the metal aircraft hiding in the background of this image. That's the Archon, which made a big impact on visitors to last year's AirVenture. The irony of this combo is that Fisher is known for its nearly all-wood kit aircraft, while Archon — created by a Greek designer — is all metal. It's quite a departure and explains why another man wanted to help in the alterations they planned to make. The Archon in progress is displayed at SportAirUSA's display in the main aircraft display area.

KFA, Kitplanes for Africa, started with the popular Bushbaby, which evolved into Explorer followed by Safari LSA, now seen for the first time in America.

I first ran into the Kitplanes for Africa company at Aero in Germany back in 2019. You rarely hear Africa associated with aircraft production but the secret is KFA is from South Africa, where we have a couple other well-known light aircraft builders including BushCat and the Sling line from The Airplane Factory. Another company celebrating an anniversary, KFA was formed in 1993. Kitplanes for Africa started production of the Bushbaby aircraft, which they say "made a name for itself as a true bushplane in the Microlight category," selling more than 300 Bushbaby aircraft. While Bushbaby is still being produced, Explorer came into production in 2003 as an upgraded Bushbaby. Pilots attending Oshkosh can check in with the Canadian distributor for North America to learn more about a Safari LSA on display.

T-Bird is back after years of absence. A revived company emerged at last AirVenture but this year their display is fleshed out showing a considerable work effort.

We are seeing a year of several anniversary dates in Oshkosh this year. Most obviously, AirVenture celebrates its 70th year, while Avid Flyer design turns 40 as does Quad City's Challenger. KFA above celebrates 30 and now we come to T-Bird which has also hit the 40th for these designs. Avid is not in production and T-Bird was out of production for many years but never dismiss a worthy design as dead; somebody might resuscitate it. That's what a family from Berlin, Wisconsin did. They rescued the T-Bird line, brought it from Iowa to Wisconsin and have been busy the last year. I was surprised and pleased to see it last year but this year, T-Bird is looking even better, displaying three aircraft. One pictured nearby is their TU model, which stands for True Ultralight. Harking back to the early Quicksilver days, I have fond memories of flying a version of this machine with its three-axis control (which was not universal in early ultralight days). T-Bird also displayed a two seat model.

The Sorrell Hiperlight has been around for decades, a proven design. Yet it's always been a kit. A couple years ago Ron Jones started down the path of becoming a Special LSA. We'll learn more this week.

Hiperlight is yet another company with a lengthy history, dating to Sorrell Brothers from the U.S. west coast. Now the biplane design hails from Michigan where Thunderbird Aviation's Ron Jones has been laboring away on meeting ASTM standards for fully-built LSA. Some old timers dismiss these standards as lesser than conventional certification but 20 years of LSA has so proven the concept that FAA is broadening its use to Mosaic LSA but also to legacy Part 23 designs (think: Cirrus or Cessna). Ron saw this and chose to embark on the process of meeting ASTM standards. His plans for the SLSA version previously targeted a very low price, one that reminds of expectations at the beginning of Light-Sport almost 20 years ago. Those price forecasts were before the last couple years when dollar dilution (otherwise known as inflation) sharply raised the price of almost everything you buy. Ron might not be able to meet his earlier price but I'm guessing it will still be one of the great bargains of recreation aviation. I'll try to learn more this week,.

I close out this tour of set-up day at AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 with a look at an AirCam. First, here's a fascinating thought related to Mosaic. Some who read FAA's 318-page proposal noticed that no ban appears for multiple engines. In fact, electric concepts often rely on multiple motors and they are included in Mosaic. So, could AirCam become a Mosaic LSA? Hmmm… maybe. Such a step is a big one and the company has not announced any such plans. Of course, the NPRM just came out as all suppliers were working hard to prepare for Oshkosh. Nonetheless, I plan to ask Ian or Phil Lockwood about this possibility and if they concur, I'll inquire if they may take steps in that direction. Two points in closing. One, Mosaic is opening all kinds of doors, more than we expected. Two, the AirCam pictured nearby has one of the neatest paint jobs I've seen at the show. Another pilot and I debated if they used paint, decals, or airbrushing, but whatever the combination, this kit builder achieved an amazing finish. Come see it and all these planes in the Fun Fly Zone, EAA's ultralight area.

ARTICLE LINKS:

Fisher Flying Products
Kitplanes for Africa, represented by Drake Aviation
T-Bird TU from Berlin, Wisconsin
Thunderbird Aviation, builder of the Hiperlight
Lockwood Aircraft, builder of the AirCam

Note that background audio reflects an active, busy airshow. In addition, portions were sped up to make viewing them quicker. Enjoy this short tour of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. https://youtu.be/joXuFwWm8X8

Do you know when you’re an airshow junkie, ‘er… enthusiast? Answer: When you actually enjoy observing the set-up process. I’ve made the following observation many times. The night before opening, with literally hours before the show starts, the place appears in a state of chaos. Pandemonium reigns. Vehicles, crates, equipment of every kind is seemingly strewn about as if by a storm (which did do some damage on Saturday night, ironically most affecting those who started earlier). Every show I think, “No way can they get this or that exhibit ready in the 10-15 hours before the main gates open to hundreds of thousands of visitors.” Yet every show on opening day, I find myself saying, “What?! It’s all done!” Did they work all night? Even if staff was willing to work all night, it seemed unlikely to get the job done mere hours earlier. Maybe it’s magic or Santa’s Elves.

Newest (SLSA-to-be) Hiperlight at 2005 Prices, Plus an Important Request from AOPA!

By Dan Johnson || September 20, 2021 2 Comments

I consistently promote that this website focuses on "affordable" aircraft. I used quotes because affordable literally means something different to every single individual. None of us has the same budget and our financial picture can change tomorrow. At AirVenture 2021, I interviewed Ron Jones of Thunderbird Aviation about a two-seat Hiperlight he displayed in the Fun Fly Zone. The design by the Sorrell brothers has been around for decades but not until now has it been available as a ready-to-fly SLSA. In truth, it's still not available but Ron said, "It's coming" and it could arrive in time for the 2022 recreational flying season.

Thunderbird Aviation Line of Models

Back in the '80s, the Sorrells set out to create Hiperlight as high-performance aircraft using relative low horsepower.

The "lifting body" shape of the Hiperlight fuselage can be envisioned in this view as your eye follows the curvature of the cockpit to a tapered finish.

Thunderbird Aviation was established officially in 2002 when Ron reports being "lucky enough to stumble across a tiny ad in one of the aviation trade journals. They were advertising the sale of the tooling and rights for the Hiperlight." He went for it. A decade later, in 2013, Ron continued, "Rights and tooling became available for the Hiperbipe, which was originally designed in 1975 as a fully-aerobatic, cabin-class biplane. It filled out our product line." The Part 103 vehicle entry, SNS-8, works well on only 28 horsepower to carry 500 pounds gross weight. "It meets the requirements of Part 103 to be a legal ultralight vehicle," said the company. An SNS-9 two-place Hiperlight was designed to accommodate a 65 horsepower engine, which "provides excellent short field performance, while at the same time making it a viable cross county machine."

For the Special LSA version of SNS-8, Thunderbird will provide the Jabiru 2200, an 81-horsepower, air-cooled, four-cylinder engine that operates at revolutions familiar to GA pilots.

Finally, "the SNS-7 Hiperbipe is the fire-breathing big brother of the SNS-9," said Thunderbird, adding that SNS-7 was designed to compete in the sport aerobatic class, while at the same time being a comfortable weekend or cross country aircraft. Observe that the relative position of Hiperlight’s two wings is different than most biplanes. Most designers have placed the upper wing forward of the lower wing. Contrarily, "SNS" stands for Sorrell Negative Stagger. As you can see in these images, negative stagger certainly aids forward visibility while requiring less structure to attach landing gear, among other benefits. Other than the number of seats, all SNS models bear a remarkable resemblance incorporating as they do a "lifting body" fuselage. The nearby aft view highlights this visually. The two-seat SNS-9 is presently available in basic kit form, which requires the builder to do 51% of the assembly. This has been the case during all of Ron's two decades of representing this design. "Soon we will be offering them fully assembled and ready to fly," he added on the company website. A basic kit starts at $35,900 but it gets much more interesting.

Prepare to Be Amazed

In the interview, as you can hear for yourself, Ron is suggesting that Hiperlight as a Special LSA for (that is, fully-factory-built) could sell for a target of about $65,000. To fully appreciate that number, let me take you back in time.

Enhanced forward visibility plus simpler structure to carry gear loads are benefits found when using negative stagger for the wings as seen in this view.

In 2004 as the rule was announced, speculation was high that special Light-Sport Aircraft could or should sell for $50-60,000. Today, I hear people lament all the time that such a price cannot be found. In truth, that's incorrect today. You can find aircraft that sell for that number or less but what you find at that price may not be what you want. I'm thinking of several weight-shift trikes or powered parachutes that sell for roughly those numbers ready-to-fly. However, fixed wing choices are also available and a growing market of used LSA are much more affordable. However, we cannot ignore what has happened to the purchasing power of your dollars in the past 17 years. Let me do the caluculations for you. Assuming you accept the government's CPI as an accurate gauge of inflation, what $60,000 bought you in 2004 will take $81,000 today. Essentially, for you to go buy things you want, you'll spend 35% more dollars to buy the same items. You know this from your own daily purchases.

Simply put, a LSA selling for $81,000 in 2021 is priced the same (in purchasing power) as $60,000 was in 2004 when the SP/LSA rule was announced at Oshkosh that year. Therefore, Hiperlight, if it truly comes to market at $65,000, is actually cheaper than we expected in 2004… quite a bit less, actually. I find that amazing even as I acknowledge that $65,000 may not be "affordable" for everyone.

SNS-9 Hiperlight Thunderbird Aviation (Michigan) TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Wing Span — 23 feet 4 inches
Length — 18 feet
Height — 5 feet 4 inches
Wing Area — 148 square feet
Engine (planned for SLSA) — Jabiru 2200, 81 horsepower, four cylinders
Fuel Capacity — 12 gallons (15 gallons planned for SLSA model)
Empty Weight — 380 pounds (some change may occur with SLSA model)
Gross Weight — 875 pounds (some change may occur with SLSA model)
Maximum Speed — 113 miles per hour
Maximum Cruise — 85 miles per hour
Range — 260 miles
Stall Speed — 39 miles per hour
Take of Distance — 300 feet
Landing Distance — 300 feet
Rate of Climb — 600 feet per minute (higher performance expected with Jabiru 2200)
Glide Ratio — 12:1
Rate of Sink — 325 feet per minute
Load Factor — +3.8/–1.9
Assembly Time — 300-400 hours

https://youtu.be/9KdGmLHB4vw

LSA Flight Instruction AOPA Asks Your Help

Please allow me to draw your attention to a request from AOPA president Mark Baker asking for your help in fighting FAA's misstep over flight training. As this can tremendously impact training in Light-Sport Aircraft and experimental kits, this matter is critical. Please read and act if you believe FAA must change their position. …and THANK YOU!

Note: Links appearing in the letter below are reproduced for you after the letter.

Please use these links to…

Contact your Congressional Representatives

Learn More from AOPA about FAA's Action

I consistently promote that this website focuses on “affordable” aircraft. I used quotes because affordable literally means something different to every single individual. None of us has the same budget and our financial picture can change tomorrow. At AirVenture 2021, I interviewed Ron Jones of Thunderbird Aviation about a two-seat Hiperlight he displayed in the Fun Fly Zone. The design by the Sorrell brothers has been around for decades but not until now has it been available as a ready-to-fly SLSA. In truth, it’s still not available but Ron said, “It’s coming” and it could arrive in time for the 2022 recreational flying season. Thunderbird Aviation Line of Models Back in the ’80s, the Sorrells set out to create Hiperlight as high-performance aircraft using relative low horsepower. Thunderbird Aviation was established officially in 2002 when Ron reports being “lucky enough to stumble across a tiny ad in one of the aviation trade journals.

AirVenture Day 1: Welcome Back, Oshkosh! TODAY: Affordable Airplanes in the “Fun Fly Zone”

By Dan Johnson || July 27, 2021 2 Comments

WOW! It's great to be back at a major airshow. I imagine every single person on that immense stretch of show grounds (way past a mile north to south!) felt largely the same way I did. Airshow buddies. Cool aircraft to check out. All manner of compelling gear to make your bird better. Forums on a wide variety of topics. Terrific aerobatic acts and a constant, joyful racket of airplane noise. Oshkosh is literal aviation sensory overload and every person present is splashing around in it like a kid in a backyard pool. Whee!

Fun Fly Zone Where Affordable Aviation Lives

Short story first…

Midwest LSA Expo organizer and airport manager, Chris Collins models the new trailer Videoman Dave built for me to follow him all over Oshkosh.

My Canadian videographer Dave Loveman was denied entry at the border (long story) so I'm flying solo this year. I will concentrate in areas as the show is simply too big to cover top to bottom unless you have wheels — and they are reserved for a gilt-edged few. Most of us hoof it (or tram it), and did I mention the space stretches well over a mile plus miles more back and forth between exhibit spaces and aircraft. Aviation shows need lots of room and Oshkosh is the biggest of the big. When Dave can attend he uses a scooter (that can go literally anywhere …it's a golden ride). He's fitted his deluxe scooter with a tiny wheeled trailer, which I mount and then hang on for dear life as we wheel all over the grounds in minutes. Man, do I miss that speedy, if overly attention-getting, ride.

What follows will be key photos of the day plus a short paragraph. Each of these is worthy of its own story and when the show is over I will organize the best of these for a deeper dive. All of them, every one, are quite affordable.

Fixed Wing – Gyroplane – Powered Paraglider – Biplane – Trike – New LSA

BADLAND AIRCRAFT / F-SERIES — Chris Duell made a big change since I last ran into him (article here) and his new Badland F-series of legit Part 103 fixed wing aircraft. He moved from his longtime home in Las Vegas, Nevada to southern Minnesota. He was able to expand to more spacious quarters and beamed with pleasure at having enough room in a completely different surrounding. He recently bought this original Badland (nearby image) from a customer who had equipped it with tundra tires that looked great but might push it over Part 103 limits. Smaller tires as seen in the background make the numbers, Chris proved. He's got airplanes flying, kits in progress, and orders to build. Here's an affordable fixed wing aircraft many can like. F-series uses the Polini Thor engine with an E-Props propeller. Chris is pleased with both.

Dan Feldman demonstrates the "taxi mode" of his Dragon quad. At this balance point it looked effortless.

DRAGON QUAD PPG — A newcomer in the space is this simple but effective looking "quad" from Dragon PPG. These carriages are the next step for foot-launched powered paragliders. Purists will still prefer that method but those who aren't confident in running launches and landings may elect an undercarriage. These need to be much leaner than the construction of a two-place, Rotax 912-equipped powered parachute; they're pretty different aircraft. Yet these are highly affordable, offer splendid visibility, and are light enough to make transport easier. Developer Dan Feldman put Dragon PPG together in just six months but has tested it and had experts put it through its paces …with flying colors. Dragon is powered by a 50-horsepower Rotax 503 giving the Part 103 light aircraft a very spirited climb (most PPGs used 35-horsepower engines or smaller, though they carry less weight.) Dan said an ample supply of zero-time rebuilt 503s is available.

When interested in an aircraft, it's always a good idea to try one on for size. It was quite comfortable.

FUSION NANO (GYRO) — Gyroplanes have been a hot spot in light aviation for several years. The models have become increasingly deluxe with several top competitors in the space volleying back and forth for more sophisticated aircraft. They have indeed become beautiful flying machines. However, while most are still affordable compared to many top fixed wing LSA, they have priced themselves higher with each improvement. Single seat gyroplanes — like the Bensens and others when the category was founded — are very rare …until now. Fusion Copter makes a very affordable gyroplane that looks to deliver fun flying in that rotary way. In an earlier article I described the aircraft in more detail and I will have fresh news about this aircraft in the weeks ahead. HIPERLIGHT — Ron Jones has been selling a kit version of the Sorrell Brothers' Hiperlight series since he took over in 2004. The design dates to the early 1980s. For all that time, this longtime model has only been available as an Experimental Amateur Built but that is now changing. Ron reported (a video will follow with more details) that he has been working diligently for many months to go through the ASTM standards used by FAA to "accept" (not "certify") a new Special LSA. He expects to complete the project by the end of 2021 and then enthusiasts can buy a factory-built Hiperlight. After checking out several engines, Ron settled on the Jabiru 2200 four-cylinder, 80-horsepower engine. As Hiperlight is, well… light, this provides exhilarating performance, he said.

Remarkably, an Aeros Ant trike can be carried in three bags, seen here.

AEROS ANT (TRIKE) — Years ago I visited Aeros in the Ukraine. They were developing into a major supplier of hang gliders but were also contract building the Sky Ranger for a French company. It was a primitive working environment for many ex-Antonov workers (when Communism collapsed, many experienced workers and engineers were thrown out of work) but those people turned out some very nice products despite the challenges. Now, years later, their hang gliding background still lives and the Ant is a product aimed at that market …or anyone else looking for a very affordable price tag (below $20,000 ready to fly). Not only is the aircraft a bargain but it can literally pack down into three bags you could carry on and in most vehicles. Plus, Ant can retract its main gear in flight and packs down quickly for compact hangar storage as well. CARLSON SPARROW — Welcome back to Ernie Carlson's Sparrow! I knew this project was in the works (as reported earlier), but David Cooper and his helpers have been head-down learning the product and supplying some information that went missing through two previous owner changes since Ernie passed away. David acquired design rights, tooling, and inventory for Carlson's single place Part 103 Sparrow and the two place Sparrow XTC. He had an example of the latter at the show; it's the one they used to remeasure and confirm certain aspects of the design. After sorting out many details, David is now ready to start work on production. He will continue, of course, with the MiniMax line. The latter is nearly all wood, while Sparrow uses welded steel and aluminum construction. It's great to see David keeping these two long-lived models alive and well. OK, it's late and Tuesday is already here. So, that's a wrap for today. Let's see what I can find tomorrow!

WOW! It’s great to be back at a major airshow. I imagine every single person on that immense stretch of show grounds (way past a mile north to south!) felt largely the same way I did. Airshow buddies. Cool aircraft to check out. All manner of compelling gear to make your bird better. Forums on a wide variety of topics. Terrific aerobatic acts and a constant, joyful racket of airplane noise. Oshkosh is literal aviation sensory overload and every person present is splashing around in it like a kid in a backyard pool. Whee! Fun Fly Zone Where Affordable Aviation Lives Short story first… My Canadian videographer Dave Loveman was denied entry at the border (long story) so I’m flying solo this year. I will concentrate in areas as the show is simply too big to cover top to bottom unless you have wheels — and they are reserved for a gilt-edged few.

Ultralight April 2020 — Fourth in the Vintage Series: Hiperlight SNS 8 Biplane

By Dan Johnson || April 8, 2020 2 Comments

As we continue with this fourth in a series of ten about very affordable light aircraft from earlier times, we stress again that all the aircraft presented in this series still have some essential qualities that warranted their inclusion.

First, these are all aircraft with which Videoman Dave and I are personally familiar. I have flown all but one on the list and I believe Dave has flown all of them. So, we come to the series with real experiences in these flying machines. It has been a while for many of them, but assuming maintenance is good (see the important message at the end), this can be reasonable for many pilots to consider. However, as with any used aircraft, the buyer must be aware. Neither Dave nor I can comment on any one particular aircraft. Second, and with the maintenance message firmly planted in your mind, all the models in this Vintage Ultralight series still have parts available from current-day producers. These companies rarely succeed solely from making parts — though doing so can form a reasonable business when enough of them are still flying.

Hiperlight SNS 8 Biplane

In this article and video below we will take a quick look at the Hiperlight SNS 8 dating back into the 1980s when the Sorrel brothers first created it out west.

As it turns out, the Sorrel Hiperlight SNS 8 was originally designed at the request of Ron Schettler, the first Canadian Distributor of Rotax aircraft engines. It was originally designed to be powered by the Rotax 277 single-cylinder, 28-horsepower two-stroke engine using a Hegar belt reduction drive. Digging deeper we find SNS 8 is actually a smaller version of the Sorrell Hiperbipe. For those curious about naming conventions, SNS in the name stands for "Sorrell Negative Stagger." A negative stagger puts the lower wing ahead of the upper wing, where most commonly with biplanes, that is not the case. The most celebrated example of negative stagger is the elegant (and not very affordable) Beech Staggerwing (photo below video).

SNS 8 is offered in kit form. It features a two piece 4130-welded steel fuselage, which can be separated for ease of storage. The aircraft can be covered in pre-sewn Dacron sail cloth envelopes or by the use of standard aircraft covering materials. Building times are in the 150 to 400 hour range, with the conventional fabric covering taking longer to complete. Present-day supplier Thunderbird Aviation in Michigan stated, "SNS-8 was designed to comply with Part 103 of the FARs and is still one of the few ultralights being manufactured legally. Since it meets ultralight vehicle parameters, you can get in it in kit form or you can get it fully assembled ready to fly."

Thunderbird Aviation was established officially in 2002 by Ron Jones. He reported, "[We] offer aircraft that appeal to a wide range of interests …from an ultralight, to a two-place Experimental, to a fully aerobatic yet cross-country-capable machine, and soon to come will be the SLSA Version." Beside being a biplane. Hiperlight SNS8 is a taildragger in a tractor configuration. It uses standard stick-and-rudder, three-axis controls, with full-span flaperons on the lower wing, a center mounted stick, and left hand throttle.

Beside a Rotax 377 or 447, other engines that have powered the Hiperlight SNS 8 are Hirth, Kawasaki, and half-VW conversions. Climb rate comes in at around 750 feet per minute, cruise is 55 to 65 miles per hour, and stall comes in at 27 miles per hour. A new kit Hiperlight from Thunderbird has the following specifications:

Wing Span — 22 feet
Length — 15 feet 6 inches
Wing Area — 140 square feet
Engine — MZ201
Fuel Capacity — 5 gallons
Empty Weight — 247 pounds
Gross Weight — 500 pounds
Assembly Time — 150-200 hours
Maximum speed — 98 mph
Maximum Cruise — 62 mph
Stall Speed — 27 mph
Range — 150 miles
Take off Distance — 175 feet
Landing Distance — 175 feet
Rate of Climb — 700 fpm
Glide Ratio — 12:1

At the time of production of this video The Ultralight Flyer would estimate the value of a used Hiperlight SNS 8 from the 1980s to be worth between $4,500 and $6,500.

Standard Advice for Buying a Used Vintage Ultralight — The Ultralight Flyer YouTube channel recommends that Dacron envelopes be removed from SNS-8 models to thoroughly inspect the airframe, wings, landing gear area, and control systems. ••• If the history of the engine is unknown it is recommended that the exhaust be removed and the pistons inspected for wear and seizure. I encourage you to support The Ultralight Flyer YouTube channel here.

https://youtu.be/mcfEQXQJIEo

Beech Aircraft's Staggerwing is considered by many to be a handsome aircraft, an early luxury cruiser of its day.

As we continue with this fourth in a series of ten about very affordable light aircraft from earlier times, we stress again that all the aircraft presented in this series still have some essential qualities that warranted their inclusion. First, these are all aircraft with which Videoman Dave and I are personally familiar. I have flown all but one on the list and I believe Dave has flown all of them. So, we come to the series with real experiences in these flying machines. It has been a while for many of them, but assuming maintenance is good (see the important message at the end), this can be reasonable for many pilots to consider. However, as with any used aircraft, the buyer must be aware. Neither Dave nor I can comment on any one particular aircraft. Second, and with the maintenance message firmly planted in your mind, all the models in this Vintage Ultralight series still have parts available from current-day producers.