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CX7 Prototype Updates
As of
April 09, 2018, there are more than 585 CX4 builders in 20 countries and 60 CX4's have
flown the nest (with
3316.6 fleet hours reported).
There are now more than 110 CX5 builders in 9 countries. Glen Bradley's CX5 (S/N 001)
made its maiden flight in December of 2013.
It
now has almost 600 hours on the Hobb's.
Do you have any news to share? Please send us the details!
| Date | Description |
|
Mon 2018/4/09 |
A new "CX7
Prototype Update" page is now available!
We have been aware of the CX7
since it was just a concept floating around
at Thatcher Aircraft, Inc., several years
ago. Although Dave
prefers to remain quiet on specific details,
it is now widely known that the CX7 is in an
active prototype Weather
permitting, Glen Bradley will be at SnF 2018
this week with his CX5 in the "Alternative
Engine" area. Glen has scheduled two forums
in CFAA classroom 11 (Wednesday & Friday -
1-2 pm both days). A recent check of the SnF
Forum website has both of Glens forum topics
incorrectly titled "The Third Thatcher - The
CX7 Side-by-Side". Although that title was
used in error by the schedulers at SnF, Glen
will make every effort to answer most
general CX7 questions raised. |
|
Sun 2017/4/16 |
The 55th
CX4 has been flying "under the radar"! We've recently learned that another CX4 has made it's maiden flight, however, we don't know when that actually was. This fastback version (#385, N63TG) was completed and has been flying by Tony Gallo of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. Tony recently indicated on the Yahoo group site that his bird has 60 hours of time, and he is flying behind a RevMaster 2300, but no other details were made available. He doesn't appear to be a regular contributor on the Yahoo site, but if he would like to share any details of the build or his flying experiences with his bird, we'd be happy to post them here!
Editor Note:
Tony just posted this (Apr 17) on the Yahoo
group site - directed to Glen Bradley: |
|
Mon 2017/4/10 |
Glen
Bradley's Full Sun n' Fun 2017
Trip Summary
"There is a lot to say about
this trip....all good. I have never had a
trip of any type go as well as this one and
certainly not a fly-in trip. Other than
having to hand pull my airplane several
hundred yards by hand on Monday in the heat,
all was good. The following report is
somewhat detailed and may bore some of you
so be forewarned." I decided to get as close as I could to LAL because I knew I'd never find a place to stay the night in LAL. The flight to Tampa N was superb. Smooth and CAVU around the curve of Florida. I landed at a new place for me, Tampa N - strong headwinds all the way but CAVU otherwise. Flew right over the miles and miles of swamp and grasslands and Crystal River, the place where I have taken my kids to swim with the manatees. Tampa N turned out to be superb. The strip is narrow and a bit bumpy on this live-in aviation community/public airport. Wasn't sure I could even land there but ForeFlight said "open to the public", so I did. I went into the FBO which turned out to be the Happy Hangar restaurant. After fueling
up at 3.80 cash, I went inside for another
cool-down and caffeine replenishment with
lunch. I got what I thought was a small
chicken sandwich (I am trying to be good)
and it turned out to be HUGE...for 4 bucks.
Great service. Hitched a ride to my motel
with a family there and checked in to the
Best Western. Not expensive and quite nice
with hot breakfast included. Slept well with
the AC set on 67. LAL was IFR but I knew it would lift so I coffeed up while I waited. As soon as the airports enroute went VFR, I took off through a corridor of kinda ok weather knowing it was clearing fast. LAL was 25 sm away. Todd Henning (Community site guru) texted me just before I took off that the normal Lake Parker approach procedure I had memorized wasn't' being used on Monday - even though the NOTAM said it would be, so I called approach and they handed me off to the Tower. I got a L downwind to 9L. Tower told me to keep in close so I did and they complimented me on doing a great job. I had a 17
knot direct crosswind and maxed out both the
aileron and rudder on my not so smooth
landing but "got 'er down" and taxied in
showing my P for Paradise City sign. I
taxied a long way before they make me shut
down and then I had to pull the plane by
hand all the way from Paradise City to the
ALTERNATIVE ENGINE display area. A long way
on a very hot day. That was by far the most
difficult part of the entire week. I was
Extremely hot and a long way, but I had
arrived!!!! I was at SunNFun with the
Thatcher CX5. Yippee!!! A milestone!! Pat is quite knowledgeable and also knows tons of people in the SunNFun community. Ralph turned out to be a real treasure - his specific and detailed knowledge of nearly anything related to the engineering of aircraft and engines was stunning but, much to my surprise, his knowledge in nearly all areas of engineering was so very impressive. As I asked
him questions every day on our drive to and
from Orlando he became a good friend (and I
don't use that term lightly) and my
knowledge base grew constantly. Wow, what an
unexpected treat to get to know Ralph. BTW
Ralph and Joe are the two owners of
RevMaster Engines. I also renewed and
deepened my friendship with Pat Panzera. It
was superb. One of those
was Adam who had been reading the list
comments for years and came to SunNFun,
taking a day off work, just to see the CX5.
He bought the first set of plans I sold at
the show, Number 96. Had a well attended forum at 10 and support at the forum from Pat, Bob Hasson, the Leonard brothers (who always make me smile) and out newest flying CX4 owner Harold McCollum. Good forum. Thanks guys! The weather
slowed down the general attendance just
enough that I finally got to check the oil
and see if any was on the belly of the plane
from the breather. Oil usage: zero
observable on stick. Oil on bottom from
breather: 2 drops Late Saturday
afternoon: I got to stay
with him and his son on Sat night. His wife
was out of town so we guys had the place to
ourselves and his two Great Danes were very
nice. I had a great time meeting and petting
those two huge dogs. Awesome. Thanks Adam. Soon I was in the camping area at the E of the field by Paradise City. I knew I could get fuel there so I filled up and followed the FOLLOW ME cart out to the taxi way. It went well and I was only about number 4 in line so I was off before I knew it. They were having two planes take off staggered on the same runway so faster planes overtook slower ones etc. It was fun. I flew the
required 3 miles E and then turned on course
toward Tallahassee. At altitude I was cold
so I shut the vents a bit and watched the S
FL houses scroll by, along the a Nuclear
Power Plant and the cross Fl canal. Saw the
Twin Otter skydiving plane climbing out
nearby me and continued on noticing the very
nice and straight, but almost abandoned
roads that I-75 stole traffic from. I have
driven those roads many times but it was
much nicer to look down on them and never
have to stop at roughly twice the speed and
NO curves that waste miles. Awesome flight. I departed early afternoon and hit choppy air immediately. I had bumps and turbulent air and long updrafts and downdrafts giving me 500 fpm up or down at random. I took it up to 5000 feet where it was not quite a bumpy. CAVU otherwise. About half way home (45 min) the air smoothed out above 4000 so I cruised along watching the Air Force outlying fields of Eglin AF Base slide under the wing. The restricted area was not "hot" on Sunday so I turned direct to Pensacola. At my 9
o'clock was a huge forest fire (often set
intentionally to burn off underbrush etc) .
The air was not turbulent so the smoke
gently clouded the air from the surface up
to about 6000 feet, gently drifting to the
N. I would have had to go around to the
coast but I found an area of relative clear
air and flew through with no issues. From
there on it was literally downhill to PNS at
19 in MP and 115 mph most times but
occasionally up to 127 (still some very long
updrafts and downdrafts but smooth). The PNS
tower gave me a L base entry behind a big
bird taking off so I extended for turbulence
and landed on the runway I know so well
about 1.5 hours after I left TLH.
Most Common Comments About The Plane
Summary I had
the best flight ever to SunNFun!. Pat and
Ralph were superb hosts and the other
volunteers were helpful and cheerful all
week. I made a couple of new friends. The
plane drew strong compliments every day and
performed flawlessly. The weather could not
have been better. All in all: A+ |
|
Sun 2017/4/9 |
Glen
Bradley's Initial Sun n' Fun 2017
Trip Summary
"This is going to be just a
brief summary because I am exhausted. Much
more tomorrow.
Glen B |
|
Sun 2017/4/9 SnF |
Sun n' Fun 2017
Final Day 'LiveATC.net"
is the original source for streaming all audio
from Sun n Fun.
Use the link below to go directly to
their website, then choose the stream of your choice (ie: Sun
'n Fun Radio, KLAL Approach/Departure, KLAL Ground/Advisory,
KLAL Lake Parker VFR Arrival, KLAL Tower, Sun 'n Fun Air
Show/Blue Angels): "Sun n Fun Today"
is the official daily paper distributed by General Aviation News
on the Sun n Fun grounds every day. Here's the link to the
current and recent legacy issues available: Curious about the SnF
forums? Here's the link,
then select the desired day and enter "forum" in the search box: Todays Airshow: 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm EST
LiveAirshowTV, in conjunction with Livestream,
will be streaming video from the Sun n' Fun
Airshow today. You can view the video in full screen.
Here's the link: "Sun n
Fun Today" is the daily paper
distributed on the Sun n Fun grounds every
day. Here's the link to today's edition:
|
|
Sat 2017/4/8 SnF |
Todays Airshow: 1:30 pm - 5:30 pm EST Tonights Airshow: 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm EST
LiveAirshowTV, in conjunction with Livestream,
will be streaming video from the Sun n' Fun
Airshow today. You can view the video in full screen.
Here's the link: "Sun n
Fun Today" is the daily paper
distributed on the Sun n Fun grounds every
day. Here's the link to today's edition: |
|
Fri 2017/4/7 SnF |
"Sun
n Fun Today" is the daily paper
distributed on the Sun n Fun grounds every
day. Here's the link to today's edition: Todays Airshow: 1:30-5:30 EST Glen's
Forum: Glen's
Comments (Day 4): Once again, a crowd
gathered around Glen, curious about his
building and flying the CX5. |
|
Thurs 2017/4/6 SnF |
"Sun n
Fun Today" is the daily paper
distributed on the Sun n Fun grounds every
day. Here's the link to today's edition: Glen's
Comments (Day 3 - 9:30 am EST): The CX5 has had tons of attention. I talk to interested guys much of the day and many of them are already familiar with THATCHER aircraft. The afternoon full power run-up at 3:30 was a hit and generated lots of questions. Wed forum was very well attended and Pat and the Leonard brothers lent their support by complimenting THATCHER designs in their own special way. It was very good. Expected to clear here in a couple hours and then sunny and cool.
Great trip! |
|
Wed 2017/4/5 SnF |
"Sun n
Fun Today" is the daily paper
distributed on the Sun n Fun grounds every
day. Here's the link to today's edition: Glen's
Comments (Day 2 - 6:00 am EST):
|
|
Tues 2017/4/4 SnF |
"Sun n Fun Today"
is the daily paper distributed on the Sun n
Fun grounds every day. Here's the link to
today's edition: Glen's
Comments (Day 1 - 10:10 am EST): Ralph is
truly an amazing man. I have found that the
RevMaster engine is even more bulletproof
than I thought. They drag race the smaller
engine at 8000 rpm and 230 hp. That means
the 2300 is loafing at 85 hp. The CX5 has a
Panther for a neighbor in the Engine
Workshop area on the north side of the tent.
|
|
Mon 2017/4/3 SnF |
Glen and
N14GB are at Sun n' Fun 2017! They're parked in the "Engine Workshop" area, with the plane soon to be tied down just outside the tent (11 am CST). Thanks to everyone that made this trip possible!
|
|
Fri 2017/3/3 |
The 54th CX4 has completed its maiden flight! Harold McCollum just reported to Glen Bradley that his CX4, Serial number 292, N292CX, has completed its first flight at Keystone Heights Airport (42J) in Starke, Florida earlier today. He did mention to Glen that he was shocked with his birds power and speed. We didn't have the opportunity to speak to Harold yet, but he did mention earlier this week that he would send us complete details on the flight. Keystone Heights was chosen for the initial flights of his bird because it features a 5000' surfaced runway. After the preliminary initial flight testing, Harold will be moving his bird closer to his home at Spencers Airpark (FL13) in Middleburg, Florida 32068.
This is the update we just received from
Harold: I realized I had a tiger by the tail and it shot to patter altitude before down wind. So of the guys gave me a rough rpm for 80 mph at 1700 which I tried 1400 and it still gave me 90 down wind. This plane is one of the cleanest and best airplane ever designed I do not understand why these planes are not selling for $28,000. Dave and Glen job well done."
Harold, on behalf of everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5
Community, |
|
Thurs 2016/8/4 |
The 53rd CX4 has made its maiden flight! Ed Seffel has just announced that after surviving a flood, with 15 inches of water, mud and debris in the hanger that his CX4 N341CX, Serial number 341, made its first flight in Bulverde, Texas on Thursday August 4th, 2016. His CX4 has a 2180 VW behind an Ed Sterba 54/46 prop. Ed wants to publically thank Dave Thatcher for his great design that has resulted in another great flying aircraft!
Ed, on behalf of everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5
Community, |
|
Thurs 2016/7/21 |
Flying the Thatcher CX4 and CX5! "Flying the Thatcher CX4 and CX5" is the latest article by Patrick Panzera that has been published in the current issue of Sport Aviation/Experimenter (August 2016). In it, Pat shares his perspectives of both planes after having the opportunity to fly each of them.
Here's a link to a pdf of the article:
Editor Note: Our thanks to EAA for the
magazine coverage, Pat Panzera for another excellent article,
Sheldon Heatherington for the beautiful photo's, and of course
Dave Thatcher and Glen Bradley for making both planes available! |
|
Wed 2016/7/13 |
Unable to attend Oshkosh 2016? Live Streaming Video:
Live Streaming Audio:
Current Oshkosh (KOSH) Weather: |
|
Sun 2016/7/3 |
The 52nd CX4 Has Taken to the Air! CX4 19-8513 serial number 164 took to the skies of Manjimup, WA Australia yesterday 2nd July 2016. Test flight was done by the builder/owner Kevin Wintergreene. "The plane flew hands off and performed really well with only a small adjustment required to the right aileron. Thanks to Dave Thatcher for producing such a nice aircraft." |
|
Mon 2016/4/4 |
Gentlemen, Since my announcement on March 31 to discontinue this website, I have received a couple of direct offers (and noticed several others extended via the Yahoo group site) to continue this Community website forward. Not wanting to discount the thoughtfulness behind each of these offers, I do have multiple reasons for my underlying feelings against the value of this type of “assistance”. Since day one, all efforts I’ve made with the Community site have been done as a labor of love, personally funded, and I have not received any financial support or donations from any other source. Although the cash outlay over the years has not been excessive, the personal labor required to grow and maintain the entire site has continued to multiply. The original page source code was configured in FrontPage 2003 SP3 (HTML – Note: FP2003 is no longer supported, but runs and is still used on my Win7 desktop. Changed files are manually uploaded to the web server using a separate ftp application (FileZilla). As pages were added to the site, the last page created was essentially copied, and edited for the desired results. As a result I’ve made countless manual changes to the code on every individual page. Over time, ancillary files used throughout the site (ie photos) have grown top heavy as images were updated or otherwise replaced, the original files were left on the web servers. To manually maintain the website now for someone new to it all would take far more time than I suspect anyone has. In spite of the best of intentions, I cannot see anyone maintaining interest in the efforts required for very long before giving up. Accepting the inevitable result, I feel it best that it just be shut down now, without dragging any of it through the mud. If someone would come forward and outline a plan to redesign and rebuild the site using the structure given by CSS’s, I think it could have a chance. But without the potential to generate any reward for the efforts required, I don’t believe anyone would be willing. Furthermore, I’m not going to turn the cx4community.com name over to anyone. If someone would be interested in taking the site forward, they’d need to arrange a new sight of their own (.com address), and transfer the new site contents to it as they are rebuilt. Being open HTML, the current site contents can be examined and copied if desired anytime. You’d just have to determine how to “View Source” for each individual page. I may be willing to package and supply all image files for the site if I think doing so has merit, but I will not be available to provide any type of help or assistance with any future actions dealing with this website or any of its content. Regards, |
|
Thurs 2016/3/31 |
Important Notice The CX4 & CX5 Community website has been a personal labor of love that I created years ago to provide a one-stop easy to navigate ad-free multi-language international website for posting any Dave Thatcher CX4 & CX5 aircraft information I could gather. Its structure and content have been a result of my personal research across the internet but has also been greatly assisted by the sharing of information by many others. My career has always come first, but I did make the recent decision to finally retire and was looking forward to finally being able to devote time once again to making the site current and keeping it that way (and finally start building my own CX5!). Unfortunately, life has presented me with other plans. Major health issues have surfaced, and the time and effort they demand leave room for nothing else. For this reason, I will be permanently shutting the CX4 & CX5 Community website down in the very near future. I will keep it on-line for a short time to permit anyone to capture any of the content that is currently there. My heartfelt thanks to Dave
Thatcher for his fantastic aircraft designs and for permitting
me to build and maintain the CX4 & CX5 Community website over
the years, to the many new friends I’ve made and to the many
others that have contributed to the websites success. |
|
Fri 2016/3/11 |
The 51st CX4 Has Taken to the Air! Dean Tompkins, one of our many good friends in Australia, just announced that his CX4 (#434) made its maiden flight yesterday morning. Dean reported no surprises, and said it just flew nicely, proving the saying "if it looks good the it will fly good".
Dean thanks Dave for giving us all this wonderful
aeroplane and also thanks Mick Wright for his encouragement,
assistance and advice over the life of the project. He added
"Keep at it guys, the end result is worth every minute spent" |
|
Thurs 2016/1/21 |
The 50th CX4 Has Made It's Maiden Flight! Joel Williams (Running Springs, California, USA) is very happy to report that after a brief 6 year build period that CX4-A, N252EX, serial number #252 has just made it's first flight from Hemet Ryan Airport (KHMT) in Hemet, CA. Joel was quick to add that his bird flew great and he had no issues to report. Another beautiful CX4 has taken to the skies!
Joel, on behalf of everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5
Community, |
|
Mon 2015/10/5 |
CX4 Center Section & Wings For Sale
The assembled CX4 center section and wings were built by Thomas Webster of Columbus, Ohio from
plans number 350. They were donated to EAA Chapter 9 when Tom
passed away several years ago. The members of EAA 9 have decided
not to continue the build and would like to sell the parts. A
photo and contact information can be found on the
For Sale page. |
|
Sat 2015/8/8 |
Thom Riddle just sent us this quick update on N254RM An update on my CX4 that Roger Miller built, #398, N254RM. After this morning's flight, the Hobbs meter now reads exactly 100.0 hours. It still flies great and is so economical to operate I don't even have to think about the cost of flying it. Thom Riddle
We've only received a couple Hobb's meter updates from the flying CX4 & CX5 fleet in recent months. We'd like to keep this number as current as possible, so if you can help, please let us know. You can use the link (in gray) near the top of this page or post it on the Yahoo group and we'll take it from there! Thanks! |
|
Thurs 2015/8/6 |
The 49th CX4 Had Its Wheels Leave The Ground! Donald Nattress (Richard's Landing, St. Joseph's Island, Ontario, Canada) just sent the following news to Dave:
Good Day Dave,
Don, on behalf of everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5
Community, |
|
Thurs 2015/7/9 |
Unable to attend Oshkosh 2015? Live Streaming Video:
Live Streaming Audio:
|
|
Mon 2015/6/29 |
Thatcher Aircraft, Inc.
has announced that the original CX4 (#001, N3058W)
While Dave has graciously made the CX4 available for many pilots to fly since its maiden flight, he has decided that its finally time for N3058W to be sold and find a new hanger to call home. The history of this aircraft is known by many, with numerous postings and photographs throughout this website, the Thatcher CX4 website and the Yahoo group. The aircraft
can be seen at Dave's hanger at Pensacola International and
he has listed it on
Barnstormers as well. |
|
Sun 2015/5/10 |
The 48th CX4 Recently Made Its First Flight! Jack Ference (Pickerington, Ohio, USA) is pleased to announce the first flight of his CX4A (#355, N443JF) on Tuesday April 28, 2015. His good friend Jim Baldwin made the first flight, and Jacks next goal is to get himself current. He's running a Revmaster 2300 with an Ed Sterba 54 x 48 prop and reports the first flight gave 3000 rpm on takeoff and climbout at 100 mph. Max throttle in the air gave 3200 rpm and 140 mph+. Better numbers will be developed as flight testing continues. Jack did report a nosewheel shimmy problem on landing and said this will be corrected first. He commented that its a great airplane, and says thanks again to David for designing it for us.
Jack, on behalf of everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5
Community, We all look forward to hearing how your bird flies with the RevMaster and you as PIC! PS - In a follow-up Yahoo post 5/13/2015, Jack added: "I now have a little over 1 hour and initial numbers are looking good.
These numbers are without wheel pants. After more testing will see what everything ends up being. Don’t know if it will need more prop or not."
Jack |
|
Sun 2015/4/5 |
Thatcher Aircraft, Inc. just
notified CX5 builders via the Yahoo Group that Dave
recommends not making the CX5 bulkheads until he can get the
changes made and distributed to everyone. |
|
Fri 2015/3/20 |
Thatcher Aircraft, Inc. has just released a Recommended Modification for the CX4 & CX5 Tail Wheel Spring Mount. It was reported on February 26, 2015 that during a routine condition inspection of a CX4 with 485 hours of rough sod field operation, cracks were found on the F12 bulkhead where the tail wheel bracket attaches. After investigation, cracks were found on the F12 bulkhead and lower skin due to a rocking action of the 3/16” x 1-1/2” mount angle for the tail wheel spring. It is recommended to remove the angle and replace with the bracket shown in the advisory.
Details of the modification can be found on
the Thatcher CX4 & CX5 website. |
|
Mon 2015/3/2 |
Aircraft Spruce has added the CX5 to its on-line Kits/Plans
webpage! What does this mean? It greatly simplifies the process for builders when ordering CX5 parts from them. Simply go to the Kit/Plans page on their website (Aircraft Spruce Kits/Plans). Click on "Thatcher" in the list on the left, then click on "Thatcher CX5" to go to the page with the Thatcher CX5 information & parts available under AS kit part number 01-01439. The most important feature of this new webpage is the ability to see a complete listing of the individual parts, and edit the quantity desired (0, 1, 2, 3, etc) of any or all items on the list before placing your order. To see the expanded list, click on the "Click here for Expanded Kit Components" link on their webpage. Their on-line list will always reflect the current pricing for every item shown. The Aircraft Spruce expanded list reflects the parts they have available as shown on the CX5 Material List dated February 8, 2015. It will be necessary to edit your order for any changes released after this date (See "CX5 Material List" change notices on the "Prototype Update" page. Editor Note: On behalf
of all the current and future CX5 builders around the world, we'd
really like to
thank both Josh Solis and Michael Vega at Aircraft Spruce for their
time and effort in making this new webpage available! |
|
Sun 2015/1/18 |
We heard from an old friend in the Community
recently. Lee Bates built CX4 N27CX a few years back (plans #027 & the 16th CX4 to fly). Its initial flight was in November of 2009.
After his experiences building and flying his bird, he made the decision to sell it to a gentleman in Kerrville, TX, USA, and then moved on to other projects. Not being one to ever sit still, Lee became an author and wrote an autobiography, targeted to the younger audiences of today. It is about the life experiences learned and shared during his professional engineering career at Boeing Aircraft. Lee hopes that it will encourage our younger generation to pursue a rewarding career in the engineering field. Lees 384 page book, "Due Diligence," has
just been published and is available through Amazon. Here’s the
link:
|
|
Thurs 2014/12/25 |
The 47th CX4 Is Flying! Bob Squires (Ovilla, Texas, USA) notified us that his bird, Pan-Lom Garuda (#440, N440BS) had its airworthiness certificate issued on October 22. Fast forward to today and Bob sent us a note stating that N440BS made its maiden flight on December 12th from Mid-Way Regional airport (KJWY), Midlothian, Texas.
Bob, Your bird is beautiful. On behalf of
everyone in the Thatcher CX4 & CX5 Community, |
|
Mon 2014/12/15 |
Activity on the Yahoo CX4 group site has been
kind of slow lately. We're discovering why... Yes, the holiday season is getting close and normally the Yahoo group gets quiet because everyone is getting ready for all the holiday festivities. It appears this year that CX builders are staying in their shops a while longer, cutting, bending, drilling holes and popping rivets in 6061-T6 of all shapes and sizes! Dave passed along these photos of another CX5 that is well under way. Nick Proietto and his two sons (CX5 #26, West Grove, Pennsylvania, USA) have been busy on their bird. Nick mentioned that between the three of them, the work area was full of other projects (OK - the normal collection of guy stuff) when this project was started. At every step of the way, they've had to rearrange things to accommodate the CX5. Sounds like the same story we've heard from most every other builder...
Keep up the good work guys! Your initial
efforts look great!
|
|
Sun 2014/12/14 |
It looks like Santa Claus came early for a
couple of builders... Peter Beck (CX5 #22, Louisville, Kentucky, USA) recently posted the following: "Big week in Louisville! The Revmaster R2300 engine (serial 0144) arrived the day before Thanksgiving, and I was able to hang it that same weekend.
Ernie Martin had shipped in the cowl that he was intending to use as the plug (master) for new CX5 cowls so it could be checked for fit. He flew in in his beautiful, UL 206 powered CX4 to add a second pair of hands and eyes to the fit-up. We found that some reasonably significant mods are going to have to be made.
The Revmaster
has a longer prop hub than most other VW
variants. Also, the spark plug coils and
valve covers require more cowl cheek space.
The objective was to create a cowl that
would not force any changes whatever to the
engine configured as Revmaster produces it.
(By itself, the engine is a true work of
art). Moreover, my personal choice is to use
the Revflo carburetor, alternate air and ram
air tube, which may require a longer,
shaped, ram air intake port in the cowl None of us builders have an excess of cash, and we are all tempted every now and then to think of the parts the people above produce as too costly. I've worn the producer T-shirt, and I assure everyone that they are not, and that every producer is giving far more in skill, experience, time and commitment to quality as well as materials than they are getting in return for the amount charged. What they are doing makes homebuilding and flying work. Godspeed to all of them. And blue skies and a Blessed Christmas to all." Peter Beck
PS
- Peter also mentioned that his shop is
always open to CX5 / CX4 fans and the coffee
is always on. Ed Synder (& Rob Flood, CX5 #41, Laveen, Arizona, USA) recently posted the following: "Pictures attached for those who have not seen the work performed by Greg Westberry at Westberry Manufacturing, LLC. These are of his CX5 Spar and Wing kits. (Not all parts received are shown.)" Ed noted the excellent workmanship and packaging for shipment. He has other construction photos on Facebook at "Building the Thatcher CX5 Aircraft".
|
|
Thurs 2014/12/11 |
Glen Bradley asked if we could post a couple of new CX5 photo's... Russell Hill (CX5 #52 Pensacola, FL USA) has gotten a serious start on his CX5 project, and passed these photo's along to Glen to show his progress. Glen mentioned that there are now four CX5's being built in the Pensacola area!
|
|
Sat 2014/12/6 |
The 46th CX4 Just Made It's Maiden Flight! Les Brusse (Enterprise, Alabama. USA) notified us that after five years of building, he was excited to report that CX4 N136JB (plans number 215) took to the sky for it's first flight on 12/01/2014 at his home field in Enterprise (KEDN).
Les said flying it feels good and thanks Dave
Thatcher for all his help and encouragement during the build.
Les, Thanks for sharing your news &
congratulations |
|
Thurs 2014/12/4 |
Dave has released a Recommended Modification for the CX4 & CX5 Tri-gear front strut and wheel fork. A recent event with the nose gear on CX5 001 prompted this modification that Dave Thatcher recommends be done on all CX4 & CX5 Tri-gear front forks. A minor engine oil leak was discovered, with oil traveling down the front strut that ultimately impregnated the Belleville washer stack. This oil relieved the preload on the washer stack, and allowed a severe shimmy to occur on the front wheel assembly during taxi. The front wheel assembly rotated 360° during the shimmy, and entered the prop arc. The prop and wheel pant were damaged. To prevent this extreme rotation in the future, a wheel stop was designed to limit the front wheel rotation to 45° left and 45° right of center. Details of this modification has been added to the "Advisories" page of www.thatchercx4.com. Note: The complete Advisory is in a PDF format that can easily be printed and saved. Dave previously issued a Mandatory Modification for
replacement of the Dave had requested that this modification be immediately posted on the CX4 & CX5 Community website. An oversight was made when this important modification was not added to the Thatchercx4.com "Advisory" webpage. This has been corrected. Details of this modification have been added to the "Advisories" page of www.thatchercx4.com. Note: The complete Advisory is in a
PDF format that can easily be printed and saved. |
|
Sat 2014/9/27 |
The 45th CX4 Just Made It's Maiden Flight!
Philip Richards (New
Zealand) just notified us that his bird (#463, ZK-JDY) spread
its wings and took to the sky
Phil, Thanks for sharing your news.
Congratulations from everyone in the Thatcher Community!
Editor Note: Phil's CX4 is the third
to fly in New Zealand. |
|
Wed 2014/9/24 |
Brandon Burgdorf just posted a new video of N147HL on Vimeo! Brandon just made another great video of his latest adventure buzzing around the river bottoms in his area the other night. He reports the CX4 is a great maneuvering aircraft & that he absolutely loves this plane. After watching this, you'll know why!
Editor Note: Enlarge this to full-screen once it starts and you won't be disappointed!
|
|
Sat 2014/9/13 |
We've learned once again that Dave Thatcher is not one to sit
still.
With the experience gained with the CX5 speed brake redesign, Dave just
completed the design
Sheldon Heatherington had the first opportunity to fly Dave's bird after its installation, and reports the following:
Editor Note: Dave has just
notified us that as of Wednesday September 24, plans are
available for anyone interested in installing this Speed Brake
mod in their CX4. The cost is $40.00 USD and he covers the
shipping. See the Parts page
here or on
Dave's website
for ordering information. |
|
Fri 2014/9/12 |
The 44th CX4 Has Taken To the Sky! Earlier this year, Mick Wright notified us that another CX4 in Australia was close to flying.
That day has arrived. Mick just posted the following on Yahoo: Congratulations to Dennis Martin of
Ridgehaven,
Australia! Dennis (blue hat) taking the controls for the birds 2nd flight of the day. This is the 3rd CX4 to fly in Australia."
Dennis, We all offer our congratulations on
your flight! |
|
Sun 2014/8/24 |
We recently learned that another CX4 has made
it's first flight!  A friend of Charlie Wieland (Huntington Beach CA USA) informed us that Charlie's CX4 (#260, N260CW) made it's first flight back in April. Charlie wanted to hold back from making any announcement about the flight, made by Dave Stevenson, until he had the opportunity to personally fly his bird and was able to provide a personal flight evaluation (so the results would be more than just hear say). When asked for an initial PIREP anyway, Charlie did report the following about the flight:
Editor Note: Charlie's news means a revision is required to the record of CX4's that have now taken their first flight. We reported on July 25th that Earnest Martin's bird was the 42nd to take to the air. Charlie's bird now moves into that spot, and Earnest's bird jumps up to number 43!
Charlie, Congrats on your birds first
flight, and we all look forward to your first PIREP once you get
your endorsement. |
|
Sat 2014/7/26 |
Dave has released an updated CX5 Material List.
Here's the link: Editor Note: We also have a folder in the files section of the Yahoo group site where this updated CX5 Material list is also available. Glen Bradley posted a PIREP yesterday (See Prototype Updates page) with some initial detail on the operation and performance enhancements made possible with the speed brake Dave redesigned on the CX5. Dave has updated the Material List to reflect the changes.
|
|
Fri 2014/7/25 |
The 42nd CX4 Has Taken It's First Flight! Earnest Martin (N414CX, #173) notified Dave that he finally had the opportunity to fly his CX4 about 7:00 pm this evening!
"I had no airframe problems, but some instrumentation and new engine temp problems. Everything went very well, as first flights go. My biggest problem was my airspeed indicator. It seemed fine on T/O roll but once I lifted off it didn't go any higher, just varied up and down around 30 to 40 kts. I'm wondering if I got the pitot and AOA tubes crossed somewhere. The oil temp calmed down once I leveled off, which was hard to do, I had to reduce power several times. I was at pattern altitude before I could think. The plane feels rock solid in pitch and roll, but the rudder seemed a little sensitive too me. I'm going to recheck my bellcrank measurements. I used GPS ground speed on approach and to land, which turned out not to be a problem. It was very easy to tell when it was ready to land. I would have been in big trouble with my Q200 on the first flight without an A/S indicator. All the previous pilot reports were a tremendous help in knowing what to expect. I'll get out more information when I've corrected a few things and have a few more flights under my belt.
Thanks Dave for a great design and Glen for
all the pilot reports." Editor Note: Earnest (who supplies us with beautiful fiberglass cowls, wing/elevator tips, wheel pants & wing fairing kits) notified us back in January that his plane was "almost finished" and that he hoped to fly it in spring. Well the temperatures still feel like spring here in Wisconsin, so in our opinion, Earnest has kept to his timeline!
Earnest reported that his CX4 is powered by
a ULPower 260I engine. He added some
structure to allow for more HP so his empty
weight is at 633 pounds. The plane is
equipped with a 10" Dynon
Skyview system with a Mode S transponder,
GPS, EMS, ADS-B in, and will have ADS-b out
when the GPS gets certified. It has 18
gallons of fuel in wing tanks similar to RV6
tanks. The only controls in the cockpit are
control stick, throttle, and trim. |
|
Fri 2014/7/25 |
Brandon Burgdorf has N147HL tied down at Oshkosh! Brandon's now at Oshkosh, and it look's like he has ended up in a parking spot in row 35 that should be easy to find! This photo was just posted on the EAA's Facebook page.
We're looking forward to meeting all the
Thatcher CX enthusiasts on the flightline
side of the "Homebuilder's Headquarters"
building at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, July 30th! |
|
Fri 2014/7/25 |
Here's the first CX5 builder report update! We hadn't heard from an old friend in quite awhile, so we were really pleased when Peter Beck sent us this update on his CX5 build progress. "Just sending along some construction progress on CX5's other than Glen Bradley's - with thanks to him for all the pioneering work and videos!
This one (#22) is well along and will be receiving its Revmaster engine after Oshkosh. Actually begun a couple years ago using preliminary plans from Dave Thatcher, and was initially intended to be conventional gear. It has been reconfigured to a nose gear and updated per Dave Thatcher's final plans, released earlier this year. Not shown in the photos, the tail surfaces are all finished, wing parts (like outer spars, ribs, fuel tanks and skins) also finished and jig drilled, but just not assembled yet due to lack of space. Control installations are being completed in these photos. Engine (R2300) will mount a Revmaster 4-into-1 exhaust manifold. Greater cost, yes, - but in my opinion, the most effective way add effective power and thrust without tweaking or goosing up the engine itself. Boosted power (as much as 4 HP I'm told) and reduced noise, because the exhaust is tuned and better exhaust gas scavenging. Delighted to know that the CX5 is undoubtedly one of the sweetest flying and best performing planes available currently. (Useful load as a percentage of gross weight is the highest I am aware of in its class. And it is still flying at 120 + mph while burning 4 gph of mo-gas.) Magnificent achievement by Dave Thatcher!
I
had to fight my son (and still the youngest
CX4 pilot ever) to convert to nose wheel.
He wants a conventional gear because he is
sick of putzing around in Diamonds Ted just
finished college majoring in aviation and
mathematics, is a senior flight instructor
and check pilot in the school (Mid Tennessee
State U) has all the ratings, and is working
to enter the Navy with a flying assignment.
I keep telling him that aircraft carriers
are the perfect cruise ship for the Baltic
or Black Sea. I have little doubt we'll
have a presence there soon. (Predicted by a
Cold War and Southeast Asia Air Force vet)
And Dave Thatcher and the CX4 are the real
instigators. Thank you and much admiration
for you, Dave.
PS
- #22 is based in Louisville KY, and shop is
always open to CX5 / CX4 fans and coffee
always on. Phone ahead 502-599-4885 |
|
Fri 2014/7/18 |
Unable to attend Oshkosh 2014? Live Streaming Video:
Live Streaming Audio:
|
|
Fri 2014/6/27 |
Pat Panzera, Editor of Contact Magazine!, is seeking some
help creating an ad in his upcoming book titled "Alternative Engines - Volume 4." He just posted the following on the Yahoo CX4 group site:
Editor Note: The Thatcher
CX Community is made up of many creative people. Let's see who
can develop an ad Dave and the rest of us can be proud of! Send
your ideas to Pat directly at
editor@contactmagazine.com |
|
Sun 2014/6/22 |
Load testing of a CX5 wing has been completed
Greg Westberry (Westberry Manufacturing, LLC),
with Dave's involvement, has completed testing of a CX5 wing. Photo's of the testing can be seen on Dave's website (http://www.thatchercx4.com/load_test.htm). Editor Note: We have
posted the load testing photos on the
CX4 &
CX5 Specifications page of this website |
|
Fri 2014/6/20 |
Dave has released an updated CX5 Material List.
The line item containing 10 ft of 1/2" x .058 4130 tubing has been removed.
Here's the link:
Editor Note: We also have a folder in the
files section of the Yahoo group site where the most recently
updated CX5 Material
list is available. |
|
Sun 2014/6/15 |
Most of us know where Dave got the idea for the
naming the CX4. We put together this short clip so everyone could hear for themselves!
|
|
Thurs 2014/6/12 |
Dave has released an updated CX5 Material List. Here's the link: |
|
Sun 2014/6/1 |
Glen has made another video with the CX5 on
the subject of stalls. I took a 25 min video and took the 2 min of it that I was demonstrating stalls in the CX5. I had several but they all look the same on video.
Like the CX4, the CX5 does not like to stall. It tends to just mush down and lose altitude slowly if you don't force it. About 5 mph before the stall break (which is felt more than seen) it starts to "nibble". I call it that because it is much less intense than a buffet, but very obvious. It is a more rapid buffeting, if you will, and of smaller amplitude. It is felt through the controls as well as the seat of your pants. It is very obvious but in no way intense or severe. Can't be seen on the video though.In the video, I release the back pressure just a little as it stalled to show you how little forward stick is required for recovery. The CG was near the forward limit for this stall so it stalled at a higher speed than it would with a more normal or rearward CG. A full stall landing in ground effect takes place at about
40...depending on CG. |
|
Sun 2014/6/1 |
Brandon Burgdorf mounted a GoPro on his left wing tip
|
|
Wed 2014/5/28 |
Greg Pixley continues to explore the country with his beautiful CX4. "Memorial Day weekend provided the perfect opportunity for me to take N347CX on a road trip from the panhandle of Florida to Washington DC. I logged 16 hours and flew over 1700 miles with 10 lbs of baggage and despite the attempts of two lines of thunderstorms, she performed flawlessly and got me there and back without a hiccup.
I've now got 88 hours on #347 and its great to finally be at the point where everything is still working after each flight and the only time I spend on MX is changing oil, doing inspections, or doing elective aircraft mods. I plan to do a more detailed with some pictures for Todd's website to include video of the thunderstorm drama and how Stratus/XM weather saved me and got me home. For those of you building now, I'd say it important that you add a power source for your Iphone/IPad/Stratus or other portable electronic devices you plan on using in the cockpit. Power management was key for me on this trip. I added a cigarette lighter receptacle in the cockpit and bought a plug-in adaptors for two USB cables. That got everything running, although the cockpit was a spiderweb of cable.
Now with just over 1/8th of a tank indicated fuel remaining, I'm flying to the next airport hoping I have enough gas... Lesson Learned #1: Have a good idea what your engine burns going X-country before going X-country! I was using 5 GPH as a planning number to keep me safe, actual turns out to be about 4.3 at 3000 rpm and 120 mph. First leg was 1.9 hours and 8.2 gals.
The next morning I flew the last leg to Bay Bridge airport which was inside the 60nm DC ring but just outside the SFRA. I used ATC for the entire trip going north. The reason I couldn't do the entire trip in one day was due to a late start on Friday. The plane burned (leaked) about half a quart of oil that I added along the way. The return trip Monday showed weather pretty much CAVU for the entire trip so I was confident I'd have no problem. Departed at 0700 and flew to a different set of airports designed to over-fly some of the controlled airspace at Charlotte and Richmond.
I called the airport manager and heard the phone in the building ring! As I started walking down the road to the nearest farmhouse, a man showed up to mow the grass...turns out to also be the airport manager! Lesson Learned #2: Self Service gas! With only 10.5 gallons, I didn't have the option to comfortably takeoff and fly to the next field on 3 gallons.
Selecting the least ugly option on XM, I was able to avoid the heavy rain and limit exposure to light drizzle. The storm pushed me down to about 2000' and way off course. Fortunately, the last leg was the shortest and I had lots of gas. Got the plane back in the hanger and drove 45 minutes home for a total time of 12 hours! Total cost for fuel, tie down and one night in a $40 cheap hotel was $475, more than my wife flying on Southwest but man did I have more fun!" Greg Greg replied to several questions raised on the Yahoo group: Did you use 'Airnav' to locate fuel stops ? I depend on it for
my trips. What engine/prop. For avoiding Andrews AFB and the 30 mile ring, I flew west of Pax a River NAS and up the coast over land/water using two geo points to keep me out of trouble. All was done under control of Potomac then Pax ATC. The engine is the GPASC 2180 with an Ed Sterba 54X46 propeller. Oil temperature is dependent on OAT but I rarely see more than 185 degrees except on summer days during climb. This trip oil temp was never an issue with the oil cooler on top of the engine venting out the top per plans. CHT never exceeds 300 and stayed around 250 after climb. The VDO sender has been suspect to me and seems to read low, but I've had no valve growth during the last 25 hours so it's not overheating. I'm using Valvoline racing oil with ZDP (30W summer, 10/30 winter) and have never tried STP. I had a
10 mph tailwind going and was able to average about 135mph
ground speed (120IAS). Flew most at 3500', 20" MP and 3000RPM.
7.9 hours going out and 8.1 hours returning but the routes were
slightly different. Fuel was 4.34gph going and 4.39gph
returning. There was a headwind on the return. Oil pressure on the motor has
been great maintaining in excess of 10 psi per 1000 RPM. |
|
Sun 2014/5/25 |
Dave has received several requests for the CX5 Material List. He asked that we post the list here and on the Yahoo group for everyone. It is in a PDF format that can easily be saved to your local computer and printed. Here's the link: |
|
Wed 2014/5/21 |
Mick Wright (19-7872, #235) sent us this CX4 update from Australia.
2 of 36 builders in
Australia (Mick Wright & Kevin Osborne) have completed and flown their birds. Mick reports
that his bird (19-7872, #235) has now completed approx 50 hrs
trouble free.
In a rare moment,
this photo was recently taken of 19-7872 and 19-8461 parked
alongside each other at the Barossa
Birdman Club Fly-in in Gawler. The Barossa Birdman Club owns and operates Truro Flats
Airpark. It has an east west runway measuring over 1,000 metres.
Many recreational aircraft operate from this airfield including
Powered parachutes, Trikes, Ultralights, single and two seater
high and low wing homebuilt and kit aircraft. It is the oldest
and largest (ultralight) recreational flying club in South
Australia. Visiting aircraft are always most welcome.
|
|
Mon 2014/5/12 |
Thom Riddle took his CX4 up today for a scenic flight over the Niagara River in New York state, and captured some highlights to share with us all! "For those not familiar with this area:
First part is flying west along Niagara River's
north side (in NY) approaching the Falls. Ontario Canada is on
opposite side of river.
Thom Riddle
|
|
Sat 2014/5/10 |
Glen Bradley takes us on a brief tour of Thatcher Aircraft. "I know some of you might be concerned that a lot of special tools are needed to build Thatcher aircraft. Even though several people have said that you won't, I know seeing is believing so here is a video of Dave's shop and his tools.
Near the end of the video I am showing the paint
section and there is some large square tubing standing
there....this is what Dave takes and makes into the nose gear
mount. I failed to show the box of 1x12 form blocks that were
cut out of shelving material. Anyway. I thought you might like
to see it in person. Very low tech."
|
|
Wed 2014/5/7 |
Join Brandon Burgdorf for another flight in N147HL
|
|
Tues 2014/5/6 |
Another day we've all been patiently waiting for has arrived! Glen and Dave took the CX5 up today in Pensacola! Here is Glen's report on the new milestone: I have been waiting for a perfect morning to take Dave on his first flight and this morning seemed to be it. I went to the airport early and checked the plane over and called Dave. NO answer. ugh He always answers, is he sick? Something else wrong???? I'll know at breakfast if he shows up. I had exactly an hour so I decided to go flying anyway- it was gorgeous and silky smooth. One of those perfect mornings- cool, still air, unlimited visibility, not much traffic. You can tell exactly what the control inputs are doing on days like this. I loved it- I am very sorry Dave missed it. AS usual, Dave and I meet for breakfast about 830 at Chik Fil A. I was a little concerned that he might be sick or whatever and not show up. But he did and he was fine. We talked about the usual aircraft things and I told him what had happened re the early morning attempt to call.He said, "Well, we could go now!" I hesitated because it was now 80 degrees and a little wind had come up. We drove to the airport 3 miles away and ultimately, the beautiful day won out and I said "Let's GO". In a few minutes we were both strapped in and cranked up. We have a intercom built in the radio and it is voice activated --- worked well. I love the ICOM radio. I taxied out and could tell almost no difference from solo. I was ready at the end and smoothly pushed in the power. Liftoff took about three seconds longer than usual and climb out was brisk. We climbed at 80 mph and got a good solid 600+ fpm at all times (thermals made it vary some)....by the time I turned an early crosswind I had 700 feet and was just over the end of the runway. What a performer!! On crosswind I throttled back to cruise power for climb and on downwind at 1000 feet was grateful the tower ask us to do a 360 for spacing. Dave and I had discussed that I might ask for one anyway so he could fly the plane for a while. I gave the plane to him and I could feel him feeling out the controls during a very nice 360. It made me smile. We have both waited a very long time for this day. I took control again for landing and came in a little high just in case the rate of descent was greater. There was no need to....it glided normally (which is incredible) and I had to slip to a landing. Flare was normal and we had a smooth touchdown. Mission complete. Dave said there was plenty of room in the rear cockpit- he is 6 foot 2 in. and, to my surprise he said the visibility was GREAT from back there. I did not expect it to be that great from the rear seat but he said it was excellent. It was a very solid flight and we were both very impressed with the performance. The climb out was, in fact, exactly what I had expected ....600 fpm plus some depending on thermals. So, IN SUMMARY, we flew the CX5
with two big people- (one tall, one huge) and almost full fuel
on a warm day (density altitude about 2000 feet). I weigh 270,
Dave weighs 180 and we had ten pounds of baggage in the back and
very close to full fuel plus headsets etc. Other than slight
trim differences the airplane flew very much the same as solo.
Total weight for the flight > right at 1300 pounds. I am
constantly amazed at the performance of this airplane. And Dave was quick to add his comments: Yea, it was great. The excellent visibility, out the sides & from the rear seat was unexpected. I liked the feel of the controls, too. I feel real good about this airplane.
Best regards to all who have plans to this
airplane. You are going to like it. |
|
Tues 2014/5/6 |
There has been another exchange on the Yahoo group lately regarding design load numbers for the CX5. In response to those that have contributed to this discussion, Dave posted the following on the Yahoo group site earlier today: "Gentlemen: A load test of the wing has been in mind from the start. I can not do it. Mr. Greg Westberry, who makes the kits for the CX4, and will be making the kit for the CX5, and is going to do the test. He will prove out his wing kit as well. This means making a wing and center section, taking it to 3.8 g's, then on to 6 g's. I have sent him the funds to do this. Now give him a chance. He is a very busy man. The CX4 is still a very popular airplane. Is every one straight on the wing bolt question now?
The design limit load factor is 3.8 for the CX5
(like Piper and Cessna) and the ultimate load is 5.7. (A safety
factor of 1.9) Mr. Anderson thought I was using 6 g's as the limit load factor and needed to add 1.5 g's more for safety. The bolts would not hold 7.5 g's. I apologize to him for this miss understanding and appreciate his contribution to the Yahoo Group."
Best regards, |
|
Mon 2014/4/28 |
There has been an exchange on the Yahoo group lately regarding
control surface travel Dave has gotten involved, and asked that anyone having difficulty with getting the desired travels contact him directly via email. Expecting the same topic to be raised with the CX5, Glen recorded a brief video showing the control surface travel he has in the CX5.
|
|
Sun 2014/4/27 |
Glen made another video available showing two people entering and exiting the CX5 cockpit.
"After a pleasant breakfast with Dave this
morning, I went back to the airport and enlisted the help of a
couple of line crew at Pensacola Aviation to help me make a
brief video of getting in and out of the CX5. It is attached.
|
|
Sat 2014/4/26 |
According to Brandon Burgdorf, we all live in a small world.
Here's his latest story: "It is a small world indeed. I am in South Bend, IN, USA for an apprenticeship contest. I am a sheet metal worker by trade and our apprentices are competing in a statewide contest here. I helped yesterday all day and today my time was free. So I went to the Elkhart airport which isn't to far to bum around and talk to some folks.
I poked my head in the door. There were several guys, 6 or so. I told them I was just bumming around and they were all very friendly. Got to talking about the Thatcher CX4 I just built and it just so happened that a guy spoke up there that had built a CX4! It
was Dennis Hackbarth, the gentleman who built the first CX4
fastback, I believe (Editor Note: Dennis built S/N 241,
N938DH, and it was 17th CX4 to fly for the first time on June 4,
2010). We talked for quite a while and compared notes and so
on. It was awful neat to be part of such a small club (41
complete & flying around the world), and run into a fellow
builder like that. It is indeed a small world."
Dennis & Brandon
|
|
Wed 2014/4/23 |
Glen took the CX5 up for another early morning flight! Glen asked us to get his new videos online. He took advantage of another beautiful morning in Pensacola to go flying. Here's a recap of his arrival at the FBO. NOTE: These videos are in High Definition. Click the icon in the lower right corner of the YouTube windows and enjoy them full-screen!
He added his in-cockpit narration to the video of the early morning flight, including slips and several touch & go's.
|
|
Sun 2014/4/20 |
Brandon has posted his first PIREP on his flight experience
with N147LH You can read his full post on the Pilot Reports page. |
|
Fri 2014/4/18 |
The 41st CX4 Has Taken It's First Flight! Brandon Burgdorf (Evansville, Indiana, USA) started the build of N147HL (#519) on August 18, 2012, taking a spar cap from raw stock to a finished part in one evening. He compiled the following video recap of his build progress since that first evening:
Fast forward to today, and Brandon is excited to report that his bird has just taken its maiden flight!
Brandon captured the flight details on video, as seen from both the ground and the GoPro he mounted in the plane:
Editor Note: Brandon, With your excellent blog, many have watched your build progress from day one. With your first flight today, you've realized a dream we all share in an incredibly short amount of time. On behalf of the global CX Community, our congratulations go out to you (and your family for giving you their support throughout the process)! Your bird is beautiful! Thanks for sharing all the details since that first night in your workshop and the video of the first flight. We all look forward to your future PIREPS as you begin to fly off the initial 40! It was great that you were able to squeeze Sun n' Fun into your busy schedule. We all enjoyed meeting you in person!
Todd |
|
Sun 2014/4/13 |
Sun n' Fun 2014 Recap I want to apologize to everyone for the delay on getting this information on-line. I was able to have web access at the booth, but the volume of people that came through was high and I ended up spending a large amount of time trying to talk to everyone. Over the years, I have come to know many names of the regulars on Herb's Yahoo group site. This year, I was able to meet many of them who stopped by the booth in person (as well as countless others who expressed a strong interest in both of Dave's CX designs). Since returning home late last Sunday, I began and have been working non-stop on a special project that should be of interest to anyone starting or planning a CX5 build. Those that already have plans (or anyone one else planning a future plans purchase) will note that Dave compiled a five page material list for the plane, containing approximately 182 line items. Of these, 139 are sourced from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty company. For those not familiar with Aircraft Spruce, they have an excellent website (Aircraft Spruce) devoted to most needs of homebuilders world-wide. One page on the website (Building Materials & Kits/Kits & Plans) lists many of the kits they support, and many kits listed have a order form that has been pre-filled with all the current parts they can supply for the kit. This form can be edited to adjust desired quantities for one, several or all parts associated with the kit. With Dave's approval, I spoke to Josh (the Aircraft Spruce Product Support Manager, responsible for this section of their website) at their booth this year and inquired if we could develop this ordering procedure for the CX5. He thought it was a great idea and agreed to help make it happen once he returned to his office in California after the show. I've been working to configure the material list into a format that will be most easy for Josh to incorporate into his system. I don't know how long it will take before it becomes available on their website, but I will notify everyone here and on the Yahoo group when it gets up and running. If this project is well received, I'll discuss with Josh expanding it to include the CX4. I want to personally thank Dave, despite his feeling less than 100%, and Glen for making the trip down this year. The efforts they have made taking the CX5 from a design on a napkin to a completed aircraft with it's initial 40 flown off in such a short time has been remarkable, and the information they've shared along the way has been appreciated by everyone. I had the privilege of spending a large amount of time with Greg Westberry during the week, and he's another person I've developed a huge amount of respect for. The caliber of work with the CX4 kits he's developed so far is exceptional, and his plans for the future CX5 kits will be no different. Greg Pixley (aka Pix - not Alan) flew his CX4 down, and offered to park it at the booth for the duration of the week. Greg is another great guy, and much to my surprise, won the bet with his other half on going over to Universal in Orlando during the week. In speaking with Glen just the other day, he mentioned that this "Community" website was appropriately named. With all the people I've had the opportunity to meet over the years, I couldn't agree more!
Thanks, (Scroll down - There's much more!) As everyone already knows, Glen Bradley had planned on flying the CX5 to Lakeland, but despite his and Dave's best efforts with all of the preparation, were not able complete all of the tasks required. For this reason the CX5 was not at Sun n' Fun. Greg Westberry, Glen Bradley, Greg Pixley and Dave had the booth setup by the end of the day on Monday (3/31) in preparation for the expected stream of visitors throughout the week.
Greg Westberry (Westberry Manufacturing LLC) coordinated the booth setup this year, where examples of his CX4 wing and tail kits were displayed. Samples of all the CX4 composite parts available from Earnest Martin were also shown. Note: We've added photo's of Greg's CX4 kits to the Westberry Manufacturing LLC page on this website.
Greg Pixley, Niceville, FL, USA (CX4 S/N 347, N347) flew his beautiful CX4 down for the show, and it was displayed at the booth. It did attract a steady stream of visitors, several people tried it on for size and everyone was kept busy answering questions.
Note: Greg has posted two flying videos on YouTube. Here's the links: Tom Stallings of Garden City, Kansas who holds the title of having the first CX4 to fly into an EAA AirVenture convention (July 2011) flew down to SnF this year and camped next to his plane. Tom came by the booth several times during the week, and it was everyone's pleasure to meet him and visit in person. We stopped by Homebuilt Parking to get several photos of Tom with his plane, but just like Oshkosh several years earlier, he was once again wandering the grounds. Note: Tom did make the maiden flight of S/N 0200 on Aug 23, 2009.
The Thatcher/Westberry booth was visited by various media representatives during the week. In the photo below, Greg Westberry is being interviewed. As we learn of these interviews being made available, we will post links to them on this page.
Dave, Glen and Greg hosted a forum on two separate days during the convention. Both were well attended and many questions were asked. Everyone was disappointed that the CX5 wasn't able to fly down, but everyone we spoke with understood the circumstances and felt the right decision had been made.
We were able to get a video of the entire forum
held on Friday (4/4) and pending additional edits, will have it
on-line With so many people coming through the booth everyday, it was tough to sneak away to grab a bite to eat. Brandon Burgdorf (Evansville, Indiana) made a food run and came back with a snack (OK - lunch) for Glen. Brandon snapped a quick photo and sent it to us for posting. We'll let each of you come up with your own caption - but don't forget: Despite being a bigger guy, Glen has over 200 hours in the CX4, has loved every minute of flying it and is looking forward to flying it many more!
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Mon 2014/3/24 |
Glen Bradley and his
son compiled another video, showing close-up details of the CX5,
followed by a flight around Pensacola, Florida. Note: Click the icon in the lower right corner of the window below to see this video full screen!
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Sun 2014/3/23 |
Another CX4 is getting close to its first flight. Brandon Burgdorf, Evansville, Indiana, USA just made several photo's available of N147HL (#519) as he transferred it to the local airport (with the help of two eager assistants) for final assembly and DAR inspection on April 4th. Brandon's bird is another example of a very good looking CX4! He started building in August 2012 and has made remarkable progress in a very short time. Click here to visit his builders blog.
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Fri 2014/3/21 |
Before heading out to our day job early this morning, we asked
Dave how many plan As of this morning, he had already shipped out 21, including several sets going to international locations:
On behalf of builders everywhere, we'd like to
thank Dave and Glen for their efforts in taking the CX5 from
concept to reality with plans in builders hands in a very short
time, and for keeping us all informed throughout the process! |
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Tues 2014/3/18 |
The day people around the world have been
waiting for has arrived! Dave Thatcher has released the plans for the CX5! He posted this message on the Yahoo Group earlier today:
Contact Dave via
email at
ThatcherCX4@cox.net or give him a call at
(850) 712-4539 if you're interested in purchasing a
set! |
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Fri. 2014/3/14 |
U.S. Senate Introduces GA Pilot Protection Act, Companion to
House Bill Three U.S. senators earlier this week introduced the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act as a companion bill to one unveiled in the House of Representatives in December, which includes a provision that would reform airman medical certificate standards while maintaining safety. Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) co-sponsored the bill that provides a solution to a long-standing hurdle of burdensome medical certificate standards for pilots who fly recreationally. In March 2012, EAA and AOPA requested an exemption that would ease third-class medical requirements for pilots flying certain types of aircraft, but the FAA has not to date taken action on that request despite more than 16,000 comments received in favor of the proposal. "I urge the FAA to work with our pilots, respond to these reasonable petitions, and provide additional flexibility," Sen. Boozman said when introducing the legislation. "If the FAA continues to delay, this bill will start the discussion toward a legislative solution." In announcing the bill, Sen. Boozman also noted that current regulations require private pilots flying aircraft for recreational purposes to have a third-class medical certificate. Over the last decade, 60,000 pilots left the industry, many due to the costly and time consuming process of obtaining a medical certificate. This bill expands on the success of FAA's sport pilot regulations that were adopted in 2004 and allow pilots to fly many types of small, light aircraft without a third-class medical certificate but require that all pilots undergo a flight review by a certified flight instructor every two years. During these biennial flight reviews, instructors will continue to evaluate each pilot's physical and cognitive condition, as well as his or her ability to safely operate an aircraft. The proposed legislation would allow pilots to use a valid state driver's license in place of the traditional medical certificate if the flights are:
In addition to allowing pilots to operate common GA aircraft for personal and recreational flying without a third-class medical, the bill mandates that the FAA prepare and send a report to Congress detailing the impact of the bill's passage on general aviation safety within five years of the bill's enactment. "We appreciate the senators' attention and action on this issue that has negatively affected many pilots," said Jack Pelton, EAA chairman of the board. "It is time to use the positive safety experience gained from a decade of sport pilot activity - as well as such flying activities as gliders and ballooning - to establish medical certification reforms that will sustain and grow general aviation in this country." The House bill, H.R. 3708, was introduced in December by Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO). To date that bill has gained 52 co-sponsors and continues to gather support. For Our Friends in the US - Please Take Action: Rally Congress! On the heels of this week's introduction in the United States Senate of the bipartisan General Aviation Protection Act, EAA has activated its Rally Congress website to make it easy for members to contact their elected officials and urge them to cosponsor this important legislation. S2103, which mirrors to the House's HR3708 introduced in December 2013, widens the pool of recreational pilots who can enjoy flying their small aircraft without the expense and regulatory burden of third-class medical certification. The House version of the bill is gaining traction with a bipartisan coalition of 52 cosponsors. There are currently two cosponsors of the Senate bill. Please take a few moments and Rally Congress to support the General Aviation Protection Act!
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Sun. 2014/3/9 |
Glen Bradley had the opportunity to take the CX4 up today. He posted the following PIREP: "I have been busy and haven't
flown the CX4 much lately but this morning was perfect weather
so......I was there at sunrise even though the clock said it was
7 instead of 6 as usual (DST). Dr. Glen Bradley |
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Sun. 2014/2/23 |
Greg (Allan) Pixley (Niceville, FL, USA; CX4 S/N 347; N347CX) recently completed his initial 40 hours and has begun over the past several weekends to expand his travels.
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Sun. 2014/2/16 |
There has been an interesting thread on the Yahoo group
regarding both the CX4 & CX5. I say this because----- I flew Dave's 4 today for 45 min. I hadn't flown it in a very long time and it was like putting on an old comfortable shoe. With almost 200 hours in it , I felt at home immediately, of course. Even better, it was FUN to fly...an awesome airplane. (and Dave's has only 50 HP). Yes, the two planes are a little different in some ways- but clearly have the same genes. One sits somewhat more or less IN the CX4 and ON the CX5.... a higher seating position. Not radically different but noticeable if you are paying attention. The nose is low in cruise in the 4 and even more so in the 5....both FAR superior to nearly all planes I have flown. The 5 has absolutely the BEST visibility of any plane I have flown and the 4 is almost as good. Awesome on a blue sky CAVU day like today. Stunning. If you even ask me which I like better I won't be able to answer that question. Not because I am holding anything back, but because they are both so good but slightly different. OF course, some guys need a two place so the question of which to build is answered automatically for them. Some guys DON't want a two place....they WANT to fly alone (and not have people asking for rides). It's a personal choice. Fortunately, it is a choice with NO bad options. Your choice is AWESOME or AWESOME. Glen Bradley" Mark Waldron replied with the following: "Glen, And Glen's response: "Well, you are exactly right- the CX5 roll rate is a little slower as it is now (we are changing the aileron linkage to speed it up a bit) but it is mainly a matter of the aileron being a little heavier since it is so much bigger in surface area. It is not something that a new pilot would even notice but with a lot of hours in the 4 I noticed it. Don't misunderstand- compared to a Champ or Cub etc it is like power steering. Speed management on both planes is essential on final because they tend to float. The 5, with just me in it and full fuel, floats more than the 4. Not sure how it will do with a heavy passenger but it floats a good bit now. So, just keep final approach speeds down and it will be fine. If not, you can always slip it down final or land a little hot. I try to land near stall- a taildragger habit-- but there is absolutely no problem putting it down 10-15 mph above stall and let the nose come over to plant the plane. The speed brake on the 5 does help but I tend to not use it simply because I don't need it and I slip to adjust for a high approach. I will be using it more so that I can report on how well it works. Dave's 4 is only 50 HP and does fine so I can imagine what a larger engine would do. I'd love to fly one sometime. Therefore, I can't compare climb rates in any meaningful way. I will say that the 50HP CX4 vs. the 85HP CX5 comes out with the 5 climbing way faster....nearly double the rate with the climb prop it has on it now. We have ordered a cruise prop and should have it in two weeks, so then I can report on it. Now at 22in I get 3100 rpm in the 5 for a cruise of 115. The photo plane said I'm much faster than that. (my 90 indicated was their 97) I am expecting to indicate around 125 w the cruise prop....maybe more. The nose position is lower in the 5 for a little better forward visibility but----both are so good that to say that might mislead one into thinking the 4s visibility is not nearly as good. IT IS SUPERB too. I have driven a Miata and a
Nissan Altima. The 4 is most like the Miata>> smaller , nimble,
but with not much extra room. The 5 is like a Sports Sedan (Altima)...handled
almost as well, a little bigger, and lots of extra room. Both
are wonderful but different. I hate comparisons like that but
maybe it will help. THEY ARE BOTH AWESOME FOR SURE. So I think
it probably comes down to whether you want a two place plane or
not and if you are going to do lots of cross country flying. Both aircraft track well on landing and both need L rudder on takeoff. They are very similar in that regard. Of course, at over 250 pounds I have more room in the 5 but I never felt cramped in the 4 either. Both look almost the same and people rave about how nice looking both airplanes are. Two superb winners. Your choice. Glen Bradley PS------- IF the 4 is a Miata and
the 5 is a modern Sports Sedan....then a Cessna or Piper
Cherokee are like an old Buick or Cadillac." |
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Tues. 2014/2/11 |
The next issue of Contact! magazine will feature the CX5! Pat Panzera just announced that the next issue of Contact! will have a feature article on the CX5.
Individual copies of the magazine can be ordered through the
following link http://contactmagazine.com/backissu.html Subscriptions are available through
the following link http://www.contactmagazine.com/subscrip.html If you have any questions, contact Pat Panzera
directly at
editor@contactmagazine.com |
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Sun. 2014/2/9 |
Glen Bradley has officially flown off the CX5 initial 40 hours.
His latest in-flight videos with PIREP's can
be viewed on the
CX4
& CX5 Prototype Updates page. |
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Tues. 2014/1/28 |
Greg Westbury (Westberry Manufacturing LLC) just announced that a matched hole CX4 Wing Kit is now available! Available with or without pre-assembled spars, simply deburr the holes, sand the edges smooth and you're ready to rivet. Either version comes complete with all parts and hardware, and can be upgraded to include flush rivets. Pricing information is available on the Plans, Parts and Engines page! Contact Greg at flybgair@visioncomm.org or call 423.667.9708 for additional information or to place your order today! |
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Fri. 2014/1/24 |
Dave Thatcher and
Glen Bradley will showcase the CX5
and Greg Westbury (Westberry Manufacturing LLC) will have examples of his CX spars, wing kits and tail kit in booth N57/N66 at Sun n' Fun this year. Tuesday April 1 - Sunday April 6, 2014 (See maps below). Dave and Glen will also be hosting a
forum on two days during the
convention:
For those flying in this year, click here for the 2014 Sun 'n Fun NOTAM Click here for a printable PDF of the maps below.
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Wed. 2014/1/15 |
Earnest Martin (N414CX, #173) sent us this update on his CX4. "I've attached a photo of my plane. It is almost finished and I hope to fly it in the spring.
It has a ULPower 260I engine. I added some
structure to allow for more HP so my empty
weight is 633 pounds. It has a 10" Dynon
Skyview system with a Mode S transponder,
GPS, EMS, ADS-B in, and will have ADS-b out
when the GPS gets certified. I have 18
gallons of fuel in wing tanks similar to RV6
tanks. The only controls in the cockpit are
control stick, throttle, and trim.
Earnest Martin
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Tues. 2014/1/14 |
At first glance, you'd think that Glen Bradley had really expanded his CX5 flight envelope... Yes, that's Mt Rainier in the state of Washington (USA). An active contributor to the Yahoo CX4 group, Shawn Duffee of Renton, WA, USA performed a little Photoshop magic and put Glen and the CX5 above the mountain (at an estimated 20,000 ft.). OK, It's a stretch, but it sure resulted in a beautiful photo. Nice job Shawn!
It appears as though Shawn has started a new thread. Another Yahoo CX4 group contributor, Robert Kent, also of Washington state, has Glen practicing "Valley Flying" around Mt. Rainier. Robert added that the altimeter reading of 2,700 ft is none too high in these mountains.
Glen asked for a photo of himself and the CX5 over Monument Valley (Utah, USA). Shawn didn't waste anytime... Another beautiful photo!
Someone else was wondering how the Chicago (IL, USA) skyline would look from the CX5. Robert Kent has answered that question for us all!
Editor Note: |
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Sun. 2014/1/12 |
As he continues to build time on the CX5, Glen Bradley has made two more videos available: "Again, I was half way to Alabama as the day began to get light. I was there by daylight and ready to go. The weather guys had said it would be a nice day but they underestimated it. It was GORGEOUS - we get only a handful of days this nice per year. Silky smooth cool air (engines and wings like cool air) and visibility to die for. Awesome!! I took off and at 3000 feet could see Pensacola and beyond to Ft. Walton (70 miles) in one direction and half way to New Orleans in the other. I could see the gentle curve of the Gulf as it nears New Orleans. The Gulf had not a single ripple. Wow. And it was so smooth I kept hitting my own wake when I flew big circles. I tried holding the Sony Cam in my hands for some short videos and it worked well. It does distort the wings - they ARE straight on the leading edge, I promise. And they look a bit more slender in the video than in real life. Dave and I know the prop is way too fine and are going to order a new one soon. Full power at level flight puts me past the engine redline before I can even get all the power in, long before the plane has time to even accelerate so.....it is WAY too fine. At cruise power (21 inches) I get 110 mph but am turning too many RPM so we expect a LOT faster cruise speeds with the new prop. We are consulting with a propulsion engineer recommended by Joe at Revmaster to see what he says about the prop and , of course, we have a pretty good idea from what performance we are getting with this prop. It is a Tennessee prop 54/46. The new prop will have much bigger numbers."
Low Cruise Power
Low Cruise Power & Climb
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Sat. 2014/1/11 |
While Glen Bradley is working to get us more in-flight
video's, he just posted this still photo taken from the CX5 over
the Gulf Coast:
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Wed. 2014/1/8 |
The Pensacola News Journal (Pensacola, Florida USA) published another great CX5 story, written again by Kimberly Blair with photos by Ben Twingley, in their Tuesday, January 7, 2014 edition: Pensacola aircraft
designer's experimental plane soars
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Sun. 2014/1/5 |
Glen Bradley continues to build hours in the CX5. He went up again today - twice. Here's his latest PIREP: "It is 3 PM...just got home. I was half way to Alabama when the sun came up this morning. Got the 5 out and ran it to determine which way the idle mixture was off. It wasn't running smooth enough at idle. Using what Dave taught me it was simple to find it was running lean. So...off came the cowl and a gentle Little turn of the idle mixture screw, less than a 1/16th turn. Cranked her back up... better but not enough. Another couple of small adjustments, less than 1/16 turn and she ran much better. Cowl on, wash hands, hit the bathroom, check the weather and FLY. A bit gusty but not too bad and pretty much down the runway. Ceiling maybe 2000 . Nobody flying yet... hasn't been all morning...g ood time to go. Strapped in, checked everything and ready to taxi out. Doesn't take but about 4 minutes... and found I was number three in line to take off. ha Amazing. I flew for over an hour and a half....around the airport. I checked all kinds of stuff but mostly just relaxed and watched the view... and the instruments... and the other airplanes landing and departing. Cyl Hd, oil temp, and EGT all settled down after about 5 min. I then flew at reduced power settings for a while to see what airspeed I would get....and lost amazingly little airspeed. All the time watching the students below taking off and learning to fly. I keep my eyes OPEN around airports. Beach, condos, water, ships, birds on the airport, cars, inter-coastal waterway, golf course, a few steep turns, dodge the cloud layers coming in off the Gulf. Notice the updrafts and bumps when under the layers coming in... reminded me of my glider flying days. Announce descending and entering downwind. Came in high on purpose, this thing floats and floats but...lands at 45 if you wait long enough. Taxi in, Check plane over, fill w fuel, take a break and eat some airport food - not very healthy but right on the field and only a short walk down the ramp...and free. Nice people here at Jack Edwards. Talk to the instructors that are thinking about letting some new solos go up. Weather improved a lot. Still at 2k though, but some blue sky every now and then now. Take back off, same things, a little tired now after almost two hours aloft. Beach, condos, water... uhhhhhh CESSNA 150 descending out of the sun... VERY close and closing on a 45-60 degree collision course... this requires IMMEDIATE action. I pull right into a tight climbing turn thankful for the 5s control responsiveness. They whiz past under me somewhere... I turned WAY too sharp for it to be a problem but thank God I saw them coming when I did. About 5 more seconds and we would have been VERY close, maybe would have missed by 50 feet but... I come around and see then on their same course... no changes. I call them on Unicom and ask if they saw me...they SAID "yes, you were averting." No kidding!!!!!!! I would not want MY pants on fire in a C150....ha. THAT is why I keep my eyes open and scan. They were 800 feet above pattern entry altitude and cutting across midfield descending to a downwind on the other side of the field. They may have seen me AFTER I averted a few seconds away. I'm sure the big white bottom on the 5 looked huge to them as they looked up, astonished. This was a flight WITH an instructor I think. Reminded me of the time decades ago when I was AT pattern altitude on downwind in my Tcraft when a strange vibration/humming sound began. All instruments looked normal and no engine vibration then the sun went away. I look up about 20 feet to see the oil streaked belly of a Mooney descending on top of me. He slid past rapidly. Fortunately he was as fast as he was or neither of us would have known what happened. AGAIN>..he was breaking the rules...just like the C150. Most of the rules have good reasons behind them. Anyway, I am tired. Supposed to get VERY cold here...in the low 20s and very windy...25 plus knots the next few days so that is why I tried so hard to get some hours on the 5 today. It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it......"
smiling |
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Wed. 2014/1/1 |
Glen Bradley had added a Sony Action Cam in the CX5 for Mondays flight, and following a great edit of the video by his son, just posted it on YouTube. This is his first in-flight video in the CX5, and we're certain he will be posting more as he works to fly-off the initial forty hours. "This flight was about 30 min but mostly flying around the airport, so my wonderful son edited it down to 7 min. I am flying over Gulf Shores AL, a nice community about an hours drive from Pensacola. Phase I test flights are not allowed in Class C airspace so I will fly the 40 hours off there. The canopy was covered with fog for the first bit of the video but it cleared. As soon as I take off I fly off on an angle to the runway so as to make it easy to lose altitude on the remaining runway (two turns are required and each one loses altitude). Then as I near 800 feet or so I am in a great position to make a 180 back in the opposite direction to land without the extra turn to line up with the runway. I try to stack the cards in my favor on test flights. I level off at 1000 feet and get up to cruise speed but was also climbing a little so I just let the altitude creep up to almost 2000. The airspeed indicator is one that straight down indicates about 122 mph so I was not far from that at cruise with the Climb prop. I lifted off in about 750 feet (displaced threshold is 500) and came in high and hot on purpose even though the plane felt totally solid- it felt a lot like the CX4 but a little heavier on the ailerons. I slipped most of the way down final (notice nose is offset to the right) and still had way too much speed so I floated a long way past the video crew. My actual touchdown point is hard to discern from the video because it was so smooth (smiling) but it was WAY down the runway and well below 50 mph. The 5 is very stable on the ground and in the air. I had to taxi in on a service road instead of a taxiway so it was very narrow. Notice that even with almost no time in the plane it taxied so well I navigated the narrow road easily and with a good speed. I was smiling and quite happy all the way home...and beyond. Now that my son has learned how
to edit the video footage I will be uploading others of things
like steep turns, stalls, etc. I hope you enjoy the video."
Editor Note: Kudos to your son for his edit.
He did a beautiful job! |
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© 2010-2018 Todd Henning
I
found an EAA sign and went in to talk and the lady had just got
done cooking breakfast and said the guys were down in the hangar
working on the Cub. She told me how to get there.
