I'm currently thinking about building a Vision aircraft designed by American Affordable Aircraft. This is a plans build composite foam and fiberglass (can you say plastic) airplane. UPDATE Jan 1, 2003 I ordered the plans, they arrived on Jan 10. Just the first step in a long process of building an airplane. I plan on posting my progress on a web page here once I get started building.
| Airplane project | |
| Airframe | Vision by American Affordable Aircraft, this is a composite foam and fiberglass constructed aircraft. I'm sorta leaning toward building a 4 place version as explained on the variations page of the vision web site. |
| Engine | Mazda 13B rotary automotive engine converted to aircraft use. I am planning on using an EC-2 EFI/ignition controler and a RD-1 redrive from Real World Solutions. After reading Greg Richter's web site about his turbo charge Mazda 13B powered Cozy Mk III, I'm thinking a turbo is in the realm of posibilities. More rotary links below |
| Panel | I am leanning toward an all electric panel (no vacumn pump required), see Bob Nuckolls' article An All Electric Airplane on a Budget. To start with it will be VFR only as I'm not currently IFR rated. Avionics will include a comm radio, transponder and encoding altimeter as the airport that I fly from is inside a class Bravo 30 mile ring. Navigation will be GPS moving map on a Palm handheld PDA, see Jim Weir's article "Champagne GPS On A Beer Bankroll", this combo is probable the best bang for the buck for a moving map that I have seen. |
| Extras | Dream on - maybe if I hit the lotto jackpot or some such.
Blue Mountain EFIS display, this would be nice to have just like the big boys. |
Rotary Links
!! FlyRotary !! They have a
mailing list related to installing a Mazda rotary in aircraft. Also, link to
the mailing list archive, I learned more in one week reading the archive than
in six months surfing the web.
There are a number of links to flying aircraft with rotary power and a number
of links to rotary related web sites.
Rotary Engine Illistrated - How a rotary works.
The History Of The Rx-7 a bit of history of the car and the various forms of the rotary engine.
Real World Solutions Supplier of pieces parts for converting a rotary to aircraft use.
COZY MK IV - #757 - An excellant builders web site documenting the building of a Cozy MK IV airplane with a Mazda 13B rotary engine.
Experimental Aircraft Association
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
AV Web The Internet's Aviation Magazine and News Service
And don't forget the USENET news group rec.aviation.homebuilt a lot of good info can be had from this forum.
The Code of Federal Regulations other wise known as the FARs
Amateur Built and Experimental Aircraft Information Forms and advisory circulars pertaining to amateur build aircraft.
AC 43.13-1B ACCEPTABLE METHODS, TECHNIQUES, AND PRACTICES - AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND REPAIR - 655 pages of lots of good info on building and repairing an aircraft, available in both pdf and MS word format.
This page last modified Jan 24, 2003