... is one we don't hear about often these days it seems: The Tundra.

I guess they're going after the Russian market, judging from this video, but even without English, watching the sheet metal components being laser cut, and the ribs formed, is a thing of beauty.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/photo-and-video/bush-planes/youtubegallery?videoid=65927491#youtubegallery

Certainly, you have never seen a Lancair Evolution.

…or the manufacture quality in any of the current Vans Kits.

It is a great video production, though. I wish them good luck in the Russian market. Looks like a nice plane.

Looks like you gents have taken the term 'arguably' and run with it.

Laser cut, schmaser cut. This Skywagon kit from Guillow's uses the latest Finite Element Analysis techniques to reduce parts count and save weight. Looks like a real performer:

Scolopax wrote:Certainly, you have never seen a Lancair Evolution.

True, and I sincerely hope all three guys who can afford one enjoy building such a nice kit.

Zzz wrote:Looks like you gents have taken the term 'arguably' and run with it.

Maybe these contrarians could be persuaded by this:

Arguably I wish I could afford to build another airplane.

If I did, my wife would arguably kill me.

And argue with me in the process.

Isn't the Tundra the plane that our late cohort "Dirtstrip" flew?

Marty

180jocky wrote:Isn't the Tundra the plane that our late cohort "Dirtstrip" flew?

Marty

That is correct. A very fine example too if the photos were even half-accurate.

Like it. How much /what kind of power ?

Zzz wrote:... is one we don't hear about often these days it seems: The Tundra.

+1

If I ever decide to replace the 180 with something experimental, this plane would probably be the one. There used to be a fairly frequent poster here who had one 'bctundra' ? I met him up at the Atlin fly in a couple years back, and both the plane and pilot impressed me favorably. I hope we see him return in the future.



Take care, Rob

Wow that makes me want to build a kit! Instead of just flying in one...

Using my limited Russian I was able to make out that it lands in about 300'

That guy in BC is JM... Nice guy. Haven't heard from him in a while. Maybe the new site isn't working for him... :/

I think his is powered by an IO-390.

I flew J-M's Tundra, 1 nice Ride.
J-M is a good stick, and 1 Great Guy!!
He's around, He is just takin a break, livin his life some. Had a small Bump in the road! Everything is OK,
Last I spoke to him he was headed out to find a sheep!!
He'll be back, If I have to go inland on my way home, I plan on stoppin in CYXY and spend a day or so with him.
If anyone noticed, it was J-M that started that Whitehorse Shwartse Lake Comment/ Survey around for the Float Planes. He is the Whitehorse COPA Rep.

Bill (182Stol), You and I can sit in the front of the Tundra!! Course then it would take all that horsepower to get it in the air!!

I'm not familiar with the Tundra... but from the photo it sure looks like the design was "borrowed" from a Murphy Rebel or Moose kit? Does anyone know the real story there?

And for the fine upstanding gentleman who posted the photo of the Guillow's kit... not only did you bring back great memories for me, but you just inspired the new revolution in kit aircraft: Die-Cut aluminum homebuilt kits!

Just think of the joy you could bring to builders! Parts with jagged edges that you have to finish cutting out of the sheets, then carve and file off the edges until they are halfway smooth. Having to put the sheets of aluminum on a giant belt sander, sanding the thickness of the sheet down to half of its original thickness, so you can remove the die-cut parts. The joyous experience of having half of the parts split as you remove them from the sheet. Hundreds of tiny parts that look similar, with no part number markings on them, or markings that were stamped halfway on the part and halfway on the sheet.

Bill, Yes, I too believe it was originally a copy/knock-off of the Murphy. I remember many years ago when they first displayed one of their aircraft at Oshkosh and I was amazed at how similar it was to the Murphy. It may have been beefed up in a few areas and made easier to build with more parts completed than Murphy. I have no proof of these statements, just my thoughts. It is a nice looking plane that's for sure.

Not sure about easier... they're solid rivet construction.

Of course they might have made improvements, or updated something, or made it easier/harder/whatever. But there is an "intellectual property" issue at the core of this.

IMHO If Darryl Murphy's time, money and brain cells were ripped off to any significant level, that needs to be at least addressed, either in the Canadian court system or someplace in the market.

This kind of borrowing is not exactly uncommon in the aviation world... every one of the millions of Cessna high wing monoplanes out there is a grand-child of the original Cessna Model 120, which itself was a near-exact rip off from the Luscombe Model 8. Chuck Slusarczsyk's original Hawk ultralight was ripped off into three or four copy-cats, "T-bird" and others whose names escape me. Bob Lovejoy's Quicksilver hang glider was ripped off into dozens if not hundreds of similar ultralights, which became the basic "Cub" blueprint for the majority of first generation ultralights. Dean Wilson's brilliant Avid Flyer was ripped off entirely into the Kitfox. I heard a story that Dennis Fetters of Air Command gyros out and out stole the work of another designer whose immigration or work visa he sponsored, then had the designer deported.

From the perspective as buyers or builders, it might not matter much, but if you are one of the few who have designed and developed something that worked, there is more at stake. How many more innovative game-changer airplanes could Dean Wilson have designed and kitted, if all of the profits from Kitfox sales were kept at the Avid company?

EZ Sue wrote:IMHO If Darryl Murphy's time, money and brain cells were ripped off to any significant level, that needs to be at least addressed, either in the Canadian court system or someplace in the market.

I think I sprained something rolling my eyes.