Just read the Ski plane article I got in this months Kitplanes magazine, nice job ! Bewtween you and Swingle the Rans clan is getting quite the publicity lately.

Go Tom! Great article! Awesome to see in a mag. Also a discussion of cub-type kits/LSA's. Pics of Mark Pringles (Blue Plane - Rans Dealer in Utah) and George Happs (Yellow Plane -Owner of Matco Mfg.) S-7S

For what it is worth, and as a way to maybe encourage others to write, I got $400.00 for the article. Plus, an initial and one time 5% discount from Datum after fast talking him into it before we closed our deal. The discount was for promising to write a Kitplanes article. I have not received my issue yet, and don't know what pictures they used etc. WHATEVER it takes to be able to afford it I'll do! I have to laugh when people say they can't afford to fly, as it encouraged me as nothing else to get my act together financially (work my ass off) in order to be able to do it, so for me it pays! Fun too

Awesome deal! I'm gonna have to go and pick up a copy!

Here ya go, till the mag gets to ya!

http://www.kitplanes.com/issues/28_3/bu ... 74-1.phtml

Great article Tom, congrats! I've been thinking of subscribing to Kitplanes ofr a while now and this was the perfect excuse. I really like that they offer a full electronic format, so I can download each issue right to my ipad. Lots of great content in their archives too. Your story seems to be the essence of what the publication strives to represent.

Kitplanes = now subscribed.

I just read and throughly enjoyed the artile. Very well done! It would be great to see more articles like that. Now if they'll only make a set of ski's like that for the Bearhawk, I'd come up to join you for a ski tour since I'm about 1.5 hrs south.

Finally saw the article over the weekend... pretty extensive writeup over several pages! Nice job, CG.

Must be something about us BCP people.... I made Kitplanes too......


http://www.kitplanes.com/issues/pdfs/Sa ... KP0211.pdf

Contrats to both of you. Ben why is your plane on the Delta Hawk site?
http://www.deltahawkengines.com/Firewal ... nith.shtml

dirtstrip wrote:Contrats to both of you. Ben why is your plane on the Delta Hawk site?
http://www.deltahawkengines.com/Firewal ... nith.shtml

WOW.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for passing that fact along to me.. I had no idea they used my pic, or my plane to advance their marketing. They didn't ask, or get a release or for that matter even give me a heads up on the use of that picture.

Let me set the stage on my relationship with Deltahawk....
I am a big diesel fanatic and just as I bought my 801 kit in 2001 I saw ads for Deltahawk. Their comment at the time was they were in final testing the engines would be shipped at about the same time I was going to need one... I even plumbed my fuel system to accept a diesel. I mentioned to them I would be willing to R&D a firewall forward set up for the Zenith 801 using their 200HP inverted motor. I did explain to them of my extensive diesel background, my racing experiences, machinist skills, fabrication abilities, etc. At that stage they insisted I get on their "position" list to assure me of a delivery. At that time they didn't require a deposit but laid a pretty heavy guilt trip on me to pony up some cash to assist them in producing my engine... Yeah, right . !!! The next few conversations I had with them were very unproductive and they played god by saying no one can install one of their motors in an airframe as good as they can do it, and basically I was not qualified to even attempt it. You all can see what direction I went and its outcome. I run my life under the idea of results, not smoke and mirrors and vaporware. I have been flying my creation for years now. they are still promising deliveries.

AS for the use of my pic without consent I am going to follow up on that. This will get very interesting for sure.

Ben
www.haaspowerair.com

Bwahahahaha, good story Ben.

Keep us updated. (That is one nice picture though.)

Ben..to settle this situation...maybe a free engine to do R&D of your own?..with support?
Just an idea.....
HC

hicountry wrote:Ben..to settle this situation...maybe a free engine to do R&D of your own?..with support?
Just an idea.....
HC

I would build another 801 in a heartbeat and install one of their engines just to fulfill my thirst for exploring the unknown. I will say I really like their concept, design and package for the inverted V-4 Diesel. Too bad that probably ain't gonna happen though. It is fun to dream.

Ben.

courierguy wrote:For what it is worth, and as a way to maybe encourage others to write, I got $400.00 for the article. Plus, an initial and one time 5% discount from Datum after fast talking him into it before we closed our deal. The discount was for promising to write a Kitplanes article. I have not received my issue yet, and don't know what pictures they used etc. WHATEVER it takes to be able to afford it I'll do! I have to laugh when people say they can't afford to fly, as it encouraged me as nothing else to get my act together financially (work my ass off) in order to be able to do it, so for me it pays! Fun too

Good on you CG..I love your pictures and posts..and a little fame doesn't hurt a thing. Glad I got to meet you and see your flyer at JC. Keep 'em coming!
HC