Nice stuff, BH.

http://www.vimeo.com/groups/backcountrypilot/videos/26538393

Pretty cool. One of these days I'd like to take a look at one. I know nothing about them, especially once I see two engines on it!

There was one that came into Beagle a couple of times..... pretty neat machine with the two Rotax 912S engines..(200 HP total)..didn't care for the wing covering though, prefer real aircraft fabric and not that ultra-light covering.... Climbed like a Bat out of Hell though....

Brian.

Brian - Steve's Aircraft wrote:There was one that came into Beagle a couple of times..... pretty neat machine with the two Rotax 912S engines..(200 HP total)..didn't care for the wing covering though, prefer real aircraft fabric and not that ultra-light covering.... Climbed like a Bat out of Hell though....

Brian.

Out of curiosity, what are the downsides to the lighter fabrics? Do you have any idea what the difference in punch test values would register? I know some of the LSA kits like the Kitfox, Highlander, etc use a lighter spec fabric, but I'm curious to know if there's really any practical safety or durability difference.

That looks like a lot of fun. Can you feather those props in the event of an engine failure? If not, what happens? I guess it has a large looking rudder. A couple years ago, an "expert" died in Ohio in one of those. Never heard why.

Thanks for the nice words guys. I didnt build the plane. The props will not feather. It does not make a real good bushplane because of where the props are. I made the mistake 2 summers ago of landing on a muddy gravel bar. When I went to accelerate the tires threw all the sticky muddy rocks into the props. I had to replace all the warp drive blades. It was kinda spendy $$.

Funny story. I was applying for an airline job at Mesaba in 2004 and used my aircam time as "multi time" for my resume. When the interviewing chief pilot asked what I had twin time in, I told him an AirCam. He and the HR lady googled it on the spot and didnt believe I was eligible. After a few phone calls with me standing there they accepted my time. Till this day I get a kick out of how I was accepted into a 121 position with experimental twin engine open cockpit taildragger time.

My S6ES is covered in that ultralight stuff, dacron I think they call it. It's pretty tough stuff. I'm told it's got a higher punch stregth than regular old ceconite. Don't know, I've never punched it. Biggest problem with it is UV protection. Other than that it doesn't seem to bother me too much.

Zane wrote:

Brian - Steve's Aircraft wrote:There was one that came into Beagle a couple of times..... pretty neat machine with the two Rotax 912S engines..(200 HP total)..didn't care for the wing covering though, prefer real aircraft fabric and not that ultra-light covering.... Climbed like a Bat out of Hell though....

Brian.

Out of curiosity, what are the downsides to the lighter fabrics? Do you have any idea what the difference in punch test values would register? I know some of the LSA kits like the Kitfox, Highlander, etc use a lighter spec fabric, but I'm curious to know if there's really any practical safety or durability difference.

None that I can think of....mainly cosmetics, and I would have to look up the punch differences again. Pretty sure they are listed in the fabric manuals..... Mainly I just don't like the "look" of them. Also, you can get quite a bit of "scalping" between the wing ribs (especially on the top of the wings) with the lighter stuff. I prefer medium weight Poly-Fiber or Ceconite 102 finished in either Poly or Stewart systems.

Brian.

Nice video BH! You gotta show me how you made the plane go backwards. That was really cool!

I have flown in the AirCam. They are really fun planes and super stable. Looks like you are having a blast!

At JC this year there was a Boise area pilot (Rob) who had time in a 914 powered AirCam, with controllable pitch IVO props! He mentioned that he had flown it into JC, and on departure, pretty much right after liftoff, turned 90 degrees and outclimbed the ridgeline without making another turn

Nothing like a highpowered ultralight type craft for steep climbs rates: when on breakfast runs to Afton or Alpine, I have a 9K+ mountain in the way, ( in my avatar, so pretty close), flying my Pterodactyl Ascender in the '80's, (also known as the Ass Ender due to the canard) I'd just point right at it and go over it, now with the S-7S I have to cheat and circle a bit and go through the 7 K pass. It climbs well but not like a 'Dac, 1,000' FPM sustained at 35 mph!

courier guy,

I want a hangar at Alpine in the worst way. What do you think of the flying/hunting around there? It takes me about 4 hours to get there from MN in the Lancair and about 9 in the AirCam. Is there alot of exploring to be had on there?

That's a great video! Love the rewind of that deer. Looks like a neat plane, if you ever get in to WI with it stop by our strip.

My good friend, Claudius Klimt is leaving Baltimore on Wednesday, hitting Oshkosh and continuing to Oregon! Great aircraft, they fly it all year long. It's too cold for my pleasure in the winter. He was featured on AOPA Magazine about a year ago.

Bravo Hotel wrote:courier guy,

I want a hangar at Alpine in the worst way. What do you think of the flying/hunting around there? It takes me about 4 hours to get there from MN in the Lancair and about 9 in the AirCam. Is there alot of exploring to be had on there?

Bravo Hotel,
I was cruising that direction today, here's what I saw. Kitsurfers working the wind right at the dam, probably because every morning there is a strong flow through there, wind wise that is, while it will be calm at Alpine. These guys (?) were really getting it on, they were smoking!

The last time I was here a few weeks ago, I was landing all over the lake bed, now they are letting the water out of Jackson Lake, and it is maxed out. The water masters have a real juggling job judging when to let it rip and hold it back, especially this year of huge snow fall. Now would be a great time to play with skiing up to the runway for the shortest possible landing Just to the west a half mile or so of the airstrip, I spotted this hang glider tow operation(Dragonfly tug plane, piloted by a black women pilot, she had her act totally squared away, look at the length of that runway, and for a tow launch!) just getting ready to launch. I landed and BS'd with them after they got off. Someone on the radio was warning me of the runway shortness and roughness, I told them I would chance it [img]%20http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu213/simkot/DSC_0972.jpg[/img]

I continued on to Afton, on the way overflying 5 private strips, 3 of them just put in the last couple years or so. The Afton strip itself, like Alpine, is now a residential airpark, while continuing to be open for public use. The area is really getting discovered, bring your checkbook! Can't tell you about the hunting, but the flying is great!

I'll drag this out of the crypt!!! Bravo Hotel, I've got a similar story - I was wandering around the local "drome" (KBTF) quite a few years ago. Ran into a guy I'd seen at Oshkosh, flew a Cri-Cri. (Google it if you're not familiar - wild little ship) He was a good guy, wanted to get on at my airline. We talked a while, I ended up sending in a recommend for him. At his interview the pilot people were giving him hard time about not having "real" multiengine time. He asked them how many engine failures they'd had, then told them he'd averaged one every five hours or so!! He got the job, been here ever since. Gave me a ride in the Pitts Model 12 he built a few years ago - what a ride! My feet were a couple inches off the ground for the rest of the day!

Just came across this video, and I thought it was worth sharing... Looks like a blast!

I have been flying it this summer out of South East Idaho. It has been a ball in the mountains. By far the most exciting flying I have done.

Don't know how to embed the video but here's the URL:

Turbo Reversing Prop Aircam. Looks like a super fun machine.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/3KN2LOgN9kU[/youtube]

Bravo Hotel wrote:I have been flying it this summer out of South East Idaho. It has been a ball in the mountains. By far the most exciting flying I have done.

I bet it was exciting! I only hope that someday I get to fly in one of those, they look like an awesome ride