Bob Fritz
We may have created a monster. At the time he submitted this months Home Machinist installment detailing the challenges facing Charlie Taylor in the construction of the Wright brothers first engine, Bob said, Researching this story has been the most fun Ive ever had. Now that hes seen the, um, historical documents, how do we keep him down on the lathe? Well worry about that next month. The Taylor story starts on Page 53.
Ed Kolano
This month another very experienced professional test pilot does the deed for us: Ed Kolano reports on the Vans RV-12. Readers of another Experimental-aircraft magazine-the title escapes us at the moment-will recognize the name. When asked for a bio, he wrote: Ed Kolano is a motorcycle-ridin, poker-playin former Marine test pilot with reasonable grammatical skills. How can you not like the guy? His thoroughly fleshed out flight review of the RV-12 begins on Page 8.
Ron Wanttaja
Were lucky and delighted to have such a critical thinker as Ron Wanttaja take the time to pore over extensive accident records and NTSB findings to get right to the heart of why Experimental aircraft crash. Much more than a doom-and-gloom piece, his analysis of aircraft accidents paints an interesting picture of risk, and offers numerous clues for builders and pilots who wish to stay safe. His analysis begins on Page 25.
