Phil Rabb’s Titan Tornado-S
Titan Tornado-S N866TP flew on Feb. 1, 2016. It never would have happened without Joe Sheldon’s builder-assist program at LSA Aviation in Redmond, Oregon. Also thanks to Gary Brown, DAR, and Tom Phy, EAA tech counselor. The Rotax ULS and MGL iEFIS Lite fit our mostly local flying perfectly. The project was great fun, and it flies beautifully.
Salem, Oregon
prabb13@hotmail.com
Edwin “Tex” Arnold’s Nieuport 28
I purchased this full-scale Nieuport 28 kit from Airdome Aeroplanes in March 2010. The build was accomplished in my basement and garage, taking a total of 2235 hours. The engine is a seven-cylinder Rotec 2800 radial and the fabic is Poly-Fiber. The livery is that of Lt. Douglas Campbell, the first American-trained pilot to become an ace in WW-I. He was a member of the American 94th Aero Squadon and scored his first aerial victory on his first day in combat operations, April 14, 1918. On May 31 he was credited with his fifth confirmed kill and became an ace. My Nieuport 28 is currently on display at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado.
Brad Cohen’s Zenith Zodiac 601 XL
My chance to realize the dream of building my own airplane came in 2004 when I was given a ride in Jim Olsen’s Zenith Zodiac 601 HDS. I was hooked, but had to wait three months to get the first three crates from Zenith before I could begin my own project. This gave me plenty of time to second guess my decision and to figure out which year I’d fly to Sun ‘n Fun instead of drive.
Slowly, very slowly, 9BC started taking shape. I made the move to Zephyrhills, Forida in 2010 when the project outgrew the garage. I had a number of other builders around to guide me, and I asked everyone who helped to sign the baggage area bulkhead. On at least one occasion, an unsuspecting FedEx driver looked at me as if I had gone completely mad when I asked him to hold a wing rib while I Clecoed it into place.
I bought an overhauled Lycoming O-235-L2C from JB aircraft engines of Sebring Florida. I also decided to install a Magnum recovery parachute. Avionics include a Dynon D-180 EFIS/EMS system, an ICOM A210 com radio, a Garmin GTX-327 transponder, as well as a steam gauge backup airspeed indicator and altimeter. With each item that went in, I got a rush of satisfaction when the component powered up without sparks.
Throughout the build, I had the unwavering support of my wife Erin and my three kids. I’d also like to thank Ed Knapp for being so willing to help me through the first couple of flights. Ed proved to myself and the watching world (me, one lineman, and one transient Mooney pilot) that dreams really can take flight.
Palm Harbor, Florida
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