Having flown a single seat Quicksilver for about 900 hours, I found I was making longer flights and needed more comfort. I enjoyed flying out in the open, but the wind-burn was getting to be a problem. I had always wanted to build my own plane, and figured if I went to that effort, I should build a 2 seat aircraft.
I usually fly solo, and found the side-by-side seating bothered me. I wanted to sit ahead of the wing, but wanted to be able to look down on both sides of my seat.
Tandem seating seemed the answer, but I really didn't want to solo from the rear seat or under the wing. The Chinook seemed to offer the best view, and this was one of my requirements.
My second requirement was that it have a strong gear and be a sturdy aircraft. I enjoy many off-field landings and do my share of "barnstorming". I also wanted to be able to carry a good load and plenty of fuel.
I wanted a plane that was easy to modify. Something that had strength to fasten things to. It also should be easy to build. I didn't want something that would take years to complete. I also wanted fabric covering, as I found from my Quicksilver that sails only last about 10 years or so if you do much flying.
I wanted a craft with more speed, but yet could fly slowly so I could still fly with my Quicksilver friends.
If you investigate these points, I think you will find that the Chinook fills all of them.
