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Randy Stout's Zenith Zodiac N282RS |
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This is my Zenith Zodiac that I built. I started in May 2000. First flight was in August 2003 |
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As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to fly, but the costs of buying a certified plane was way beyond my means. Then I read an article in Popular Mechanics Magazine about building your own airplane. At the time, I didn't realize that you could build your own airplane. A bit of research on the internet and I was bit by the bug! |
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Building your own airplane is by no means cheap, but it is much more affordable than buying one. It's very rewarding being able to say I built it. It's also a blast to set it out on the driveway and watch people break their necks trying to look at it as they go by! |
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I have had 3 different engines on this plane. The first was a VW. It was way underpowered for this airframe.
The next engine was a Corvair. It was a much better engine. Lots of power and very smooth. The downside is that it was rather heavy.
Now I have a Jabiru. First flight with it was on June 22, 2007. It has slightly more power than the Corvair, but comes with a hefty price tag.
The required FAA testing is complete and the engine appears to be breaking in nicely. I had to get rid of the Bing carb that came with the engine. Good thing that I had kept the Ellison that I had on the Corvair engine. The change sure did help with the temperature problems I was having. |
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One thing that is really neat about having your own plane....Instead of taking the family for Sunday drive in the country, you can take family for a Sunday flight over the country. |
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LINKS |
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Tail Feathers |
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Paint |
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Interior |
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VW |
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Corvair |
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The sun rises as I take off from San Geronimo to go to Rockwall Texas, just east of Dallas. |
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Jabiru |
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Short Takeoff Video.
When I had the VW engine Many thanks to Alex Roca for the clip. |
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My trip to Copperstate 2007 |
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For those who knew my wife, click here |
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This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit Here. |
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| Corvair Crank Issues |
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| Jabiru |
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