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Kit Building:
Customer Completions
Envious as we are, some of our Customers get their planes in the air
before ours do. Here are a few of our customer's builds. We
don't put much personal information on here for a lot of reasons.
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Dave & Eileen-
Strathmore |
We delivered Dave and Eileen's kit in late May of 2007, and she's
almost done. Gorgeous job. |
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Bob and San -
Calgary |
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We delivered Bob and San's Challenger kit in April,
2006 and first flight took place in November, 2007. They have
built a truly gorgeous airplane, with a stunning paint job that
creates the illusion of a Harrier's drooped wings. The link to the video will show you just what a Challenger is put
through on its first flight.
I get a lump in my throat just watching this.
My Dad, Tracy and I got into this business to help people realize
their dream of flight, and it is nice to see Bob and San now living
theirs. Congratulations. |
| Please note that the pilot undertaking these first
flight maneuvers is an experienced Challenger pilot and
Factory Authorized Inspector with several hundred hours of flight time in
Challengers.
First flights follow a very thorough total airplane
inspection by the Factory Authorized Inspector with the builder to
confirm all points of functionality. The "Test Flight" or "First
Flight" must be flown by a Factory Authorized Inspector, and
they arrange for the issuance of a Statement of Conformity that
allows for registration of the airplane in the Advanced Ultralight
Aircraft (AULA) category.
The maneuvers may look aggressive, but are actually not.
The airplane is usually flying level up to about 80 mph before being pulled up steeply,
and is always back to level flight by about 55 mph which is still
+20 mph over stall speed. The test flight explores all aspects of the flight envelope
including aggressive maneuvers, full control deflections, etc. and
confirms the operational flight envelope of the airplane is fully
within specifications and also serves to demonstrate the strength of
the airplane to its builder/owner who is watching from the ground.
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