News and commentary about homebuilt/experimental aviation from the editors of Kitplanes Magazine.
Van's Aircraft has released a nearly half-hour long, in-cockpit video of the first flight of the One Week Wonder, an RV-12iS built by volunteers during AirVenture last month. Continue reading "One Week Wonder First Flight - 3D view"
A time-lapse video of the complete build of the One Week Wonder, a Van's RV-12iS constructed during the EAA's AirVenture, is now available. The two-minute video shows the day-by-day activities and progress from opening the shipping crates at 8 am on Monday morning (first day of AirVenture) to first flight on the following Monday evening. Continue reading "One Week Wonder Build Captured in Less Than Two Minutes"
The Van's elves continued working on finishing up the RV-12iS build on Saturday night and had it ready for its airworthiness certificate inspection and issuance on Sunday morning....the seventh days of the project. EAA staffer and FAA Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) Joe Norris issued the certificate shortly before the afternoon air show. Continue reading "One Week Wonder -- Day 7 -- First Taxi"
Have you ever held an event, perhaps for work, where a party is advertised for, say, three hours but everyone has left after two hours except that one lonely and annoying guy who just wants to hang with you because he has no one else to spend time with? And, you have to stay 'cause the announcement said the party wouldn't be over yet? Well, that's a bit how the kit vendors seem to feel about the last weekend of AirVenture. Continue reading "Welcome to the Wisconsin State Fair"
About 7 pm on Saturday, the Van's crew put the wings on and brought the One Week Wonder out onto the adjacent street for a successful engine start. A spontaneous crowd gathered around and applauded the effort while audible sighs of relieve were heard from the Van's folks. Continue reading "Engine Start!"
When I walked in Saturday morning, it was clear that the Van's crew had reached a point that gave them confidence that the One Week Wonder project would achieve its goal of getting an RV-12iS built and ready to taxi in 6.5 days. Their core group of employees had worked into the wee hours of the morning to do the things they felt necessary to ensure success. Continue reading "One Week Wonder - Day 6 - Engine Start!"
