Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I just found out Eklund Engineering no longer supports the T-18. I am hoping the new owners of the T-18 rights will make themselves known to the community soon as I am in need of some replacement drawings (~40).

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

I'll let him know.
Cubes

Well, it's coming up on three months. Is there a new owner who is going to support the T-18? Bob H.

Good call, Jeff, to put it out there and be direct about this! I hope we can get to know this person and he/she is dedicated to the T-18's success or will give the rights to someone who is.

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John Twigg N12055 SN.79 Pittsburgh, PA (KFWQ)

I sent an email to EAA as their site still lists Eklund Engineering and Sport Aircraft as the suppliers for the T-18 and S-18. Asked for a reply. Never got a reply, and the false info is still on the site. Oh, well, I guess they are all busy getting ready for Oshkosh..

Bob

Patience, Rob. It's a small group and the website is a one-man show. He's in KOSH right now.

The absolute BEST and fastest way to get T18 answers is face to face. Go to KOSH , SnF, Kentucky Dam, Sedona, or any other organized gathering to find a critical mass of Thorpies.

I'm pretty sure most of the "high ranking" thorpies would be happy to talk on the phone too.

d

Great advice for those who have retired with nothing else to do and for those who get to pick their vacation time. I guess the rest of us just get to be orphaned.

I don't know when the sale took place but I started this thread mid-March and we are almost to August so when is it okay to start to lose patience? Did KOSH start last winter? I am sorry but it doesn't take that much time to edit the text on a website. Probably a lot less than what I will spend typing this post.

It has been several months and the new owner hasn't even let us know who he is. Unfortunately, it is not a money making gig any way you look at it so the priority to get set up will not be very high. The cost of buying the rights, setting up sales and procuring parts will not be recouped quickly, if ever. If he isn't in a position to do anything with the T-18 rights then perhaps he should explore some other options like selling or making arrangements for someone else to handle the transactions. Maybe it's already in work but how long should we tolerate no news, let alone no support before getting serious about wanting to know our status? How long is it okay to wait before asking others to share plans so people can make repairs and/or replacement parts instead of buying the needed plans? How long should a prospective builder wait before moving on to the next option?

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

There's a good reason why the buyer has not come forward. I'm not sure what exactly you need or are trying to accomplish with your comments but surely any questions can be answered here until the purchase has been officially announced.

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

"The absolute BEST and fastest way to get T18 answers is face to face. Go to KOSH , SnF, Kentucky Dam, Sedona, or any other organized gathering to find a critical mass of Thorpies."

I am not specifically looking for any info at this time. I just feel that someone who IS looking and visits the EAA's website should be getting the latest, up to date listings.

And the webmaster could of at least sent a quick reply that the issue would be investigated when time permits. I assumed that is why they have a "request reply" box to check......

Bob

Rob

I just PMd you.

As it turns out, I now have two sets of drawings. I hate to break up a set, but I probably have what you're missing.

D

I doubt anyone here can do anything about the content on the EAA website. Maybe the new or old owner could contact them but I don't know if either monitor this forum.

I don't know what I "need" but I am missing these drawings:
512
548
556
580
590
598
651
727
728
733
751
781
722
791
All in the 800 range
905
1072

I may be able to pull some from my S-18 file but, as I learned with the rudder cables, not everything crosses over.

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Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson

I replied to D's PM. What I told him is that I personally am not looking for any support in the way of parts or plans at this time, although I may be in the future. It is Jeff who is looking for missing drawings. I am just trying to point out that the information posted on EAA's website is inaccurate. I feel that if they are going to maintain a file with information on a design, it should be up to date, and it is not. Any prospective homebuilder comparing designs would find that an email sent to Richard Eklund will bounce back. I would hope that Mike Archer would direct people to Cubes, but maybe not. The correct contact info should be on the website, but it is not. That's all I am trying to point out. I don't even know if it is the responsibility of the EAA to insure it is accurate, or if the vendor should make sure it is up to date. If it is the latter case, then apparently Cubes is not aware that Sport Aircraft is still referenced as the supplier for the S-18, although the business had been in his hands for some time now. So I was also attempting to bring it to his attention. I am sure he would want the info on the EAA's site to be correct.

And that is all I have to say about that! Bob H.

Thanks for the info Bob. I'll look into it.
Cubes

By the way, I met the new T18 owner at OshKosh today. I'll not put words in his mouth, suffice it to say he is extremely busy working at NASA. We discussed the possibility of me selling plans for him while he gets up and running. Hopefully we will have more info soon.
Cubes

And I have been extremely busy where I work, as I am sure most working people (as well as some retired) are. It is good to hear there may be something in the works. Even if nothing comes of it, at least it is news.

_________________
Thorp T18
O-320-B3B (160 HP)
68x74 Sterba Propeller

"The joke in aviation is, 'If you want to make a million, you'd better start with £10m.' " -Bruce Dickinson