Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Very Nice Les!!! - can't wait to hear your phase one reports!!

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Fraser MacPhee
N926WM
Serial #279-1
Angel Fire, NM (KAXX)

Looks great Les!!!

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Lee Walton
Houston, TX
N51863,N118LW
KEFD

WOW! Looks great!

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Matt Smith
Des Moines, IA
55RC

Les,
Fly that puppy, is Sedona in your phase 1 test area????

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Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

Looks FANTASTIC! Congratulations.

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Dean Cuke
Visalia, California
N772DM
KVIS

What a beautiful bird, Les! Now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. You should be proud!!

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John Evens
Arvada, Colorado
T-18 N71JE (sold)
Kitfox 7 SS N27JE

Love the attention to detail in the cockpit !

RB

More than 40 hrs. till Sedona. Just sayin, it's a fact.

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http://www.dixiefriedfabrication.com/

Thanks for the encouraging words, guys. You've all been good at that, and we should all continue in that spirit. Yeah, I suppose it will be all summer before getting through the 40 hrs. But just getting airborne will be really satisfying when it gets to that point. Instead, we'll take the Mustang to Sedona ... it's an '05, not a P-51!

See ya there.
Les

Pretty busy summer and the project has been waiting for me although I think of it all the time! It's all signed off with the DAR and legal now, and so am I. Got my tail dragger endorsement (just a simple 85 hp Interstate) and am trying to be careful how to proceed for first flight. I did have a short ride in an RV9 tail dragger last week. If any kind-hearted soul is around or passing through and willing to give rides, stick time or pointers on landing a T18, it would be well appreciated by me and by my wife!

Les Krumel,
Albuquerque

My couple of tips are pretty easy . Pick a few days with VERY light or no wind (down the runway preferred) and keep it on speed . If you're fast on final don't settle for that . Go around and try again . A stabilized approach turning final is key in this AC . Don't be talked into an intersection takeoff . Use the full length of the runway .

That first TO and landing (or in my case every TO and landing) will have your pulse racing . Just take your time and use your checklists . Send pics of the first TO with you at the controls ! Good luck and May the Force Be With You !

RB

Les, when I bought my Thorp, I didnt have a TW endorsement and no TW time. I flew for 4 hours with an instructor to get my TW endorsement in a 85hp Aeronca Champ (made probably 15 landings i guess). Then I got an old grizzly instructor (who had never been in a Thorp) to go up with me in my Thorp. We made about 4 landings in it and he said I was good to go.

One thing that I did note as compared to landing the Aeronca: Just use "pressure" on the rudder pedals when landing, no need for big pedal movement on landings.

As Rich said, my pulse was pounding on the first few landings alone. If I found I was not tracking centerline after touching down, i tried my best to keep on centerline, but I was more concerned with staying under control and on the runway. With that in mind, I used just enough rudder pressure to stop the plane from continuing its track off the runway, not necessarily enough rudder pressure to take me back over to the centerline. As I became more proficient, I was able to keep it on the centerline (most of the time...)

Have fun!

I highly suggest you get a Thorp instructor to go up with you. Get some more time in a short coupled tail dragger.
Cubes

What Cubes said . I was able to get some right seat time in a Thorp before I began my test flights . Took a lot of the surprise factor out of the equation .

RB

NX115RX