Thorp Air Command - T18.net

Thanks to Cubes and Lee for finally getting me registered. Took about a month, so the glitch in the site has something to do with forwarding emails to the administrator(s). One shortcoming: When there's a problem the site says contact administrator, but there is no contact "button".

Glad to be here, just made the deal on N8786, hope to get it home (KALX) in the next few weeks.
Ready to learn.

Rap

_________________
Base: KALX
N8786
SN 929

Welcome. You will love flying a Thorp.
Cubes

New thorp owner here as well, looking forward to catching up and meeting other Thorp owners along the way.
Can't wait to catch a fly-in with N925RS out of Tulsa.

-Jeff

_________________
Jeff
925RS

Welcome to both of you, this website is very helpful in gathering information on the Thorp.

Phil
118BC

Greetings Gentlemen,
I, too, have indited myself into the Thorp community. I purchased a partially completed project and will be picking it up next weekend. Most of the machining has been done and it has enough material to complete the basic airframe. I look forward to the wealth of advice and experience within this forum.
Bruce

Wow! Love hearing new guys popping up. If you need anything, check out Thorpcentral.com. There is a link on this main page. We have, or will make any part for the Thorp.
Cubes

Cubes is a great resource, he has taken the time with me and my project "to make it happen". He seems to know every drawing and part from memory!!!!. The parts he has are very reasonable also.

Phil
118BC

'Tis the season! Another new Thorp owner here - proud owner of 575DG out of KVIS. I look forward to learning and expanding my skills. Special thanks to Cubes and Spanky for their past training/support, more of which will surely be needed moving forward.

Jonathan

All right Jonathan!! Sorry to see Danny go, but glad you were able to close the deal.
We believe the Cub should be ready for students again soon. In fact, the temps dropped yesterday! I'll e mail when I can confirm.
Cubes

Might as well do an intro, plus a question at the end.
I'm Rap McBurney A&P/IA. I worked in the real world 40+ years and did the A&P thing as my retirement gift. N8786 is airplane # 11, looking fwd to mods and flying. Based at KALX once I can get it there. 1300 SEL,SES, Comm. 500+ TW.

I am also technical advisor and Past Prez of the Beech Aero Club (Musketeer series) and have focused on them since 2009. I recently sold a 1978 AA5B that I put back together after an off runway excursion. To date is was the best airplane I ever owned. Looking forward to the Thorp.

Question: My T18 lists 3 GW configurations: 1250# Acro, 1520# Normal and 1650# cross country. Never seen that notation in a POH. It appears from reading most T18s have GW in the 1600# range, and since I'll be flying solo most of the time, not a big deal, just curious about the XC weight.

thanks in advance for the feedback.

Rap

_________________
Base: KALX
N8786
SN 929

The T-18 is aerobatic by design at 1250#. That is +6g (-9g ultimate) and -3g. If you fly the plane in the normal catagory, you would limit the g's to 4.4 and utility at 3.8. Doing the math, you come out with about 1700 and 1900 pounds respectfully. You seldom see this in the "real" world because certified planes are usually certified in one category only. Don Taylor's around the world Thorp grossed at 2200# and was limited to about 2.2g's

_________________
Bob Highley
N711SH
SN 835
KLAL

In the experimental world, you can set the gross weight at what you like. All you have to do is fly it at that weight and annotate the logs. However, JT held the T at 1500lbs for safety. Yes he helped Don with a higher GW for the around the world flight. Most of us use 1500lbs for the T and 1600 for the S.
Cubes

Thx for the responses. My T got re-weighed in 2011, and it appears whoever did it was not a math wizard. 1038# empty after deducting 15 gal fuel, that number became 98# in the POH. 1038 sounds a bit porky, especially since there were no changes to the airframe since 1974, when it weighed 932#, then 996# in 2009 I'm going to redo the w&b when I get it home. It's going on a weight reduction program regardless, lots of elderly stuff in the panel will be replaced, thinking about pulling the vac system, I also have some spare parts laying around, lightweight alternator and Skytec starter, then I'll reweigh without any fuel in it.

_________________
Base: KALX
N8786
SN 929

My empty wt. is 1042 #. O360 & constant speed, includes 8 lb's of ballast. Also have two 8 gal. wing fuel tanks (empty for weighing). light wt. starter, alt. & battery. Long gear. No vacuum system.
Phil
118BC