Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 23:55:36 -0800
From: Mike West <mwest@CDSNET.NET>
Subject: V-dub Airplanes fluff

More fluff to fill the void here.

While over having Christmas dinner with family, brother
has me going with him to find the "Beagle Sky-Ranch".

Have I told you he's an ex- bush-pilot and crop-duster?

That's why he's a gimp. Dropped a plane on himself in
a cherry orchard.

So he's thinking about flying again. He quits for a few
years and swears never again and then  . . . . :-)

There are no signs to the Beagle Sky-ranch, if you don't
know where it is, you have no business  .. etc.

We finally spot a plane behind a house so we know we're
close.  Make a left turn there and head on down looking
for more sign.

It is just a bunch of houses where pilots live and a
big old cow field with a wind sock and lighted wind tee.

Planes sticking out of garages, under tarps etc.

Log cabin with a pair of wings stored on top.

There is one parking area where there were four or five
tied dowm. One nice looking Stearman.

There is one guy who actually has a three bay hanger that
looks like a hanger.

The road in is mud. If you don't have a 4 wheeler or a
high struttin' volkswagen you really don't want to.

Alan tells me the FAA came down on them a couple years
ago and they ran them off.

It's more likely the FAA left in disgust.   :-)

Of course this is a volkswagen story!

There were two home-builts out in the field with our
famous little engine in them.

They turn it around so the flywheel end is pointing out
and stick some kind of gear-box on the end and then a
propeller.

Looks pretty slick. No smog stuff at all. Only one had a cowling.

We didn't get out of the van, it's not appropo, considering.

Alan mentioned that the flywheel nut that holds it all
on makes some people nervous but that the nut holding
the rotor on his helicopter wasn't much bigger.

It's known as the "Jesus nut" for obvious reasons.

He said a lot of home-builts are using the vw engine
these days and getting some hellacious horsepower out
of them.

Cost reasons mainly.

We talked about losing a head and how the Lycoming has
a bolted flange around the base. I hadn't known that.

He's talking about an ultra-light build since there is
no way in hell they will give him a license any more.

They don't care if he's crippled but they draw the line
on his bad eyesight.

Then we talked about the price of Rotacs, that's another
engine, and I mentioned how they were cutting the v-dubs
in half for that purpose.

So he's interested in that.

I know there are some other air-heads out there so I may
be querying you this coming year for some details.

So if a fat man with no beard comes down your chimney
or thru your roof some time in the next year, it won't
be Santa, just Alan on his test flight.   :-)

Oh, and if he does have a big bag, call me immediately.  :-)

west