Finished!

[pequeajim]

I know this is not on the forum topic, but I have talked about this a few times on here and thought you guys would like to see the airplane that I built. I passed my airworthyness inspection this past weekend!

Jim!

 

[shvl73]

Congratulations!!!
You must be very proud. I know there is a tremendous amount of work there and you stuck it out to completion. Great job!!

 

[pequeajim]

Congratulations!!!
You must be very proud. I know there is a tremendous amount of work there and you stuck it out to completion. Great job!!

Thanks!

It pretty much took me out of just about everything except my family. That's why I have been so scarce around here over the past year.

The fun part is going to be flying... Maybe I can work on a PT-Flyer combo tractor?

 

[sandman2234]

In my earlier days I helped with a few of the parts of a local guys airplane build job. He finished it, but cracked it up during one of it's maiden flights. I haven't seen him in years, which might attest to the old saying about old bold pilots.
Nice plane, great job!
David from jax

 

[shvl73]

Maybe I can work on a PT-Flyer combo tractor?

Carbide tipped prop for stump grinding???

 

[cqaigy2]

Wow, thats a very nice looking plane!

Thanks for posting the results of all your effort and time. Any left over parts? ;-)

 

[woodlandfarms]

that is one great looking plane. I am soooo very jealous. We are so tired of driving from LA to Washington... Keep wising for a plane.

more pix please.. And some details. what kind, whats the performance, whats the efficency...

 

[pequeajim]

I don't want to get too far off track here but...

It is called an Arion lightning (www.flylightning.net). I have a build site at Splash. While no stump grinding capabilities, it can grind through the air at over 200mph. It has a great leaf blower and a six cylinder powerplant. It can pull stumps at over 6gs, and land on a nicly finish mowed field.

It is all composite, and is not as easy to work on as my 425, but fun to drive!

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi Jim,

I did not know you had an identical twin until i saw that picture.

Ken

 

[pequeajim]

Hi Jim,

I did not know you had an identical twin until i saw that picture.

Ken

Lol! The funny part is that I am only 5 feet tall!

(grin)

 

[Marks481]

I thought you were building a Murphy Rebel? Did you finish that one too, or just switch to the Lightning? Pretty impressive to get that built in less then a year; most airplane build logs are 5-15 years.

Nice job; I was an airplane nut when I was 15yo, got up to student pilot at that time, and wanted to build a kit plane. I still would like to get back into flying now that I am 40yo.

 

[MossRoad]

Pretty snazzy looking bird you got there, Jim. I like the paint job.

 

[pequeajim]

Thanks Moss...

Tim: I was building a Rebel until about a year ago, someone offered me too much for my 90% completed airplane and I decided to go cross country with the Lightning instead of short field with the Rebel.

This one's like a little fighter!

 

[Marks481]

yes, quite a difference in performance between those two planes. Looks like the Lightning is designed to get you places fast instead of just fly circuits around the airfield.

 

[KentT]

Nice looking plane, Jim... a real speedster.

Are you licensing it as an experimental or a sport-experimental?

How are you liking that Jabiru 6-cylinder? I've been looking into the possibility of building a Jabiru 230/250 for my wife, when I retire in a few years.

 

[pequeajim]

Nice looking plane, Jim... a real speedster.

Are you licensing it as an experimental or a sport-experimental?

How are you liking that Jabiru 6-cylinder? I've been looking into the possibility of building a Jabiru 230/250 for my wife, when I retire in a few years.

It will be licensed as an experimental with a gross weight of 1320lbs.

THis way, it can be sold as a ELSA if I so choolse to. The Jabiru is an awsome engine. I was thinking about what it would be like on my 425? Imagine that lightweight power at 120 horses!