Dick Starks
Dick Starks has written two books about the joy of flying; “You Want To Build And Fly A What?” and “Fokkers At Six O’clock!!” He was the recipient of Flying’s 2001 Bax Seat Award “for perpetuating the Gordon Baxter tradition of communicating the excitement and romance of flight.” Dick and his wife, Sharon, both fly WW-I replica aircraft.
Unusual Attitude
The Dawn Patrol, led by Dick Starks, launches for Holden, Missouri, to witness the taxi test of an 80%-scale replica of a 1915 de Havilland DH-2. The unintended consequence of an innocent road trip leads Dick to consider becoming a repeat building offender.
The Back Yard Flyer
When Dick and Sharon Starks found that Sharon's Airdrome Aeroplanes Morane Saulnier L Parasol replica was TPd at Oshkosh, the search was on to find the culprits. Along the way, they also discovered an innovative new ultralight from Valley Engineering;
Roll Camera!
Leave it to Dick Starks to get his foot in the door of a movie set by supplying WW-I replica aircraft. Once there, leave it to Dick to find trouble, even when hes not looking for it. No worries, though. Alls well that ends well, and the whole experience makes for a story thatll have you laughing out loud.
New Product: "Swing-Wing" Ultralight to Be at AirVenture
Gene and Larry Smith, the owners of Culver Props and Valley Engineering will have the production model of their new Back Yard Flyer "swing-wing"...
But Will It Fly the Plane?
Raconteur and avid WW-I-era airplane enthusiast Dick Starks regales us with tales of innovation and resourcefulness when he attempts to measure the pull of his and his compadres VW powerplants.
In Case You Missed It
Tools for Homebuilders, Part 1
Terry Edwards covers some of the less-often discussed aspects of homebuilding, from the decision-making processes, to the best sources for assistance to choosing a project director (and deciding if you need one).
Letters
Check Those Airboxes!Upon seeing the picture in Amy Laboda's airbox installation , we were...
Safety Is No Accident: Canards
The appeal of canard-type designs hasn't faded, and the design was heralded as inherently safer because of its resistance to stalling. Ron Wanttaja reveals the veracity of that claim given the accident numbers.