 Steve Phillabaums RV-8 The first flight was on March 13, 2009. After Phase I was completed the first real flight for N90SP was home to Vans. Pictured are some of the Vans crew that helped me through the building: Joe Blank (on the left), who offered endless builder support, and Rob Butt (right) who took my money. The same day Advanced Flight Systems installed my moving-map software-way cool. With the plane done, my wifes already tired of me around the house. She told me to get another kit and go back to the hangar! She didn’t have to say it twice. A Zenith CH750 kit is now in transit. Spokane, Washington |
 Steve Westons Zenith 601 XL My affliction began at the age of 4 when my dad took me on my first airplane ride. Dad flew for Gibbs Flying Service in San Diego. After that first flight we drove home, walked into the house and there on the table was my first model airplane. Thats how it started. Never did I think I could be a pilot. Heck, I couldn’t even spell it. Now I are one. One day I was hanging out at the airport. I watched a mechanic working on a Cessna 150, and we began to discuss the cost of aviation. Even today I can still hear him saying, Either you need to be rich or build your own. Well here I am, 44 years later, having completed my third aircraft. Actually its almost done. Homebuilt airplanes are never really done. There is always something to fix or improve. On March 16, 2009, I took the first flight in my newly built Zenith 601 XL. Many Sun Valley Airpark residents have watched me over the 17 months with the construction. I spent many days and nights out in my hangar working away. My first report is to say the aircraft was easy to fly. My real testing program starts next week, and I plan on flying off the test hours as quickly as possible. Then Diana and I will head out with you all on those fly-out breakfast adventures. Fort Mohave, Arizona |
 Dustin Paulsons GlaStar My GlaStar was DAR approved for Phase I test flights on October 20, 2007, and the first flight was on October 24. The project ended up taking me 8.5 years of spare time to complete. Its fiberglass fuselage, aluminum wings, horizontal stabilizer and control surfaces, as well as a chrome-moly structural protective passenger cage, give true meaning to the definition of a composite plane, and afforded me a wealth of building experiences. With over 180 hours flown, the XP-360, with an AirFlow Performance fuel injection and LightSpeed CDI in place of a right magneto have worked well behind the 74-inch Hartzell blended airfoil CS prop, delivering a thirsty full rich top speed of 175 mph, or sipping 6.5 gph running LOP at an economy cruise of 130 mph. I had great help throughout from friends and fellow EAA Chapter 237 members: Ron Barrows, Duane Miles, Dick Nordquist, Bob Pierson, Charlotte and Scott Sanders, and Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor Gary Specketer. The GlaStar & Sportsman Association International online builders group was also an invaluable resource for the day to day questions. Mora, Minnesota |
BUILDERS SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES
Submissions to Completions should include a typed, double-spaced description (a few paragraphs only-250 words maximum) of the project and the finished aircraft. Also include a good color photograph (prints or 35mm slides are acceptable) of the aircraft that we may keep. Please include a daytime phone number where we can contact you if necessary. Also indicate whether we may publish your address in case other builders would like to contact you. Send submissions to: Completions, c/o KITPLANES Magazine, 203 Argonne Ave., Suite B105, Long Beach, CA 90803. Digital submissions are also acceptable. Send text and photos to [email protected] with a subject line of Completions. Photos must be high-resolution-300 dpi at a 3 x 5 print size is the minimum requirement.
