Glasair Sportsman 2+2 Build Part 3

In parts one and two of this builder’s story, I described Sean Walker’s progress to get from opening the first crate through to the first flight. After 10 years of persistence, it is finished. Sean’s 220 horsepower UL520T powered Glasair Sportsman 2+2 has been built, inspected by the Canadian government’s designated inspector, test flown, and the mandatory 25-hour test flight period is now complete.

I asked Sean to describe some of the issues that appeared during the test flights in (mostly) his own words.

“All in all, I feel that I was pretty fortunate as the number of issues were fairly small. However, when it’s 90% done, it seems that there is 90% still to go: This really is a thing! You get the parts back from the paint shop, put it all back together, and then there are all those little things—little things you forgot or never fully finished. Things that you figure will take 2 hours that take days. Solving all the little integration issues to make it 100%. This process takes months.

“Still playing with the rigging a little bit. Needs a touch of right rudder. Sportsman’s are known for a heavy wing, and it is usually caused by the gap between the flaps and cover skins.

“Cooling concerns have been ongoing. Initially the middle cylinder on the right side got a touch warm (just into the yellow). Same on the left side, but nowhere as much. Diverting air around the front cylinders has helped as the temperature only gets into the yellow now in a sustained climb. The oil is a bit warm as well. I have added a lip to the cowling exit to create a bit more suction. The lip has helped but it needs to be a bit bigger.”

“On the early flights, the Airmaster prop controller was going into current limit and somewhere around 80% of a pitch change. After having me check that there was not a physical issue with the prop, Airmaster sent me a larger motor with more gearing and this seems to have solved that problem.” 

Sean made the design decision early on to go with a header tank. In Canada, the fuel injection return needs to go back to the tank it came from – so you have two options: A header tank, or a duplex fuel valve. The header tank has a warning system that indicates that it is not full. In warm temperatures when running auto fuel, fuel vapor is returning to the header tank and needs to be purged. The venting configuration was changed, and the size of the vent lines increased.

“The avionics have worked just fine. I haven’t changed a thing other than map updates.”

“The days leading up to the first flight were insanely awesome. Checking everything over to make sure everything was 100%. Huge thanks to Geoff Guest for being that sounding board and the second set of hands needed on so many issues. Your friendship and skills are second to none.

“The actual first flight was busy up until the time of strapping the airplane on and going flying. Another huge thanks to Scott Jackson for getting into the right seat bringing  decades of experience to the day. Also, many thanks to Lorne MacInnes and Glen Hoffman for flying the chase plane to make sure everything went OK and to be there if we needed you.

“Going from building to flying is so much fun. Making your multi-year project a functioning aircraft is such a great feeling. Thank you to my wife Shannon for the freedom to pursue this dream and thank you my kids, both Stewart and Sophie for being that second set of hands in the garage countless times over many, many years.”

Now that all the required tests were complete and Sean was happy, it was time to get those inflight photos. Unlike the first flight where the Cardinal’s primary duty was to monitor the flight and advise Sean of any problems such as oil leaks or loose panels, Glen’s Cessna Cardinal was again drafted for use as the photo ship. Both Glen and Sean are experienced formation pilots and after a briefing to cover the safety of the flight plus the wishes of the photographer (me), we anticipated no problems.

The Cardinal, with its cantilever wing, is a good photo platform as the rear seat area allows access to both windows as well as the smaller rear window. How many aircraft can offer a back window? However, windows that don’t open can be a problem for the photographer. Watching the light carefully and keeping the sun behind helps to reduce the reflections from the window. In this instance, shooting in the late afternoon helped. The location selected was north of the Fraser River to a nearby lake and with the local mountains providing a scenic backdrop. 

Once the picture taking was done, Sean decided that it was time to put on a few more hours with a shakedown trip. Sean’s concept of a few hours might differ a little bit from yours or mine. Thus, the return trip from British Columbia to California saw 22 hours added to the logbook. The trip gave him a baseline for future flight planning; cruise at between four and eight thousand feet consumed fuel at the rate of 11 gallons per hour. Oil consumption was minimal; none was added during the trip. The only “problem” during the trip occurred during the fuel stops. A minimum of an hour was spent answering questions from the many who wanted a closer look. 

I was able to get some brief “stick time” with Sean just before the window closed for the Kitplanes August issue. 

I learned very quickly that, being normal size – 5’ 6”, the F/O seat was set for someone much taller. This had a secondary issue for yours truly as it was difficult to have a view of any thing but the panel and blue sky. Next time, I’ll bring my own cushions.

The panel has an incredible ability to provide an overload for my inner luddite but when Sean pushed a button some where, he gave me the “sacred six” that made life much easier.

The plane has strong acceleration and reaches flying speed in seconds. One notch of flap resulted in a rapid rate of climb and is felt as a braking force on approach. Roll and pitch changes are comfortable but the large wing makes roll seem a bit heavy,

Without question, the flight was an opportunity that I highly recommend to any who gets the chance to take it.

What’s next? The Fly-in at Smiley Creek, Idaho. Smiley Creek’s 7,206 foot MSL elevation will be no problem for the 220 horsepower UL520T. The second destination on Sean’s schedule, a must do, is Oshkosh. There the Sportsman will be one of the many highlights of the show. Based on the responses during the California trip, Sean will be very busy answering questions and giving the nickel tour for those who have been waiting to see this beauty. 

This feature first appeared in the 2026 August Issue of KITPLANES magazine.