Third day in, and the
meteorological luck experienced by the folks who host the NWEAA
Fly-In just won't quit. We have blue skies up the wazoo, lots of
sun, a light breeze and airplanes cranking through here by the
gross. Arlington looks to be in position to set yet another record
for attendance (with attendance numbers that will be based on
reality, we're sure, instead of the ridiculous fiction put forth by
Sun 'n Fun for a number of years), and the folks we're meeting seem
to be responding to the NWEAA vibe of friendly service and
hospitality. Serious kudos must go to the volunteers, who comprise
one of the most dedicated groups in all of sport aviation. They've
been uniformly friendly, welcoming and surprisingly unobtrusive...
a class act.
Yup... this is turning into Fly-In heaven.
It's also turning into quite the showcase
The first prototype RV-10 showed up and made a discreet first
day's appearance across the ramp from the Van's booth, where a
crowd immediately gathered and took up a constant cue around the
bird for several hours. Van's has a(nother) hit on his hands. A
cursory inspection of the beast shows fairly spacious interior
dimensions, a roomy panel and a lot of thought given to creature
comforts. Destined to use 210 to 260 HP, the RV-10 has a maximum
speed of 211 mph (with 260 HP), and a max cruise of 201. The cabin
is 48.25 inches wide for the front seaters and 436 inches across in
the back. It's a thoroughly conventional trike geared bird, with
dual stick controls, a pretty large panel and a good-sized baggage
area, good for 100 pounds.
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The RV-10 has a gross weight of 2700 pounds, an empty weight of
1600 pounds, and totes 60 gallons of fuel. This is going to be hot
seller... with a kit price of $35K for the standard kit and $45 for
the quick-build. The first standard kits (just the tail) should
start being available next month, with Quick-Build versions coming
next summer (2004).
The annual NWEAA airshow scene is a busy one this year... filled
with everything from a surprisingly good Cessna 150 acro act, to
the usual Pitts routines, a great Long-Eze bit, and the father/Son
Team of Bud and Ross Granley flying a Yak 55 and a YAK 18 in ways
that would undoubtedly terrify the folks back home in Mother
Russia. Bud has our vote as the best current airshow pilot in the
business, for the moment, but his son Ross is proving to be NO
slouch... and should give his Pop a run for his money, in no time.
The guy can fly.
Eric Bear's YAK 54 routine is wild. The AnywhereMap sponsored
flyer has a huge airshow schedule this year and spite the fact that
he must be beating his brains out to keep up with it, the routine
remains anything but tame. Don't miss it. A new act, showing up for
the first time this year is a formation flight team comprised by
five Navions led by a former Snowbird pilot. Called the "Frazier
Blues," the routine is a very pleasant demonstration of precision
in the kind of GA birds that most any pilot can relate to...
Cool.
More details to follow...
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