Alan’s Vision EX

I have worked hard to keep focused on building my Vision EX. As I previously built a Varieze, I was enjoying flying it, but the urge to build bit me again. In 2012, I sold the Varieze as not a practical plane for Southern Oregon. I wanted soft field capabilities and side-by-side seating. As kits are a lot of cash up front, I found another plans built composite that excited me. The Pro-Composite’s Vision http://www.pro-composites.com/ can be built with several options and I decided on the moderately ranged tricycle gear model known as the Vision EX.

I started with the seat on 5-1-2012, which is what the plans say to start with. I parted with the plans in building solid core wings and adding winglets. If I was going to do it over, I would have stayed with the hollow wings.

An interesting concept in “boat building”, Fold-a-plane:

From this…vacuum bagging of panels.
Panels put together…
To this.
 Post-curing, in the Southern OR Sun:
By 9-10-2012, ending the first build season, I had something looking very aeronautical:
2013: Turtle deck, Canopy, Foredeck inside the shop on “rotisserie”
   
2014: Center Wing Section and Wings. The project was moved outside.
   
“My” invention, Fold-A-Cowl:  
   
No bugs invited, painting outside:  
   

As I had a steep learning curve in getting my Continental 0-200 operational in the Varieze, I looked into the Corvair aero conversion as a new power source. Getting and reading the manual and all the great stuff on www.flycorvair.net educated me and convinced me I can assemble a reliable engine. I went to a Corvair College to see things as they are done.

I kept a close eye on purchases. Do not think that building a Corvair aero engine saves one much over a used Continental or Lycoming as the value has its cost. But there is a great satisfaction in building one’s own engine and realizing that it’s nearly entirely new. I also gained the knowledge to service it and to keep it running. The crank, case, and heads are from the 1965 110hp core, and they were reworked by experts with aviation in mind.

How the accessories transform the engine from road to flying have been worked out by men with safety foremost in mind over the last 40 years. Science, experience, and experimentation backed all decisions and I followed their formula rather than re-inventing the wheel. Another Corvair College came about and I was able to close and have the expert start my engine.

Dry setting the 12 lifters...
 		  Engine run at 1700 rpm for 40 minutes. Smooth!
 Travel to the airport -- Hanger T1:
  
N401EX certified 8-18-2017, after1760 hours, the end of the beginning...

Darrell Haas RV 9A

Flying is more than just a way to be transported from one place to another. It is a lifestyle and since you can't fly every day, the building can keep you involved. The snow can be piling up outside or the wind can be at almost hurricane speeds and you can be comfortably inside your hanger or garage drilling holes in a strut or removing Clecos.  

Building your own aircraft also gives you an opportunity to literally know your aircraft from the inside out. When it comes time for your annual inspection you can save a great deal of money because you are the manufacturer of your aircraft and you can perform your own annual inspection. I can not stress how much of a learning experience building an aircraft can be.

It is not uncommon for a builder to complete his aircraft, fly it for a short time and sell it so he can build another one. Once you get started building, you look forward to going out and driving some rivets or drilling holes. My wife and I sold our Tri-Pacer 22-150 and are building a Van’s RV 9A. 

Our new plane when finished should look a lot like this.


Here are some pictures of part of the empennage of our Van’s 9A Kit Plane.

Many of the kit plane manufacturers sell sub kits so you do not have to pay for the whole plane all in one payment. You can pay as you build. If money is an issue, many people build with a partner.

Happy building,
Darrell Haas