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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 1579.PDF
i air I w«S^ »J. rf v *£& lilli Sfisin Oshkosh: sport aviation's greatest show WITTMAN AIRPORT, Oshkosh, W3S again the world's busiest air field during the first week of August, when it became the mecca for sport fliers in America and many other countries under the Experimen tal Aircraft Association's international banner. The customary colossal statis tics were surpassed yet again, with total attendance reaching 892,547. By noon of the first Sunday the transient parking area was overflow ing with visiting aircraft, and the total number of aircraft parked on the airfield at one time exceeded the total on the UK civil register. It is also estimated that some 10 per cent of the US general-aviation fleet (about 170,000) flew to and from Oshkosh during the show. THE first sight to strike the visitor walking through the main entrance was over 20 Rutan VariEzes, all parked "head-down" with their nose- legs retracted. Some bad solar panels to charge the electrical system, and one had a nose^mounted rudder which is being tried as a possible replace ment for the little rudder on either winglet. Burt Rutan was there at lunchtime every day, holding court on the grass before a mass of VariEze owners and constructors. At the end of the line was his new single^seat taildragger canard, the Quickie, designed in conjunction with Tom Jewett and Gene Sheehan, who now manage the project as the Quickie Aircraft Corporation. The Quickie has been described by Rutan as "looking like a Staggerwing Beech without a tail," although with only an 18 hjp. Onan industrial engine up front it is a bit smaller. With a main- wheel literally at the tip of each fore- plane, it must have the widest land ing-gear track ever for an aircraft of its size. A top speed of some 120 m.p.h. must also make it one of the best performers. The Quickie was flown some 2,000 miles from Mojave to Oshkosh, averaging a claimed TAS of 115 m.p.h. and a fuel consumption of 65 m.p.g., so that the fuel worked out to about $25. Seeing the Quickie's agility and performance in daily demonstrations, it was easy to forget that it had only a few more horsepower than some of the ultralights flying with a good deal more effort and noise. Although apparently complete at Oshkosh time last year, the Quickie was kept under wraps until this spring. Tom Jewett said that 45 kits (total price about $4,000 each) had been ordered, although there was so much interest at Oshkosh that this figure must surely have increased by now. A good illustration of the sort of fuel efficiency possible with modern small aeroplanes was given by a new annual event staged nearby: the 500- mile Lowers-Baker-Falck Race around a closed circuit beginning at Fond du Lac. In a test of speed and fuel efficiency each contestant was allowed to use only 18 out of 22 US gal of fuel carried, and had to clear a five- foot obstacle after 1,100ft of runway TT.V Report by CLIFF BARNETT "Flight" photographs by TOM HAMILL on take-off. Victory went to the legendary Steve Wittman (after whom the Oshkosh airfield is named) in Bonzo, his old Formula One racer. He averaged just over 180 m.p.h., and was closely followed by two VariEzes. Just behind was the KR-2 of Ken Rand, who was disqualified for using slightly more than the allotted fuel. Average fuel consumption was about 29 m.p.g. The machines contesting the Indianapolis 500 car race, by comparison, each burn 280gal against the homebuilts' 18gal. A much larger field is expected at next year's race, for which a $7,500 purse could be offered. Rutan's radical centreline-thrust canard twin is now known as the Two show-stealers from Burt Rutan's canard stable: above the Quickie and below his much-talked-about new twin, pictured here in model form (Howard Levy)
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