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Anyone currently building an ERacer?


recapen

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I bought plans 361 (IIRC) and followed a bunch of guys building and only a handful finished. I tried finding the old website and it doesn't show up on a search any more. Pretty good sets of under construction photos and even a few got theirs flying.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rick

Did you ever start your E Racer project? From the threads, I wasn't sure. I never had internet access until 1999. All my communication with the E racer was with Shirl and he flew first flight in 1996. Let me know if you are having a get together in your neck of the woods and I'll fly down.

 

Jack

E Racer 113

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Jack,

I followed your airplane very closely through Shirl and the internet. I have never seen it in person.

 

I had my E-Racer fuselage basically finished, on the gear, with the canopy roughed in. I had ordered a canard from Stan Montgomery and that fiasco kind of soured me on the project for a while. A guy came through here and offered me a good price for it and I sold it.

 

Not long after that, I had a chance to buy a flying Long and so I did. Now, I am flying Steve Drybread's EZrg so I have come full circle to a canard airplane with retract gear.

 

Our CAF Squadron meeting is the second Saturday of each month at M01. We usually have a pretty good turnout. I spend quite a bit of time at Robert and Valerie Harris' place (M04) on the weekends. Send me a private email at rick@rocket-boys.com and I will send you my cellphone and other contact info. I am about to take my airplane apart for a couple of months, upgrading the panel with EFIS and autopilot.

 

Rick

Rick Pellicciotti

Belle Aire Aviation, Inc.

http://www.belleaireaviation.com

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  • 2 months later...

I wonder how many are flying and how many are still being worked on?

With the site gone - can hardware still be acquired? I'm talking about things like main landing gear parts, engine mounts for a Lycoming install, and other things that might be peculiar to the E-Racer. I hope someone kept the old website info. Anyone have a current E-mail address for Shirl?

 

I got plans #361 so I'm guessing that there might be 400 sets of plans floating around out there. Probably no recent starts though!

 

I really like the two-place side-by-side RG Canard concept - maybe for long-term planning, I need to consider a Cozy Mk IV with a set of Infinity's and think about it as having a large baggage compartment.

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  • 2 months later...

Probably not crazy...! Have it looked at by someone that has built a flying canard from plans - verify the workmanship quality. What parts are included with the purchase - specifically main landing gear, nose gear, and engine mount as they are specific to this design. With the e-mail forum lists for the E-Racer gone to the bit bucket, a lot of documentation has been lost - there were quite a few builders pictures out there showing construction details that I wish I had saved locally. Shirl was very particular about supporting only plans purchasers and most likely will not support your project unless you buy a new set of plans from him directly. I do not even know if support or new plans are still available. I am trying to locate a set of the parts I mentioned earlier before I start working on my plans - although I am seriously considering a Cozy MKIV with Infinity retracts, a wilhelmson nose lift, and the IO540 mod as an alternative. I'd like to see pictures...

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  • 2 weeks later...

hi all...

hi rick, and jack i laid on my back at oshkosh taking pics of your airship, stunning to say the least.......seems like a long time ago but the good thing about working with fiberglass and resin is the shelf life...haha...

have decided to go fixed on main gear on my eracer....ohhh i know but alas i someday want to fly my airplane.....now building again in bluffton indiana.....ps jack next time you are in ft. wayne at magnum engines...i would like to take you to dinner in exchange for a ride........thanks for listening ...your friend kim & kathy riley...ps i work for mercury air center(soon to be atlantic aviation)

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hi all,

bluffton indiana here, been a long layoff but we are building again, have decided to go fixed main gear....plans are fair with a fair amount of R & D and imagination allowed....it is a true homebuilt....probably no two ever the same......happy building which ever way you go.....kim & kathy riley

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Do you know if Shirl is still contactable?

 

I have sent off a coulpe of e-mails with no reply and the web site has gone.

 

Jamie

"An upsidedown Australian that wants to build an aircraft that flys backwards"

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I am still building an Eacer, 6 years in the making now. When Im done I suppose I will have built two, the the wrong way, take it apart and do it the right way. Seriously, it is a joy. I dont care when I finish as I have another plane to fly. I bought a Varieze and just flying that keeps me interested in building and gives me new ideas. By the way, amyone know how to flip my eracer upside down to finish the bottom? I think I saw a diagram once but cant find it now.

Rob O

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By the way, amyone know how to flip my eracer upside down to finish the bottom? I think I saw a diagram once but cant find it now.

I'm sure it's the same as most canards. I've seen it described in two methods:

  • Mount 2 semi-circular pieces of sturdy plywood outboard of the strakes, vertical to the Earth and parallel to the longitudinal axis. Brace with wood or metal to a location inboard of the strakes. Mount wheels at the "corners" of the plywood pieces.
  • Ken Miller described on the Yahoo! Canard Aviators list how to make bumpers and roll using the nose and strake points as corners.
Both methods require helpers. Good luck!

Jon Matcho :busy:
Builder & Canard Zone Admin
Now:  Rebuilding Quickie Tri-Q200 N479E
Next:  Resume building a Cozy Mark IV

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Rick & Jack

 

I believe the e racer site has been deleted at the begining of this year. I wonder if anyone saved the photos of construction so they could be linked to this site or any other?

 

Sam

The E-Racer site can be found on www.archive.org but it is very slow going. I will see if I can track down Larry Walls and find out what happened to the web site content.

Rick Pellicciotti

Belle Aire Aviation, Inc.

http://www.belleaireaviation.com

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  • 3 weeks later...

Rick,

 

I finally tried your link to the Eracer photos, most are printable in one way or another. It all went faster when I saved the archive site to my desktop while connected to the web. It is a great series of photos for anyone interested in the design and building of the Eracer.

 

Thanks, Sam

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Glad it worked for you. If anyone knows how to get in touch with Larry Walls, please let me know. I have tried all of the email addresses that I could find for him. I would be happy to put the E-Racer site up on my server if I can get a hold of the files.

Rick Pellicciotti

Belle Aire Aviation, Inc.

http://www.belleaireaviation.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello !

I bought plans-set in 1994 - vidioed Shirls E-racer in detail at Oshkosh 1995 . - what happened to all the wedb site - and the detailed photos - the newsletter service ? I still have the ,plans but lack the support to complete a projekt like this ! This spring I bought a set o Cozy IV plans - for a Rotary configuration - but I still would love to complete a "retractable" E-racer. Who knows how to get some updated detailed info ?

Best wishes

 

Erik Holck

Denmark

eholck@stofanet.dk

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Erik,

When I purchased my plans from Shirl the Roncz canard plans did not come with the plans to the E-Racer. They had to be purchased separately which obviously I hadn't done on a timely basis, since then Shirl has all but moved to Area 51 and has been unreachable. Burt Rutan has also closed shop which did offer the plans. I've been told that I can still purchase those from the gift shop. I guess I should do that before they close up too.

 

Sam, Thank you again. I'll try that site again and see if this brings some light to the subject.

 

Mick

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