Want to help make some more canard history?

[flydiesel]

I completed an Aerocanard/Cozy project begun by Gary Dwinal in Maine. I bought the complete project, including engine, instruments and avionics, and transported it to Southern California in 2002. We christened it N637PS for Psalm 63:7,8: "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you. Your outstretched hand upholds me."

 

After completing the plane in 2003, I continued to make refinements for years. Eventually, it became a beautiful plane and a good flyer. In the summer and fall of 2008, I converted the plane to run on avgas and/or a biofuel, N-butanol, and flew it across the country. It is the first and only plane to make the entire, ocean-to-ocean trip on 100% biofuel. See the Smithsonian article at:

 

http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/Moments--Milestones-.html

 

and my website (badly needs an update) at

 

looklocal.org

 

has a link at the top to the flight. The website explains my motivation- I want to end petroleum dependence.

 

After completing the trip, I switched back to avgas and began the return trip. Over central Missouri, due to a combination of weather factors and bad choices, I was forced to make an emergency landing. The plane was destroyed and I was badly injured. I came to rest upside down in my harness, the structure around me completely missing. Amazingly, the engine, motor mount, hub extender, all firewall components, and the Catto propeller survived the crash with no damage. Some instrumentation and avionics survived as well. The engine was just rebuilt and has less than 60 hours on it. It is an 0-360 A2G with after market fuel injection and a Jeff Rose ignition on one side, magneto on the other. I am in the process of returning to flight status.

 

It is possible to repair N637PS with new bulkheads, wings, etc. It is also possible to move the engine and surviving equipment to finish a new build. I am interested in doing either, then continuing n-butanol record-setting flights beginning with a trip across the Atlantic. Together with several sponsors, we solved the technical issues and proved the engine already. If you know of any well-made Aerocanard, Cozy or other 4 place canard projects at a fairly advanced stage, we should talk.

 

-- Len Johnson

714 334 5855