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The worlds newest Varieze owner/builder


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Hello, my name is Bryan. I've always dreamed of owning/flying a Rutan canard airplane. I purchased a LongEz project back in the 90's, a fuselage on the gear, but made no progress due to a career change, I finally sold it. I often wonder if the fellow I sold it to ever completed it, problem is I can't remember his name. I think the SN was 1989, not sure.

Anyhow, I'm married, no children and CSMEL with instrument privileges. I've flow a variety of airplanes but I learned when I flew for a living it became a job. That takes all the fun out of it.

I browse the internet every day for airplanes that perhaps I could afford to own. I came across an ad at a obscure website where a man was advertising a couple of Varieze's in his basement that he needed to move. It was within a 150 miles so I called him and arranged to meet so I could see what he had. I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of dormant projects complete with all the hardware, foam and glass that was needed to complete both planes, plus some spares. (no engines, avionics, a few instruments) We negotiated a deal and I picked everything up this past Friday, 02.17.17. I believe I can have one flying in a year. I'm sure I will have lots of questions during that period so I will be on here often.

I joined the local EAA chapter, haven't been to a meeting yet. I need a DAR inspection to get my repairman's certificate. Already reserved N555BD.

 

I took a few photo's

 

http://www.fototime.com/users/dover1525@att.net/Projecte%20Varieze%20-%2002.18.17

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Edited by Bryan Dover
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Wow!  That guy was truly a collector.... it gave you a head start on building a Varieze.

If you still have to work a job, its gonna be tough to finish in a year.

 

I don't think you need to see a DAR about a reapaiman's certificate.  Just start building.  You don't have a plane that has been manufactured (yet), so there is nothing to see (yet).

After you finish the build you can get a repairman's certificate.

Andrew Anunson

I work underground and I play in the sky... no problem

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...

I don't really remember the website but the ad was up literally for years, it wasn't a airplane website. I can remember seeing it like five years prior and thinking if I were closer I would go look at it. I really didn't expect the project would still be on the market or it wouldn't be worth the effort but it turned out to be close enough to me that it wouldn't matter after I moved from South Carolina to Tennessee in 2013.

 

I just finished sorting all my hardware, building some new fixtures for the fuselage and a fiberglass cloth rack, everything is cleaned and safely stored. Bought some EZ Poxy/hardner, respirator, epoxy pump, ect. I was pleasantly surprised to find all the Brock hardware was there, mostly in duplicate, except for the gear crank handle and carburetor heat box..

Edited by Bryan Dover
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I suppose you know the story of corrosion in the buried parts of Varieze wing connection plates.   There are pics on the web

 

http://www.ez.org/t/cp55-p5a

http://www.cozybuilders.org/Canard_Pusher/RAF_inspection.pdf

 

I would think you'd be OK if you keep the airplane hangared or take precautions to never let moisture seep into the structure there.  If I owned a project with the plates already embeded, I would treat the wing attachments with ACF-50 regularly.  I don't know if there is a better method but it seems it like it would help there.

http://learchem.com/products/acf-50.html

-Kent
Cozy IV N13AM-750 hrs, Long-EZ-85 hrs and sold

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