It was back in 1982 or 83. I was employed as a professional photographer and I remember standing in the offices of Rand Robinson Engineering and chatting with a fellow aviation enthusiast about his KR1 and the mods he was doing to it...it was actually going to be his new design. . He asked me to take some photos of it and wondered if I would do some air-to-air shots. I was booked and could not accommodate him. His name was Lance Neibaur. His design became very successful as the Lancair. My how time flies.
I had been a fan of Ken's design before that visit and chance encounter with Lance and have always wanted to build a KR2. Well, it appears that the time and money have lined up. My career path changed a bit (although I still love to shoot pix) as I developed my other love, woodworking. I spent many years as a master cabinetmaker / furniture builder and from 1991-99 CEO of a marine products mfg company. Im still in manufacturing, but in the RV industry (see <http://www.jtrv.com/>www.jtrv.com). Im giving you this snippet of info about me to gain your opinion about building my first plane a KR2S. I live in Cottonwood, CA and the RV business office and warehouse is in Paso Robles, CA. I only need to make the commute 1-3 times a month, but the drive between the two is about 6.5 hours and I would sure love to fly it instead. Im very near Redding, CA Municipal and could fly into Paso Robles airport. Would the KR2S be a good choice for me to do this? Or is the standard KR2 sufficient? I'm 5'-10" and weigh 200lbs. Does the useful load include the weight of the fuel? I see some stats that list a 12 gal fuel tank and other 35- can you add some clarity to this? Also, I would like to have a retractable gear plane, but I dont see anything on the company web site about a retractable kit option, although they say it can be configured that way. Do you feel that my skills as a master woodworker are sufficient to build KR design? Ive got a 30 x 40 shop at home with 10 ceilings equipped with commercial woodworking tools. I just joined the forum. Thanks for letting me bend your ear, when you've got the time, Id love your feedback and guidance. Kind regards, Lou Hecker Sales and Marketing Director JTs RV Accessories-Enhanced Comfort and Stability for your RV Lifestyle <file:///\\www.jtrv.com>www.jtrv.com Lous Desk: 530-347-3637 Lous Fax: 530-347-4560 Email: lhec...@jtrv.com Corporate Offices: 805-434-3112 Toll Free (USA): 1-888-587-JTRV (5878) For your security this Message has been checked for Viruses as a courtesy of Com-Pair Services!