Hi Mike The chap you talk about that had the KR with the tip tanks was Sakkie Hallgreen and his aircraft was ZS-UKU. In the eighties he was Mr KR in South Africa. I believe he had the agency for all the pre fabricated parts for KR aircraft. He was also an AP (Approved Person) by our local Department of civil aviation which means he was allowed to inspect builders projects and sign off their work. He was also a test pilot. He died in a KR that he was testing during it's maiden flight as far as I know. The builder had corrected an aft CG problem by putting a pile of lead in the spinner. It didn't take long before the spinner departed and the rest, as they say, is history. It's funny you should mention that aircraft as it is my wallpaper on my PC at the moment. There is a KR enthusiast here in South Africa that has five or six KR and has purchased UKU which he is busy restoring so it will be airworthy one of these days again. There is quite a loyal KR following here in SA. I agree, the original bubble canopy definitely is dated. I actually had a bubble camopy fitted and forward hinged with the forward and rear turtle decks fitted but removed the canopy and forward deck to be replaced by a dragonfly canopy. Unfortunately I am not in a financial position to do any major work on my KR at the moment so it will have to wait.
Regards Dene Collett Avlec Projects cc Port Elizabeth South Africa > >-----Original Message----- > >From: krnet-boun...@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-boun...@mylist.net] On Behalf Of > >laser...@juno.com > >Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 3:24 AM > >To: kr...@mylist.net > >Subject: KR> New website KR photo > > > >> how about we go down memory lane a bit and get the guys > >to dig out some pics of the KR pioneers in the seventies and early > >eighties. > > > >Dean . . . I've been surprised to learn that some homebuilders thinking > >of what plane to build are getting the idea from others (non-KR owners to > >be sure) that the KR is a "dated" design. Ken Rand came before Rutan and > >before Neibauer so the KR truly is dated in that sense, and some of the > >early ones do look pretty pedestrian. I wish I had a picture of my first > >KR in flight, but I don't. With the gear retracted and a sleek canopy > >(instead of that bubble look that many early ones had) and a tasteful > >paint job (not like Langford's :-), an early model would be be a nice > >representative to greet the website visitor. Sparky had a very > >sleek-looking one too. People are still building Pietenpols, so being > >dated isn't a bad thing in any case. In the case of the KR they are > >probably thinking it's dated since it doesn't come in kit form. Anyone > >going to KRNET should soon see that the KR can be shaped into whatever > >one wants. That fellow down there in RSA who had the one with tip tanks > >looked quite sleek . . . can't remember his name just now . . . the one > >who died in the flat spin. In any case, the replacement for Joe's KR > >ought to look at least as sleek . . . a taildragger this time would be > >nice. > > > >Here's some old KR material for anyone interested. My first KR was the > >purple-trimmed one with the Maloof prop. The opera windows on some of > >the early ones were useful and added style. > > > >http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g415/Matsapha1/Early%20KR%20pictures/ > > > >My email program usually breaks links so you may need to fix it. > > > > > >Mike > >KSEE > > > > > >____________________________________________________________ > >57 Year Old Looks 27 > >Local Woman Reveals Wrinkle Secret That Has Doctors Angry. > >http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4f2742b5dcbe5987a0st06vuc > > > >_______________________________________ > >Search the KRnet Archives at http://www.maddyhome.com/krsrch/index.jsp > >to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > >please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
