Oscar, Great that you saved this unique KR from dangling in a ceiling at some unknown airport terminal! Griff
From: KRnet <krnet-boun...@list.krnet.org> On Behalf Of Oscar Zuniga via KRnet Sent: Monday, August 12, 2024 11:29 AM To: krnet@list.krnet.org Cc: Oscar Zuniga <taildr...@hotmail.com> Subject: KRnet> Operation Sunbeam Netters; I'll just cut straight to the chase and announce to the KR world that I am the new caretaker of N335KC, a KR 1-1/2. Upon seeing the gold-bronze anodized spinner on the plane when I got it home, my daughter dubbed the airplane "Sunbeam", so this post is about how I came to be the new caretaker of this fine KR. The plane was constructed by Ken Cottle in 1987, got its airworthiness certificate in April of 1990, and is featured in the step-by-step instructional video describing how Diehl premolded wing skins are installed on KR wings. It was later owned by Steve Bennett of Great Plains Aircraft, when the engine was changed to a Great Plains 2180 with a top-mounted Ellison. It's basically a KR-1 that has been widened a bit but is still just a single-place. It may be the only KR 1-1/2 in the FAA Registry (unlike the KR-25, of which there appear to be many examples ;o) Through my great fortune and occasionally making gentle inquiry to Mike Stirewalt about the airplane, we recently came to an agreement about me bringing the plane up here to my home field of KMFR in southern Oregon from his home base at KSEE in southern California. In a whirlwind transport operation August 1-4, the plane made the trip uneventfully and in very good weather to have made the move on an open trailer. KR mover extraordinaire John Bouyea made the move happen as smoothly and efficiently as it did, and the only deviation that we made from "shortest route from Point A to Point B" was to visit Joe Horvath at Revmaster in Hesperia the afternoon of Friday the 2nd on our way south. Although Joe's people were almost all gone for the day by lunchtime, he graciously kept the shop open till we got there. Some very interesting things in development there, along with all of Revmaster's standard offerings. We had a great time on the tour of Joe's shop, what with all the shop machinery, engines, and interesting little parts and pieces everywhere. Joe has some great stories, too... like the one about the 800HP VW. We arrived at Mike's hangar Friday evening, spent all day Saturday loading and securing 35KC onto the trailer with the wings on stands in the bed of the tow vehicle, and Mike offered a running commentary on the airplane's systems and operation as we worked. The man is a gold mine of aviation knowledge, and as the plane's most recent caretaker and operator, he is the very best source of specifics on its care and feeding. We departed the field late Saturday afternoon, parked overnight in the Bakersfield area, and got to my hangar Sunday afternoon to unload, inspect, and stow everything. John stayed in Medford overnight and made it back to his home field up in Hillsboro on Monday after putting 2,310 miles on his truck. Operation Sunbeam was a complete success thanks to John's organization and skills as well as the use of his very capable Ford F250 and flatbed trailer. I still can't believe that I'm looking at a KR in my hangar as I get it cleaned up, inspected, and understood. I have a Rand-Robinson info pack that dates back to when I first got interested in the plane sometime around 1994-95... some 30 years ago. To learn more about building and operating a KR, I found out about the KRNet back when it was just transitioning from bulletin board format, probably around 1997. Some of you may recognize names from back then: Tom Crawford, Bobby Muse, Ross Youngblood, John Bryhan, Ron Lee, Randy Stein, Robert Covington, Don Reid, Mike Mims... and so many more. One of my first contacts with this group was when I became aware that Mark Langford was THE builder who I wanted to emulate and learn from, and one of my first keeper posts from the net is dated 10/12/97... from John Bouyea. I also met Jeff Scott through the KRNet, and he has been a constant source of technical information and engine smarts for me. I would have loved to be planning to fly 35KC to the Gathering this year but it's just not ready yet and neither am I. I need to learn the plane first! My eternal gratitude to Mike Stirewalt for so graciously launching me out on this new adventure and for sharing this airplane and his knowledge with me. I am equally grateful to John Bouyea for his tireless efforts, long hours and miles on the road, gallons of sweat, and constant encouragement that I could do this. I told him that he's very good at lighting matches... he had to light a lot of little fires under me to keep Operation Sunbeam on track and across the finish line. I also want to thank all of you on the Net for keeping this flame alive for me all these years. The culmination will be when I get air under the tires and get to take my first ride in a KR time machine! Oscar Zuniga Medford, OR KR 1-1/2 N335KC in preparation
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