Congratulations looking forward to information on your first flight Keith Wiese
On Mon, Aug 12, 2024 at 11:29 AM Oscar Zuniga via KRnet < krnet@list.krnet.org> wrote: > > > 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 > -- > KRnet mailing list > KRnet@list.krnet.org > https://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet >
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