Need help picking a plans plane...!!

The Headwind is a good choice as it is a rock-solid little plane with the 1930s feel you are looking for, though only a single seater.   I used to have a set of plans and was very impressed but decided I liked wood better than steel tubes so I sold them on.  Some other options might be....

• Sisler/Hapi/Viking Cygnet (two-seat, steel tube fuselage and tail, geodetic wood wing)
• Stits Flut-R-Bug (tandem two-seat, steel tube fuselage and tail, conventional wood wing)
• Pober Junior Ace (sbs two-seat, steel tube fuselage and tail, conventional wood wing)

The last two are intended for A-65 or greater, but a 2180 cc VW conversion ought to do the job economically.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Marshall,

How about a Sonerai II?  Plans-built, VW powered, has the look of a late 40's Goodyear racer.  Flies really nice.  How do I know?  I built one!!

Check out the info at this page.

Cheers!

Joe

Sonerai as mentioned seems a fit.  Also check out the Buttercup.

Double Eagle or Woody's Pusher are the ones I'm flipping a coin over.  Simple and cheap to build.

take a look at some of claude piel's designs www.homebuilt.org/kits/littner/littner.html.

Thank you all for the wonderful help, that is what I love about the EAA.  I have a set of soneri II plans but felt the wing loading and gross capacity is a bit out of the desired flight envelope. Plus I would prefer to stay with fabric wings. I Do really like the plane though and Great Planes is a great company with awesome service by the way. 

I had a jodel D9, Again little tight but I really do like french designs I'm about 6' 200lbs wet. So the smaller european cockpits can be a bit cramped.   I have a set of tailwind plans, and Steve was an Icon..  really like his work as well, However they are best with about 160-180 HP.   The Stits flut-r-bug seems interesting from the one picture I could find, does any one know if plans are still available?  Also the Cygnet looks very interesting, but I have not been able to find any source for plans? Does anyone have a link on this one. ? ( nice options for this on barnstormers right now)

Headwind plans will be ordered just for futher study, I like the rib setup, and think that it would be a fun slow flyer at some point.  I really just like the compact design and individual style. ( little slow perhaps).   Perhaps a take off of this would be good.  I have a 9 year old and it would be great to have a two place, but I can always fly her in the 172 or PA-28.  I really just want something for about 10 hours per week of just sport flight, but I do live in florida to the ability to to some cross country and take about 30lbs with me would be nice.

Thank you all for the responses.  - Jason- I have looked at littner's stuff, very similar to the jodel styles, not sure about the build time, have you ordered plans?  Thanks again to everyone, keep it comming.

Sounds like you're considering the same general parameters I looked at, Double Eagle was my choice, though you might check the following (if you haven't already). Both have a good variety of mostly wooden birds, a few in the power range you've noted.

http://www.ragwing.net/

http://www.fisherflying.com/

Thanks David,

The Ragwing stuff has not really keep my interest for some reason, but yes I have looked at his plans.  Fisher makes some wonderful, and popular products and I am very happy that they are back on track, however they do not offer plans that I am aware of.   I will likely build a modified headwind, perhaps with some jaunty wheelpants and a 30 's style paint job, it will make a nice addition to the hangar, and something I can trust my daughter in when she gets her wings. 

Thank you all for your support, see you at OSH perhaps. -  Marshall

Marshall and all,

On the Flut-R-Bug, you're right that there is not much info out there, but check out these two threads in this forum:

Restoring a SA-6B

Stits SA-6C Flut-R-Bug - builders, plans?

and this web site:

Have you looked at the Spezio Tuholer?  Since the designer passed away, I am not sure if his son continues to sell plans, but I did find his email:  tuholer1@tuholer.com

Pretty aircraft, docile and carries a pretty good load for 125hp.  I always thought it looked like a baby golden age air racer.

The Chilton DW-1 is right up your alley. Pre-WWll British  low wing using conv. small auto engine (VW would be an upgrade) It has the look you want. I think you must contact the designers family to get permission to buy plans. The Jodel D-18, and the HN-700 Menestrel are two VW 2 seaters, the menestrel has an ellepticle(sp.) wing and I think looks  like a Spitfire as a Me 108 looks like a Me 109.

Have you considered a Volmer Sportsman? Two place side-by-side with good potential baggage area, the original one (50 years old and still going strong) flew all around North America for years with a C-85 but most built with 0-200s or 0-290s; other engines have included auto conversions (0-200s adequate, 0-290s more than enough). Tractor or pusher. Not sexy nor fast (speed comparable to a J-3 if equipped with the same power), but more utility than you can shake a canoe paddle at.  You get a boat and a plane for the comparable cost and labor of a same-powered, plans 2-place landplane. Wood fuselage, plans-built or “store-bought” Aeronca wings (although it has been built using others – I’m partial to Cub wings).Tried and proven, plenty built and flying all over the world and a surprising number being built now. Good builder/flyer forum at Delphi Forums. Check Volmeraircraft.com or try Google; see pictures from what I consider quite homely examples to surprisingly good looking (mostly from the large variability in engine cowl design, in my opinion). I think if only more pilots would look past the compound curves of composites and take a splash in an amphib – go ahead, reach over and dangle your fingers in the water – they’d wonder why all planes can’t float. You can even take the canopy off and fly open cockpit if you really want to (with a pusher engine preferably).

Take a look at the Fisher Flying Products fleet.  Classic lines, wood/fabric etc.....  Good factory support and builder groups.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffphomebuilts/

 http://www.fisherflying.com/

http://www.fisherflying.com/index.php?option=com_igallery&view=category&id=4&Itemid=31

If you do go the single-seat route, you could do a lot worse than Eric Clutton's Flying Runabout Experimental design, aka FRED:

Aircraft Spruce page:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/kitspages/fredplan.php

Lots of pics here:

http://www.abpic.co.uk/results.php?q=fred&fields=type&sort=latest&limit=10

My own site:

http://www.cluttonfred.info

Distinctive looks, rugged gear, docile handlilng, proven reliability (protoype is still going strong after nearly 50 years).  Eric is a very nice guy, always ready to answer a question, and plans are only $50.

Cheers,

Matthew

   I've never built an airplane before, but I have worked on a JDT Mini Max before. It can be classified as either light sport or under the 103. My EAA chapter (865) hasn't finished their's yet, but work is starting on it in a few weeks. It's a single seat all wood monowing aircraft utilizing fairly simple construction. They're great little planes produced locally in Napanee, Indiana, but sold and shipped across the country. It's a great choice for anyone with a tight budget. Also another great plane is the Knight Twister designed by Vernon Payne. It has a steel tubing frame with wood stringers and wings. Payne designed many versions of this biplane from 1929 up until a few years ago when he passed away. In the smallest modern version the Knight Twister Acro has a 15 foot span on top, and a 13 foot span on the bottom. It uses really anywhere from 100-180 H.P. There is also a two seat version, though if you went with the single seat you might even be able to get away with a 50 H.P. engine being that the original Twister, which was the same size as the Acro, had a 44 H.P. radial engine. Plans for all of the modern versions including the Acro, the Imperial, the Holiday, and the Coed ( the 2 seater) are availble from Steen Aero Lab. Visit their website at www.steenaero.com

Two excellent options, that fly well on low horsepower, would be.

Open Cockpit tandem.  Hatz cb1 biplane, originally flew with c65/85 and when built light, to plans, an excellent flying aircraft. I fly a heavy one with 140 hp and love it, excellent control harmony and will handle much more wind than a Cub. It will haul anything you can put in the front seat. My wife and I use it for camping with no other support vehicles.

Closed cockpit side by side. Wittman/Luce Buttercup. I haven't flown this one, but those who have rave about it. A solid design by the legend and some very interesting engineering (simple leading edge slats).

Luke

Bob, I've got lots of time in a Woody Pusher, don't flip a coin, go with the Double Eagle!

That looks sweet!