Wild West Aircraft

For general discussion of the Just Aircraft family of aircraft.
Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
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taildrgfun
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Location: Nampa Idaho

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

Here is a little video I put together about fly-ins in our beautiful Idaho mountains.
https://youtu.be/uLq8K05q2aU
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
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SuperFly
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by SuperFly »

Fantastic video Steve!! John Cooley and I decided long ago we are gonna fly out there for a visit when we both are finished and flying. Can't wait for that trip!!
Best,
Ben Schneider
Highlander #263 converted to SuperSTOL
N45FT Now Flying!
http://www.stolairplane.com
taildrgfun
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

I'm leaving for Oshkosh Wednesday or Thursday of this week. I will be flying the first 750 miles by myself and then I should be meeting up with some other friends for the last 900 miles. I have gone back and forth trying to decide which airplane to bring because they are both working so well. Even though I can land a little shorter in the SuperSTOL, I finally decided to bring the Highlander for the STOL competition because Troy is flying his SuperSTOL in it and this way we will have both models represented.
Plus it will give Troy a chance at winning :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
On Wednesday afternoon/evening, July 22, most of us in the STOL Competition group will be flying to New Holstein for the STOL comptition at the Super Cub fly-in.
Looking forward to seeing everybody sometime throughout the week! Praying for safe travels for everyone!!
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
donRNO
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by donRNO »

Have a good trip, Steve. I'm sure that those of us with just regular Highlanders will be well represented. Don, Reno
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accent air
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by accent air »

See you there Steve
Kris Griewahn
Accent Heating & Air
super stol #280
taildrgfun
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

I just got home from Oshkosh yesterday, and what a fun couple of weeks it was. I took my Highlander this year for the stol competition and wound up in second place at Oshkosh and second place across the lake at the super cub fly in New Holstein as well. There were about 15 entries at Oshkosh and 27 entries at New Holstein. I would have had a little better chance of winning first place had I been flying my Superstol but I thought Troy was going to be flying his Superstol in the events and besides that I just felt more like flying my Highlander on a 3000 mile trip than I did my Superstol

The trip there and back was a lot of fun landing in different off airport places and waterskiing on some of the rivers including the Missouri and the Mississippi. We flew very low for most of the trip and only got high a couple times for a smooth tailwind and when flying over the mountains in Idaho and Wyoming. I don't think I actually detasseled any corn but I am sure I was very close to it a lot of the time. I put my two blade Prince cruise prop on for the trip out and back and I can cruise 105 to 110 mph in my Highlander with that prop. For the most part we were blessed with really good weather for the entire trip.

The prop I used for the competition was actually made for my turbo motor and therefore I wasn't getting nearly the RPM that I would have liked to have gotten for take off. My turbo motor will turn this 87" Prince prop 600 RPM more than my big bore motor in the Highlander does.

As usual it was fun seeing the Just Aircraft guys and the different builders and pilots who are into these airplanes.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
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R Rinker
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by R Rinker »

Steve, There's a u tube video of it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8ALIFZ8ak
Looks like you hit a shear maybe 10' off the ground..that was a heart stopper for a second. You dumped your flaps a couple feet off the ground and looked like it didn't just drop. But before they moved you off, that red & white cub almost ate you up!!
He must have wet his pants. I realize the video has some illusion as to perspective, but it was definitely exciting. Congratulations on a great job in challenging conditions!! On that clip I guess the first attempted landing (can't remember what it was) revealed how challenging it was. After that everyone did just an amazing job with that wind.. Be interesting if you walked us through it from your perspective. When I was in Fairbanks (interior Alaska) I knew a lot of pilots who didn't get "lots" of experience in crosswinds or really challenging winds. They'd fly down to Tanana to practice. Nothing like living in the midwest where you have them on a daily basis.
Rodger Rinker - Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada
taildrgfun
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

Yeah that landing on the video there was my worst of the entire week. It was a gusty crosswind which I actually enjoy landing in but a couple things went wrong on this particular landing. Because I was so crabbed for the crosswind and because they did a very poor job of marking the touchdown line, I could not see the line where I was supposed to land. The other thing was that I was just trying too hard to get it as slow as I could and yes then I did catch a sinker and I had to add a lot of power to avoid touching down before the line and it resulted in a long landing. The second time around went much better but our second set did not get on the video. A couple of the guys scratched on both of their landings and so they were out of the competition at that point.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
chance
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by chance »

Hope all is well so far. The fire is burning a lot of your playland, just keep it away from you and yours.
I just saw the DC10 fire plane at about 10000 feet going fast and driven by a 50 knot tail wind heading your way about 3:30 PDT.
Hope to see you at RAR and maybe H Bar H this September.
Take care, John
taildrgfun
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

I've been so busy building and flying I just noticed I haven't put anything on here for months! I just started building my new Highlander the middle of December and we will be ready to start covering the entire plane this week. It is going to be awesome! It has three feet additional wing span, nine foot flaps, reshaped ailerons, 13 gallon aluminum fuel tanks with five gallon custom header tank. Leading edge cuff on the wings which is, by the way, the single best improvement for a Highlander that I have discovered yet! It has Monster Shock/TK1 Racing suspension on the main gear and the tail wheel.
It will have a Tundra Lite/Pekola tailwheel.

I have been interested in putting a Yamaha RX1 engine in one of these Highlanders for a few years now, and I am doing it in this one. It will have a Rotax C gearbox connected to the engine with a Skytrax Yamaha adapter. Go to YouTube and search for Skytrax Yamaha RX1 and you can see one of these engines installed on a trike. We should have some pictures on our website in the near future.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
messenger
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by messenger »

steve, can you show a picture of the monster shock assembly. thanks.
moving2time
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by moving2time »

Steve, I would like to see a photo of the metal gas tank. That sounds like a huge improvement in the Highlander. Both the tank and the install. Thanks Joe B
Clark in AZ
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by Clark in AZ »

Steve, are you doing a build log on this one? If so, a link would be great! Thanks!
Building SuperSTOL Kit 512
Cave Creek, AZ
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danerazz
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by danerazz »

I just want info on the leading edge cuff.
Dane

Paralysis by analysis
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moving2time
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Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by moving2time »

I went on line and goggled "leading edge cuff" and found some info their. It was a new term for me. What would really help is a sketch of how it modifies the Highlander wing rib profile. Joe B
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