Wild West Aircraft

For general discussion of the Just Aircraft family of aircraft.
Includes: Highlander, Escapade, Summit and SuperSTOL.
Post Reply
taildrgfun
Veteran Member
Posts: 494
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 12:34 am
Location: Nampa Idaho

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

Joe, yes I have been using the downturned lip trick for a long time. It makes a huge difference.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
taildrgfun
Veteran Member
Posts: 494
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 12:34 am
Location: Nampa Idaho

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

My newest Highlander is pretty much ready to fly, I just have to get all the legal stuff done with the DAR and that. It has the 150 hp fuel injected Yamaha Apex engine, Beringer landing gear, Superstol tail wheel shock assembly, covered in yellow Oratex, and it’s gonna smoke those Carbon Cubs in a stol contest or a stol drag race either one. I don’t say that to just everybody but I guess I can say it on here. Oh yeah, it has Nitrous too, 40 hp boost.

A lot of my friends fly Carbon Cubs and they really do like them. Most of these guys are really good pilots too, and when you have a Carbon Cub with a guy that really knows how to fly it they are definitely a tough competitor.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
av8rps
Veteran Member
Posts: 480
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:01 pm

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by av8rps »

Yes, Carbon Cubs are pretty impressive planes. But it sounds like you've just created their nemesis. (hmm? I'm sure you've already planned to name it "Hee Haw --", but with up to a 190 hp in a Highlander maybe you need to sneak a little moniker on it somewhere that says "CC Nemesis" just to psyche them out (LOL).

I can hardly wait to hear more once you get some hours on it.

I will admit that I know little about the Beringer gear, but I'm curious why you prefer that gear?

Paul
User avatar
BucF16
Veteran Member
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Alexandria, Ohio

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by BucF16 »

Geez Steve, She'll takeoff straight up from a sit. :evil: May I ask why you changes to the Super Stol tailwheel from your airshock tail wheel on your last Yee Haw. I haven't welded my mount yet and could change over if you feel the SS is a better choice.

Paul, if you look at page 10 of the "tacked picture" thread on page one above, you will find a picture of Coltin Brown's Highlander sitting next to a Super Stol. You will see that with the Beringer Gear Struts, the Highlander is sitting at a much higher angle of attack. And if I'm correct, it is very near the critical aoa, therefore an earlier opportunity to get airborne in a three point attitude.

Cheers Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
taildrgfun
Veteran Member
Posts: 494
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 12:34 am
Location: Nampa Idaho

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

Bruce I use the Superstol tail wheel assembly because it’s just easy to get it that way from the factory when ordering a new kit. My TK 1/Shock Monster tail wheel assembly has been working great for 340 some hours now with the Tundra-lite tail wheel on it. The new one will also have the Tundra lite tail wheel, they are the best!!

Shock Monster front suspension works very well too. I’ve used them for thousands of landings and I really like them. The Beringer people approached me about trying their landing gear and they gave me too good of a deal to refuse. At this point after using it for about a year I think I do like it a little better than the Shock Monster but it also cost a lot more. Shock Monster is also starting to build gear legs for the Highlander which I think will be better quality gear legs than what the factory makes for the same price. They are using heavier wall tubing and it’s tig welded and heat treated and several things that I think make it a better unit. I know that the main front tube is the one that takes the brunt of all of the landings and they are going to be .058 whereas the factory tube is 035 I believe. I went upside down once because of a failed gear leg and it cost me about $10,000 and two months labor because of it. I realize that I land probably thousands of times more than most people and that it would probably never happen to someone else but I sure don’t want it happening to me again.
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
User avatar
BucF16
Veteran Member
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Alexandria, Ohio

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by BucF16 »

Steve, Thank you so much for the quick reply. I'll weld the Monster Shock tail wheel mount next week. Next question,,,, Will the new Highlander main landing gear boost the sitting AOA like the Beringer shocks? If so, and Tony can do it for the price he usually does, I'm in for a new set.

Thanks, again!
Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
TD1
Forum Regular
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 3:36 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by TD1 »

Curious as to the weight of the Beringer gear to the Just HD gear with the TK1 shock, or possibly the TK1 new gear? Hard to find a weight on the Beringer gear.
Tom Dougherty
Kahului, HI
TD1
Forum Regular
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 3:36 pm
Location: Hawaii

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by TD1 »

Word is Yee Haw 6 is out of the workshop and at the airport hanger. In what, like 4 months? Wow.

Can't wait for some first flight reports. Hoping for smooth sailing.....
Tom Dougherty
Kahului, HI
User avatar
BucF16
Veteran Member
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Alexandria, Ohio

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by BucF16 »

I used my wife's Facebook to view WWA (Wild West Aircraft"s) FB page. It looks like Steve has flown it in fits and starts over the runway. Amazing short T/O an Ldg!

Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
User avatar
BucF16
Veteran Member
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:47 am
Location: Alexandria, Ohio

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by BucF16 »

Ok, now I'm questioning myself! I thought "LATE" last night I saw a video of Steve on FB doing shorts TO&LDGs on Yee Haw 6... Maybe it was an earlier Yee Haw. :cry:

Bruce
Bruce Johnson Highlander # 393
"Because I fly, I envy no man on Earth"
Builder web site:
http://www.bruceshighlander.blogspot.com
User avatar
SheepdogRD
Proprietor
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:41 pm
Location: West of Atlanta, GA

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by SheepdogRD »

You weren't dreaming. Here's the post: https://www.facebook.com/cathyhenry58/p ... nref=story
Richard Holtz
Highlander N570L -- Ms. Tonka -- in gestation

If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.
av8rps
Veteran Member
Posts: 480
Joined: Thu May 12, 2011 5:01 pm

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by av8rps »

Now all the discussion on here about the gear makes more sense. That thing definitely scoots...
taildrgfun
Veteran Member
Posts: 494
Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 12:34 am
Location: Nampa Idaho

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by taildrgfun »

I have taken YeeHaw 6 to the airport and I flew it just a few times down the length of the runway. I’m waiting for some aluminized insulation to put inside my cowling so I don’t cook it on the exhaust header. Besides that I’ve had a terrible head cold where I just didn’t even want to do any altitude changing so I haven’t really got to try it out much yet. My first impressions of it are very very good though! Hopefully here in the next couple days I will get to really fly It!
Steve Henry, Wild West Aircraft
(the Dead Stick Take-off Guy)
User avatar
Av8r3400
Seasoned Member
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:50 am
Location: North Central Wisconsin
Contact:

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by Av8r3400 »

Steve, have you considered having the header ceramic coated? It will make the header pretty and insulate it better than header wrap. Any good powder coating shop can do it...
Av8r3400
Copro
New Member
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:54 pm

Re: Wild West Aircraft

Post by Copro »

The one he made for me is coated. So I'm pretty sure he's on that train....

Jody
Post Reply

Return to “Just Aircraft”