A "good friend" just bought another airplane.

[shadylane]

He bought a Zenith 750, for those that aren't familiar with the aircraft.
It's a two seater with leading edge slats on the wings designed for short takeoff and landing.
I figure it's time to start loafing around his hanger and mooching some flying time.

[Dancing4dan]

They are a pretty cool aircraft.

[Yonder]

Lucky dawg!

[Bushman]

It’s nice having friends with airplanes, we have several airstrips on varies islands in the San Juans and have had friends fly out our kids to join us on the boat when work did not allow them to leave early.

[HDNB]

man, i'd love a STOL. i could use my back field as an airstrip

[8Ball]

I’m an A&P. A ‘friend’ of mine asked me to help get his flight school started. It was nice for a while. Working on planes while semi-retired and plenty of ‘test’ flights. Then he asked me to sign off on work that wasn’t performed. We parted ways quickly afterwards.

[shadylane]

He's a farmer and has almost a 1,000 hours buzzing around with a two stroke engine in a challenger 2 for last 20yrs, checking the irrigation water and spot spraying his fields.

Now that he's setting behind an 0-200 continental.
I left a note on his door to remind him not to forget the carb heat.

[OlympicMtDoo]

Didn't know anything about that airplane so I googled it, wow!!! very impressive, looks like you could land and take off from a pickup bed. I lived and worked on an Island in SE Alaska where the only in or out was boat or float plane so I got quite a bit of flying time in those small Beavers and loved it. Have fun Shady sounds like a good friend to have.

[Yonder]

Truly a great friend. I learned to fly while stationed at Bragg. Aircraft, wet, and instructor was 25 bucks a hour. Those days are long gone, as is my currency. Way too damned expensive to go up monthly bore holes in the sky.

[HDNB]

Didn't know anything about that airplane so I googled it, wow!!! very impressive, looks like you could land and take off from a pickup bed. I lived and worked on an Island in SE Alaska where the only in or out was boat or float plane so I got quite a bit of flying time in those small Beavers and loved it. Have fun Shady sounds like a good friend to have.

nothing like a nice small beaver.

[shadylane]

Truly a great friend. I learned to fly while stationed at Bragg. Aircraft, wet, and instructor was 25 bucks a hour. Those days are long gone, as is my currency. Way too damned expensive to go up monthly bore holes in the sky.

I hear Ya, the cost has gotten insane.
But I'm still drawn to flying like a moth is to a candle flame.
There's nothing like flying, for a little while, you can have the ability that only gods could once have.

[The Baker]

"There's nothing like flying, for a little while, you can have the ability that only gods could once have."

Icarus didn't do too well...

Geoff

[Saltbush Bill]

Icarus didn't do too well...

[EricTheRed]

nothing like a nice small beaver.

[shadylane]

Just got done playing with the Zenith 750, I'm green with envy.
The angle of climb is very impressive.
It appears to be stall and spin proof. Not saying it can't be done, anything's possible.
Next time, I'll get 3 or 4 mistakes high and push the envelope a little harder.

[Bradster68]

Just got done playing with the Zenith 750, I'm green with envy.
The angle of climb is very impressive.
It appears to be stall and spin proof. Not saying it can't be done, anything's possible.
Next time, I'll get 3 or 4 mistakes high and push the envelope a little harder.

Hmmmmm. I'd be sh____tin my panties

[shadylane]

Hmmmmm. I'd be sh____tin my panties

Not me. My asshole will be puckered up tight.

[shadylane]

Stalls and spins are a non-issue. The plane is stable to a fault.
If your persistent enough, the wing never quits flying, it just gets draggier.
All that's needed for recovery is to release the pressure on the stick and rudder.

[googe]

We had this here last weekend https://www.wings.org.nz/ wasnt as good as in the past due to weather. Our house is only a few k's as the crow flies so get a free show Had a b52 last time, did a low fly over and turn over our house, sounded like the gates of hell haha will try find the vid I did.

[shadylane]

Things I don't like about the Zenith 750.
Great for short field take-off and landings but during cruise the elevator seems overly sensitive.
Lean forward slightly to look at a map, the nose drops, the speed increases and Ya have to adjust the trim a touch. Not a real problem, but I think compromises were made that didn't need to be.
The digital AS indicator leaves a lot to be desired when having fun and playing.
I prefer a round analog Air Speed gage with white, green, yellow and red colored V speeds.
The Zenith doesn't have, but definitely needs an audio stall horn like a Cessna. The wahoo fun horn.

Things I really like, it's one of the best seat of the pants aircraft I've ever flown.
Ya don't need to be looking at gages, just fly by feel.
Low wing loading, slats, flaperons and dependable power is a great combination.
Haven't had a chance to see what it thinks about inverted flight.
Probably it will turn into a wrestling match like all highwing aircraft when its tries to undo a persistently stupid pilots commands. I figure to play with it upside down trading altitude for flying speed with the power retarded to idle so as to not hurt it, since the engine runs out oil pressure when inverted.

[Yummyrum]

Shady , remind me never to go ride with you in that thing

[shadylane]

I only act a total fool when alone.

Rule #1 Passengers get a scenic memorial ride with the least possible risk.
Rule #2 Show the passenger how to climb to 3 mistakes high then encourage them to scare the hell out of themselves....

[tjsc5f]

My wife is in the process of building a 750 Cruzer kit. She's almost done with the airframe. She hasn't committed on an engine yet, but is leaning towards a Viking Honda auto conversion.

[Yonder]

Looks sturdy at this point! Great job. Must be several 100s in clecos there. Lots of work.

[shadylane]

My wife is in the process of building a 750 Cruzer kit. She's almost done with the airframe. She hasn't committed on an engine yet, but is leaning towards a Viking Honda auto conversion.

What amazes me is thousands of predrilled holes and they all line up, even after the skin being wrap around
the internal structure.

As to engine chooses, don't forget the venerable O-200 Continental.
Plan B is a O-235, it makes a little more HP but is also heavier.
I would prefer old school simplicity over a water-cooled, gear reduction.
Dual ignition would be a must and lacking in the vast majority of auto-conversion engines.

[quadra]

Well along! Congrats to the Mrs. tjsc that looks awesome. That Viking conversion is interesting. Reduction drives always seem to be the next sure thing, but too many have been anything but while the manufacturers focused on the engine and its attributes. I fell in love with the Bearhawk patrol design a few years back and would love to see a project like this in my shop one day.
Keep us updated please!