N 83 HC This is an all-aluminum experimental Zenair CH-701 STOL. This plane easily takes off and lands in 100 feet. But unlike the Quicksiver, it has a respectable cruise speed of 90 mph. (I actually FLEW this one to Florida). Here (at right) it's on tundra tires. I've just landed on frozen Goose Pond - the same place we tested the hovercraft a couple of years later. |
"MY-T-LYT" This plane started out as Quicksilver Sprint II - which I built from a kit. Then, I added the strut bracing (to replace the kingpost and cables) and the inflatable Full Lotus floats. The amphibious gear, complete with retractable nosewheel, was adapted from a Jim Lee design and is now marketed by Vista Enterprises in California under the Quicktrac name. This plane took off at 25 mph and had a top speed of 45. At that speed the wind in your face was quite bearable and the view from the pilot's seat unbeatable! A great low-and-slow flyer but not much for getting anywhere fast - driving was usually faster! |
The Sea Mite was a folding-wing amphibious two-seat ultralight trainer built by J& J Ultralights in Live Oak, FL. It's best feature was a wing that could be folded like an umbrella in a matter of minutes allowing the craft to be stored in the garage or towed on a trailer down the highway at 65 mph. I took it to Florida that way several times. Probably the most fun flying machine I ever had, but it did involve learning a new flying techniique. Without a tail or ailerons, all control is accomplished by moving the wing -- easy, except all controls motions are exactly the reverse of a standard 3-axis control plane - like the Quicksilver and Flightstar above. |