"Gordon Arnaut" wrote in message
...
If you must have an aluminum plane, check out Jim Bede's new design, the
BD-18. This is an update of Bede's BD-1, which became the Grumman Yankee.
It's lighter than the Yankee with a smaller wing and can be powered by a
Jabiru orr Lycoming. The plans are $500, but I understand Bede's plans are
among the best in the business.
http://www.bedecorp.com/designs/bd18/intro.htm


I would be extremely reluctant to build ANYTHING from Jim Bede until there
were at least 500 or so completed and flying without problems. Aircraft
designed by Bede have been known to have serious and deadly flaws in many
cases that were directly attributable to errors in the design. Three of the
eighteen Bede designs have been reworked by others until they became more or
less acceptable. Some are still dangerous. Avoid these offerings. One
example of a Bede design that was significantly reworked until it became
flyable is the Grumman Yankee. Several million dollars were spent by many
people to make that airplane reasonably safe to fly and get it certified.


I'm glad someone mentioned the Emeraude. Another venerable wood and fabric
design is the Jodel, which is similar to the Emeraurde but has a unique
"bent" wing. Some of the smaller simpler models ones can be built in 1000
hours or therabouts.
snip


Anything designed by Claude Piel will be an excellent airplane and the plans
are very good. Many of his designs are certified. The Emeraude is a very
nice one. So are the Diamant and the Beryll. Most of his designs are named
after jewels. An Emeraude powered by an O-200 Continental ( which you can
buy for a fraction of the cost of the Lycoming used in the RV series ) makes
an extremely gentle and flyable airplane that is a pleasure to fly. It is
not a two hundred mile an hour airplane but it will fly very slowly under
complete control and if the engine quits you will most likely walk away
without injury and likely the airplane will as well. The beautiful
elliptical wing is lovely but a chore to build since no more than two parts
are the same and they are likely a left and right hand pair! :-)

Highflyer
Highflight Aviation Services
Pinckneyville Airport ( PJY )