EAA663, Livermore, CA, Aircraft

Aircraft

Oshkosh Champions!

Current and former Chapter 663 members have built and owned a number of award winning aircraft that have brought home "Lindys" from Oshkosh, including that of Grand Champion. In addition, many aircraft have been judged as "best in class" at regional shows. Owners/builders of the aircraft below were EAA Chapter 663 members when the aircraft were judged as champions at Oshkosh.

	"Covergirl" is an appropriate name for this Lindy winning RV-4, built by Bruce Cruikshank and Barry Weber. Covergirl, along with Bruce and Barry, appeared on EAA Sport Aviation with a feature article in the magazine. Covergirl also has been the "poster" RV-4 for Vans Aircraft. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Roger Hansen, the Dragon Master, is shown flying his RV-6 over the California hills. Roger is a founding member of Chapter 663 and has flown his RV-6 all over the US and frequently to Mexico. He continues to improve the plane, with new Garmin avionics added to the panel. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Few aircraft hold the title of Oshkosh Grand Champion. This is one - Doug Henson's Falco. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Ray McCrea and his Long EZ are international travelers, having landed in 26 countries. Ray has flown the plane from Northern Europe to South Africa. In addition, Ray has managed to visit 26 states in this country. Ray won a Lindy in 1992 for his O-320 powered plane. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SORT SLIDE SHOW.
	Carl-Erik Olsen was awarded a Lindy for his ground-up restoration of this Danish KZ-VII. Carl's 1947 KZ is the only one of its type in the US, out of 56 built. It is powered by a Rolls-Royce O-300 and has full leading edge slats allowing for very slow flight and short ground operations.
	Jim Patillo won a Lindy at Oshkosh in the plans built category for his Quickie Q200. Powered by a Continental O-200, Jim's craft has high compression pistons, dual Lightspeed ignitions, leather interior, and a Cato prop. Jim has also won local awards including at Golden West and Merced. Jim's Q has been featured in Kitplanes Magazine. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Bob Sinclair took home a Lindy from Oshkosh with his beautiful Lancair 320. Bob was also "Grand Champion" in his class at the Northwest EAA Flyin at Arlington. Bob is a Technical Counselor for Chapter 663.
	Barry Weber won an EAA Lindy for this Long EZ.
	Barry Weber's third Oshkosh Lindy was a result of his restoration of this 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza. With a serial number of #18, the aircraft is billed as the oldest, most original Bonanza and has been on the cover of magazines, including Flying. Now owned by the Beechcraft Heritage Museum, the plane is on display as the "Weber Bonanza." Click HERE for an article on this airplane. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.

Flying Aircraft

Chapter 663 members have a wide range of aircraft, from light sports, fast glass, production aircraft, and the ever popular RV.

	Scott Alair's "Obsession" is his IO-550 powered Lancair Legacy. Race 77 has turned laps at the Reno Air Races and has raced in the 500 mile AirVenture Cup. Scott has placed 2nd in the Sliver Division of the Reno Sport Class with a speed of over 285 mph! Scott built Obsession in about two and one-half years, working mostly on the weekends. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Pete Bodie's RV-6A. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Bob Buckthal's "SunSeeker" is a Glasair IIS FT. Bob has flown SunSeeker throughout the Country and to Mexico. Regarding the color, Bob insists it's a "magnet." CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Jack Burke owns this beautiful 1965 Piper Cherokee that was Contemporary Grand Champion at Golden West in 2007. Jack also owns and flys a rare Catto Goldwing, and he is building a scale P-51 that will be powered by a Jaguar engine. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Leland Collins has the first flying RV-9A in the Chapter. Watch out Stanford fans, this bird is for CAL.
	Cash Copeland and his RV-6, "Redtail 6." Cash is based in Hayward, and his RV is powered by an AeroSport/Superior O-360 putting out 200+HP. A Hartzell blended airfoil prop pulls this machine, which has a full IFR panel and a two-axis autopilot. Cash has over 500 hours in his RV, which was completed in 2003. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Bob Cowan's RV-7A. Bob traveled to Mattituck to assist in the building of his engine. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW
	Here is Harry Crosby's beautiful RV-6 over the water and against the California hills. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Bruce Cruikshank's second homebuilt is an RV-9A powered by an Eggenfellner Subaru conversion. This RV has an electrically adjustable propeller. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Don Davis' 1948 Cessna 170. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Dave Deford's and Terry Seaver's Europa has monowheel gear, and is powered by a Rotax 912. Dave and Terry have completed glider wings for the plane making this aircraft one of the few Europas with standard or glider wings. This aircraft can be trailered after removing the wings and horizontal stabilizer.
	Dave Dent's IFR equipped Velocity XL/RG started as a kit in Australia, and Dave shipped it to Livermore for finishing. The 4-seat IO-540 powered Velocity cruises at 190 knots, has a 900 mile range, and a useful load of 1200 lbs. Dave reports it is a great cross country machine. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Mike Eichenberger enjoys aerobatics and cross country flights in his O-320 powered Mustang II. The aircraft has flown over 650 hours. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	John Ewins' Long EZ. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Here is Bob Farnam flying his Quickie Q200. Bob is a Chapter Flight Advisor.
	Marc Goroff's Sparrowhawk is the only one of its type at Livermore. This craft, powered by a Subaru engine, makes some impressive takeoff's and landings. Marc also flies a Turbo 310 Cessna for those trips when he needs some speed. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Dick Gossen and his Glasair III. Dick has flown his plane extensively in the US and has made a number of trips to Mexico. He has made a number of panel upgrades and recently added an Aero Composites prop. Dick's Glasair appeared on the cover of Sport Aviation. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Eric Helms owns this beautiful 1947 Piper J-3 Cub. This Cub has an electric starter and an airstream-driven generator. Eric is the Chapter's Young Eagles Coordinator and has given many memorable rides in his plane. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Wilson Hoffman gets the Chapter 2009 first flight award with this RV-9A, which flew in January. Wilson started building at home in August of 2005. Wilson's RV has a Catto prop driven by a Mattituk TMXO-320 and has a Dynon DEK-180 for primary instrumentation. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Gordon Jones has put over 1,700 hours on his O-320 powered Long EZ, which has been flying for over 20 years. Amazingly, Gordy built the plane in about five years, including a one year "break"! Gordy is a lifetime Chapter member for his work as an EAA Technical Counselor.
	Dick Jennings would tell everyone that his neighbor was going to paint his RV-6. This certainly wasn't done in a garage! Added to a fine build is an impressive paint job that changes colors as you walk around. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW, but these photos don't show how nice this is.
	When we shot photos of Jeff Larson's Sonex, he indicated that it needed to be polished. Well, we almost got a burn as the aircraft was like a mirror, reflecting both the sun and its heat. Jeff flies his Jabiru 2200 powered Sonex from Tracy under the Light Sport Pilot rules. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	John McAllister's RV-6A gets a lot of use. From breakfast flights almost every weekend to trips to Wyoming, Colorado, Oshkosh, and back east, John enjoys the versatility of this machine. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Mark Palajac's Piper Tri-Pacer. Mark has taken many Young Eagles up for flights in the Tri-Pacer and also used the plane to compete in the 2009 Hayward Air Rally. Mark is building a "slightly" faster machine - an RV-7A. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Danny Parker in his RV-6.
	Geoff Rutledge is having so much fun in his Glasair IISFT that he didn't have much time to fly his other plane, a Quickie Q-200. Geoff has taken the Glasair to Oshkosh, Canada, and many trips to Arizona.
	Here is Bob Steffen and his RV-7A just after having his propeller painted to match the rest of the plane. Bob enjoyed the building process so much that he a "repeat offender," working on an RV-10. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Gregg Triplett's RV-4.
	Greg Young flys his RV-6 out of Concord. Greg recently converted his plane from a fixed pitch propeller to constant speed. He is very happy with the outcome. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	John Youngblood build a beautiful Velocity which won a workmanship award at Oshkosh in 2008. John's plane was parked at the Rocket Racing League display, just off AreoShell Square at OSH08, where these photos were snapped. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.

Projects

The homebuilt aircraft shown above have one thing in common. They were once projects! See what our members are working on.

	Bob Steffen joins the ranks of "repeat offenders" with his RV-10 project. Bob is well underway with this Lycoming Thunderbolt powered machine, which will have dual Cheltons, Oregon Aero seats, and a large oxygen bottle. What about Bob's flying RV-7A? Well, he plans to keep both and has a second hanger awaiting this plane! CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Jeremy Constant is shown with his RV-7A. Jeremy plans to cut travel time on summer trips to Sun Valley.
	Brad Oliver is building an RV-7. Along the way, he is documenting progress on a website - RV7 Factory.com. Visit to learn a thing or two and view Brad's fine work! Click on the site name above or on the Links Page to go to Brad's site. CLICK ON THE AIRCRAFT PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Chuck and Darryl Ray are designing and building a composite aircraft that complies with the Light Sport Aircraft rules. The aircraft was designed by Chuck, and built from scratch by both he and his brother Darryl. The project had its genesis in December 2004 when Darryl suggested to Chuck that they should do a project together. The first year was spent learning a lot of new techniques and doing a lot of experimentation. As of July of 2009 the Rays have completed the following parts: aft fuselage skins and most aft bulkheads, vertical fin, rudder, horizontal stabilizer and elevators, both ailerons, and both main wing outer spars. For more information on this project, click HERE to go to Chuck and Darryl's blog. CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR A SLIDE SHOW.
	Alan Thayer is refurbishing this Quickie and has installed a six cylinder Jabiru 3300 engine.
	Rich Vetterli is building a Zenith CH601XL powered by a Corvair engine.
	Barry Weber's latest project is a Glasair III.