Lyle's Aircraft Project

I wanted to fly all of my life.
One day I saw a flyer advertising flight lessons, Callie was the one that pointed it out to me and said that I ought to check into it. Little did she know at the time that I would take it this far.

I got my private license and I keep thinking that it would be great to own my own airplane. I looked into buying one, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. Then one day I thought to myself I would like to build my own. What a better way to learn more about something that had become my passion? 

After a little research on the Internet and persuading Callie, we were off to Mexico, MO. to build a rudder for a 601XL. While we were there, I told Callie that I would like to order the whole airplane, to my surprise she told me to do it. So in her moment of weakness, I did (What a Woman). I received the whole plane in August of 2005, man there were a lot of parts! I worked on weekends and any other days I could get off. By Christmas, I had finished the Horizontal Stabilizer and both wings. The fuselage has taken the rest of the time, but I wasn’t able to work on it real steady because of my work and I also built the 40' by 40' hanger too, so it has been busy every weekend. Zenith aircraft estimates airframe construction to take 400 hours, I think I have little more than that. I also have a Lycoming 0-235 coming from California that should arrive soon. This power plant is about 120 hp. The airplane will cruise at 150 MPH with a 500 lb. useful load and a 4 plus hour endurance. It also is designed to withstand +- 6.5 g’s, very strong for a small aircraft.

My goal is to start test flying it this fall. This will be done at Fort Scott Airport, however, I'm going to build a grass strip East of my hanger. Building the airplane and hanger has been very challenging, but I've really had fun and have been very busy. At times, I thought I might have bitten-off more than I could chew, but I have focus on what I want to achieve and it’s going to happen.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”

Lyle Robinson