 
ARTICLE ON BUILDING AND FLYING A PULSAR XP KIT AIRCRAFT
BY LISA TURNER
After numerous checks and hours of taxing about the small uncontrolled airport, I was
ready. Enduring all the people saying "Come on! When are you going to fly that
thing?!", I knew that I had to wait for ME to me ready, and for the weather to be
ready. I was ready - but the weather was not. I sat in the hangar as the rain came down -
my weekend - done. I polished the airplane and patiently waited.
The next chance for me to fly - the weekend - dawned with clear skies and a gentle
wind. The sun came up with bright blue sky and a few wispy clouds. My excitement mounted.
I pulled the little airplane out of the hangar. I ran through all of my preflight checks
and eased myself into the cockpit. I warmed up the engine and did some final taxi testing.
At last I was waiting for traffic to clear on the runway and I made my takeoff
announcement. I was both confident and nervous as I applied full power.
The airplane quickly gathered speed and at 65mph the wheels left the ground. I thrilled
at the sensation of lifting into the air and feeling the powerful little Rotax engine pull
the aircraft up at 1000fpm. The adrenaline spiked and my senses were acutely tuned to
every detail: the steady hum of the engine; the ticking of the fuel pump; the sight of the
runway uncoiling and disappearing beneath me; the blue azure sky filling the bubble
canopy; the rush of cool air through the vents; a sweaty hand gripping the center stick
grip as it translated tiny movements into agile roll and pitch action; searching the
gauges for any possible sign of a problem, attention was everywhere and my excitement
overflowed into a "Yahooooo!" into my headset mike as I turned the airplane onto
crosswind leg for runway 33. First Flight! The smooth shiny white wings angled into the
turn as I continued to climb out at 100 mph. "Looking great Lese!", my ground
crew shouted over the radio. I turned downwind and found the plane going 120mph! I pulled
the power back to 2000rpm and pulled the nose up.  The
exceptionally responsive controls were smooth and predictable, but I had never flown
anything this slick. Although I had my hands full, I did not feel uneasy. As I made my
radio calls at this popular uncontrolled airport in Lantana, Florida, I continued to
search the panel for any signs of trouble while viewing the field from 1000 feet, barely
keeping my conflicting emotions in check. On one hand I wanted to leave the pattern on
this sparkling clear day, the ocean shoreline beckoning three miles east, and soar without
a care; on the other hand, this was a brand new kit built airplane on it’s first
flight with a nervous builder solo in the left seat! I slowed to 85 and thought about
deploying the flaps. My first flight plan called for one turn around the pattern - no
flaps - and then a touch and go if all was well. So I decided to stick to my plan and not
fool with the flaps this time. I turned to base leg and slowed to 80 - this plane is hard
to slow down! My attention was focused on airspeed control and setting up for my first
landing. Still checking all the gauges - no problems. I made the turn to final and set up
for 65mph over the numbers. Because of my inexperience and the smoothness of the plane
however, my airspeed crept up to 85 and I was too high! Rather than try a slip in or
adjustments, I decided to go around and try again. As I flew over the field at 30 feet I
noticed airport personnel and others standing outside watching my flight! My excitement
overflowed again and I was ecstatic as my little plane flew down the runway. I rocked my
wings and headed up, back into the pattern at 1400fpm. Over the radio I heard
congratulations and shouts. This time around I had a better feel for the quick responses
of this wonderful machine, and on final I held 70mph and then 65mph over the numbers. I
flared and gently set her down without a squeak. I was so overwhelmed I decided to taxi
over to my friends and do a check out of the plane. I rolled the canopy forward and jumped
out. I dropped to the ground and somersaulted backwards! I’d never been so
exhilarated in my life! What a sight - a 46 year old woman rolling on the ground, grinning
ear to ear. This was truly a dream come true.
After numerous checks and hours of taxing about the Lantana airport, I was ready.
Enduring all the people saying "Come on! When are you going to fly that
thing?!", I knew that I had to wait for ME to me ready, and for the weather to be
ready. A few days later I was ready - but the weather was not. I sat in the hangar as the
rain came down for two days - my weekend - done. I polished the airplane and patiently
waited.
* * *
The path to this dream began in 1974 with a gift of lessons in a Piper Cherokee. At the
time I had just graduated college and my wallet wouldn’t accommodate continuing
flight school. Other interests filled my life until 1995, when I moved into a house that
was located on the downwind for runway 27 at a nearby airport. My dream awakened. Asleep
at night, I would stretch my arms out and take off through the neighborhood - turns,
climbs, glides, dives . . . . wake up . . . it’s time to learn to fly.
Once I had my certificate, I imagined all the places I could go in a small airplane.
South Florida is a wonderful place for an airplane. Bright, clear, sunny days, sparkling
ocean and hundreds of tiny airstrips. However, my interest and enthusiasm was quickly
overshadowed by a major problem - money. When I found out what it would cost me for a
simple trip to the Florida Keys my excitement melted into depression. There must be a
better way! I also remembered my thoughts in the Cessna 152 during training: if
automobiles can be well outfitted, economical, and quiet, why can’t airplanes? The
Cessna was loud, full of vibration, and had an old, poorly equipped panel. Rental costs
were mounting. And then the scary but exciting thought: I will buy an airplane! My
excitement then faded as I perused the used plane sections of the local aviation news.
This was like buying a 1955 Volkswagen when I really wanted a 1995 Honda Prelude.
In December of 1995 I bought several aviation magazines - Kitplanes, Sportplane, US
Aviator. Throughout the pages I saw aircraft KITS. Of course! Of course! BUILD MY OWN
AIRPLANE! What an outrageous idea. What a daring idea. What a terrific idea! Could I do
it? Was I capable of it? I began my research in earnest. I read everything I could get my
hands on. I spent time at the airport talking to builders. I went to Sun N Fun for the
first time. I realized I would know every inch of the airplane intimately; I would be able
to do my own condition inspections and mechanical work. The Build Bug had bitten, and I
was in love. I gazed at all of the photos, read all the specs, reviewed my current
inventory of tools, calculated fuel burn, endurance, and ordered at least six info
packages. Finally my choice narrowed down, guided by my requirements for low wing,
composite construction, 2 place, an economical, modern engine (Rotax), capable of cross
country comfort, good looks and tame enough for a low time pilot but full of spunk. And
there it was: out from the pages of the magazine jumped the PULSAR.
I traveled to the factory in San Antonio for a demo ride. Bob Kromer of Aero Designs
met me at the airport and took me to the Pulsar hangared nearby. As we rode to the
airport, Bob patiently answered my questions about the building process. The more I heard,
the more enthusiastic I became. When we reached the hangar I was surprised to see that the
airplane was even more attractive in the flesh. Let’s fly! As we lifted off the small
Bulverde runway, Bob gave me the stick. We climbed to 7500 feet and put the airplane
through it’s repertoire. I was amazed at the power, smooth response, and quiet of the
cockpit. This was the perfect airplane for me! 140 - 150 mph cruise at 3.5mpg, 1200+fpm
climbout speeds, 600+miles in range, and a stall speed of 45mph.
We went back to the factory and I put in my order. Bob had convinced me that this was a
reasonable, doable project. Bob gave me my construction manuals to take home. I had
doubts, but my excitement overcame them. The truck arrived with the airframe at the end of
March, 1996. My first major job was getting the parts out of the crate IN THE TRUCK, as it
had no liftgate. Finally I had unloaded everything carefully into the garage, and with a
friend’s help, strapped the wing spars and skins to the garage ceiling where I had
mounted heavy lag screws and straps.
I began building on April 1st. I decided to set up a set schedule to work on the plane
and keep "work" life and "plane" life separate. Since I put in 50 - 60
hours a week at my regular job as Director of Human Resources for Sensormatic Electronics
Corporation, I knew I would have to manage my time well to accomplish the project. Being
single, I didn’t have to worry about spousal demands conflicting with building time,
although my friends and family will tell you that I did become somewhat obsessed with the
building process and wasn’t very social, retreating into the garage for much of the
weekends. As I began building I realized that it was addicting! I would revel in every
chance to go into the garage to work on the project and at night I’d take copies of
the build manuals to read until I fell asleep. Then I’d dream about building! I made
a point of keeping the two lives - work and airplane - as separate as possible.
One of the first things I did was search out an EAA Technical Counselor. I found Don
Riley, of Boca Raton, who was very patient and helpful. Having little experience in
Fiberglas work, our first hour together involved a lesson in glass and epoxy. Don visited
the project three more times and always had good advice.
As the project proceeded I became more and more immersed and delighted to have my
"airplane" time. It was like a novel that you can’t put down; one more
page; one more page . . . . The thrill of seeing every completed stage; the patience
required to get a perfect fit; the anticipation in planning the panel and electrical
system. Many of the jobs I had held previously and the classes I had gone to were now
paying off: finish carpenter; small engine mechanic; bicycle assembly; electronics
technician; drafting. With few exceptions, I found my stock of tools adequate for the jobs
and where I needed to move something heavy, I improvised ways to rotate or move things
using straps, pulleys, or wheels. Since I had owned and operated a bicycle shop in the
late 1970’s, I had a wide ranging array of equipment.
Finally it was time to take the fuselage out into the driveway where I could fit the
wing spars. Now I had a problem. How would I carry the 14 foot long spars and lower wing
assembly outside and mount on the fuselage? I spent about 45 minutes devising a way to get
them out there but then came to the conclusion that it would be smarter to just call up my
neighbor! From then on, I would call my neighbor, he would come over and help me place the
wings in the fuselage and go back to his house. When I was through for the day, I would
call him and he’d come back over and we’d put the wings back in the garage. As
it turned out, this was the only time I needed help building the plane; even putting the
engine in was easy using a homebuilt hoist.
When the airplane was in the driveway everyone driving, walking, or rollerblading by
would stop to either find out what it was, or check progress! It was a magnet for small
children, teenagers, women, men, and animals. I would get questions like "Is this a
real airplane?, How do you put it back in your garage, Will you fly it, Are you really
building this yourself?, and You’re a woman and you’re building an
airplane?" I enjoyed all the visits and questions because it could be me asking these
things of someone else and I would want them to be patient with me! As for the
unconventional aspect of a female building her own airplane, I always tell people that I
somehow fell in love with mechanical things and enjoy working with tools, wood, machinery,
and design equipment and am doubly happy because these interests bring me into the company
of many very fine men! I have had the pleasure of enthusiastic support for my many
unconventional endeavors from both men and women. I attribute this to a positive attitude
and a willingness to give and accept advice.
One example of the great people you meet in building an airplane rests in the Pulsar
Builder Network This is a "homebuilt" e-mail net that a Pulsar builder
established for the rest of the builders and donates his own time and equipment to run it.
The net has been invaluable to all of us in getting our questions answered in addition to
the factory support. This "Net" and the annual Pulsar builder conventions in
Lawrence, Kansas, has brought building and flying Pulsars to a new level of expertise and
contagious excitement.
As I passed the 1000 hour build mark, I began to wonder how long this project would
really take. I had decided to not build the basic VFR Pulsar, instead wanting to add IFR
capability and little detailed bells and whistles that were not called for in the manuals.
With every addition I’d call the factory to make sure it was approved and obtain
advice.
The instrument panel was one of my biggest challenges, and ended up taking much more
time than I’d anticipated. I used a program called ‘Panel Planner’  which was
a big help. I had Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Company cut the panel out of .090 aluminum
and powder coat it. I bought all the instruments from them so they were kind enough to
weld the radio racks in and wire the sockets and switches. The wiring for the panel was
complex and I spent a large amount of time making circuit diagrams. Then there was a lot
of time and effort put into fitting it into the airplane and making a special bracket that
spanned the lower edge of the panel. I tapped the holes in the bracket so the panel attach
screws would fasten right in. I used felt backing and rubber bushings on the back of the
panel to cushion it and used T nuts across the top so that it would be easy to remove. I
spent about four months building and wiring the panel and installing the airframe
electrical harnesses. I used a multimeter to test everything before firing it up and made
a custom, labeled fuse panel to fit under the passenger seat.
For extras, I put an AM/FM/cassette radio behind the seats with a wired remote control
at the panel, strobe/nav system, fuel sump drains, electric pitch and roll trim, NASA type
temperfoam seat cushions, a storage compartment in the armrest, supersoundproofing foam
throughout the cockpit and footwell, cabin heat, an engine cooling fan, a landing light,
map pockets, stereo speakers in the baggage compartment, and a canopy lock. I also
designed a set of brake extensions for the Matco heel brake setup to convert them to toe
brakes which is working well. It was a lot of fun thinking up things to add, and the other
builders had some great ideas too.
Visitors to the project would ask about safety. Wasn’t I afraid to fly such a
small plane, especially one I had built in the garage? I tell people that I am always very aware that risk exists in the flying of airplanes,
but I also know that with proper training, planning, experience, and good judgment the
risks are quite small. If you look at the statistics you will see that homebuilt aircraft
approximate production aircraft in accident rate after the testing phase is complete.
There’s no doubt that the risk is much higher in the first ten hours of homebuilt
testing - which is to be expected - and much of that risk is from pilot inexperience. For
this reason I would advise builders to consider carefully their comfort level doing the
test flight and either have an experienced Pulsar pilot fly the first one or get at least
10 hours in another Pulsar before testing their own. The airplane is docile and stable,
but is very sensitive and fast on that first flight! Statistics also show that pilot error
accounts for 85% of all aircraft accidents (which includes poor weather decisions), so the
more we can do to improve our judgment and experience level the better. This airplane
makes that job easier by being easy to handle and offering a lower overall workload than
many other planes. And finally, when it comes to actual risk - the drive to the airport
has been proven 20 times more dangerous!
As I passed the 1300 hour mark, I wondered if I was slow or just a perfectionist. I
really didn’t care how long the project took as long as each stage of it was 100%
right. There were more than a few times when I would decide to do a job over if it was not
exactly right. I worked on the bearing in the control stick for six hours to get it smooth
without ANY slop at all. It just had to be right. But I also wanted to finish and fly the
plane!
At last my airplane was ready for paint. I trailered the fuselage and then the wings to
a local auto paint shop. I was there nearly every night and soon the fuselage took on the
appearance of a finished product! After some frustrated attempts at painting, I left the
job to the professionals and would probably do so again - the paint is the first thing you
see and gives an overall quality impression for the aircraft. The quality comes in at the
pin-hole filling stage and this is where it’s particularly important to put the time
in. I used Smooth Prime and the job went faster than I’d anticipated, given the moans
and groans you hear when discussing finishing a composite airplane.
Passing the 1500 hour mark, the airplane was back in my garage and things started to
come together quickly. I made a hoist for the engine and my anticipation grew as I sensed
the fulfillment of completing the systems - electrical, upholstery, and engine. Finally it
was time for engine start - I invited a friend over to watch things and tied the fuselage
to a palm tree. I turned the key - start! It started right up and purred. What an exciting
milestone! All the systems that you’ve been working on for so long COME TOGETHER.
That moment elicited a celebration, with neighbors stopping by and congratulating me on
this new driveway noise!
Did everything go great? Weren’t there any tough moments? Absolutely. An error in
a revised manual had me mount the flaps one inch too far outboard. I had to re-do the job.
The fuel sealer set up too soon on the tank end plates and I had to start over. I
installed the wing enclosed antennas wrong side forward and had to reinstall (luckily I
caught this before the wing skin went on). When priming the oil lines, I left the return
line open and had new clean oil geyser two feet into the air! Because of the quality of
the manuals, however, every mistake was caught early without too much heartache.
Finally the moment comes - trailer to the airport and assembly. After a successful FAA
inspection, more checks and more inspections - the careful close kind a builder knows
should be done over and over to build pre-flight confidence. As the final checks proceeded
I grew more and more excited about the first flight. With only 114 flying hours, I had
considered enlisting an experience Pulsar pilot to do my first flight. This is a very
individual decision, and going to the Pulsar fly-in in Kansas and getting nearly 10 hours
of flight time in Pulsars, I felt comfortable making this important step in my own plane.
Twenty months and nearly 1840 build hours later - ready to go.
* * *
So back to the beginning of this story - I taxied back to the hangar and pulled the
cowling.
Everything was in fine order. No leaks, no problems. Checked over every inch of the
plane. All was fine. My legs were trembling. One of my ground crew buddies handed me a
cold beer. No more flying today! Numerous airport personnel and pilots came over and told
me how great the airplane looked and congratulated me. Everyone wanted to look at the
airplane. The setting sun glistened on the canopy. A gentle wind wafted over the sleek
clean lines of the fuselage. I just stood and stared at this beautiful Pulsar XP glowing
in the sunset. My dream had become reality.
The next day I was out at the hangar at 7am. The wind was calm, the sky severe clear
blue with a few high wispy clouds and the temperature was 58 degrees. I ran diligently
through my checklists and rolled back the rumbling hangar doors.
I pulled the plane outside. I slipped into the cockpit. I could feel my excitement rise.
Engine started right up, settled into a smooth purr. Warmed up the oil and I was off!
Thrill! Left the traffic pattern and climbed to 4000 feet to feel her out. Ran through
approach to stall, turns, trim check, instrument checks. All fine. Hands off - smooth and
steady.
When I returned to the airport I decided to use flaps and all was well. I was surprised
at how much the nose dropped with 30 degrees of flap. Good view of the runway. However, at
one point I did end up going too slow (60 mph) and made a bounce on the runway - decided
to go around and try again. No damage done - this is one tough little airplane!
I now have 75 hours in this wonderful little aircraft, and fly every chance I get.
Since flying off my 40 hour test phase, I have taken numerous passengers and they revel in
the powerful take-offs and view from the bubble canopy. Last evening a friend and I flew
in the glow of the setting sun, marveling at the quiet, smooth ride, and we couldn’t
stop grinning and laughing, it was so much fun. To be a pilot AND a builder at the same
time - it’s satisfying and exhilerating.
Some people have asked me what it "takes" to construct, complete, and fly
your own airplane. In addition to perseverance, dedication, perfectionism, a positive
attitude, and a love of working with your hands, it takes knowing you can achieve a dream
if you stick with it. The lessons learned here will spill over into the rest of your life
and you will gain a level of confidence and satisfaction that will help you in everything
else you do. |
