Halfpenny Green - Fly In - 31st March 2013

G-BPUA is an EAA Biplane - this design originates from the Experimental Aircraft Association ( EAA ) of the USA. The project was to design and build a simple biplane that could then be offered as a homebuilt blueprint for pilots to build themselves at home.

The EAA Biplane first flew in 1960 and it is said that over 7,000 sets of plans have been sold since. The type was not common here in the UK and at the momnet there are four examples registered on the UK CAA aircraft register. This example was completed in Ireland in 1986 and was originally registered as EI-BBF. It was registered in the UK in March 1989 as G-BPUA and had flown just 285 hours by the end of 2011.  



Link to the EAA Biplane website



Another interesting aircraft at Halfpenny Green was Cassutt Racer IIIM G-CGSU. This very smart homebuilt sport aircraft was completed in 2010 and has flown 41 flight hours by 31.12.12. The aircraft is shown here being taxied out of the static exhibition area off on a local flight.

The pilots name is shown on the canopy. There are currently a dozen of these aircraft registered in the UK with about 6 believed to be airworthy at the moment - this example is the most recent to have been completed at is based at Halfpenny Green airfield. There was also a second Cassutt Racer present this being G-BFMF

G-BFMF was originally registered in 1978 and built by owner in Dorset, being completed circa 1982. In 2006 it was bought by an owner in West Sussex before moving onto to the West Midlands in early 2013 - the link below shows the same Cassutt Racer back in 1988 in a white/gold/orange colour scheme

Link to ABPIC photo of G-BFMF in 1988


Also resident at Halfpenny Green is TEAM Minimax 91 G-MYKZ with the name "Kilo Zulu" on the cowling - this aircraft was originally registered as G-BVAV for just one week in July 1993 before becoming G-MYKZ.

"Kilo Zulu" is powered by a Rotax 503 engine and has had several owners around the UK before coming to HalfPenny Green in 2010. By Dec 2011 this aircraft had flown just 69 flight hours.

 
Among the visiting aircraft was Savannah G-SAVY  - this aircraft was built in 2009 and is powered by a Jabiru engine

EV-97A Eurostar G-UZUP was built from a factory supplied kit - the Eurostar is a very popular aircraft in the UK with approx 165 examples registered as at April 2013. The aircraft is powered by a Rotax 912 engine and is based in the Sheffield area.

Steve