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Hello Guys / Gals

I'm the proud new owner of N20U. I couldn't be happier. It flys very straight! It's gear operates smoothly and the C-85 is the smoothest running Continental engine I have ever operated.
Now it's only issue is it has a Wooden Sensensich W69EK52. The 52 pitch is really for a Continental 75 HP engine. So at the moment I'm climbing at 2000 fpm and redline cruise is 110 mph at 1000 ASL
I'd like more cruise speed and am willing to sacrifice the great climb rate.
What type of prop (wood or metal )and pitch are you guys running on your C-85 engines? And what cruise are you getting?
Regards Mark

Hello fellow pilots
I started a YouTube account called " Culver Cadet Guy"

So far I have 3 videos titled
-- Culver Cadet end of a great day
--Culver Cadet circuit
--Culver Cadet and Monocoupe formation flight

Enjoy Mark

Hi gents:
I thought I'd post the FAA report on N41716 and maybe get some discussion started. I am an airline pilot with current command on the B777. I wasn't there and havn't spoken to anyone who was at the accident site so I don't have any more info than in the report below. I find with interest that in the airline world we now are starting to include "startle" events in simulator sessions. Anyone can fly a sim session where they know before hand what's going to take place. But throw in the unexpected alarm, bell, noise etc and you see some interesting results. On this take off it appears to me that the takeoff speed is maybe a little low but not the accident cause. There is a report of the engine hesitating or momentarily studdering. Now that's a startle you don't want low level. The first thing is of course in every level of aviation "fly the airplane" the basics pitch, bank angle, airspeed, once those are under control then you can ask yourself what's the problem and work to resolve it. Even at my level of experience I line up for take off and run through a quick what would I do if the engine quits  mental exersize. If I could suggest anything to you. Once the airplane is flying if you have the room over the runway allow the airplane to build up an extra say 10 knots of buffer that if anything happens gives you a little more time to get out of the startle factor and keep flying.
Mark

http://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20140712X80421&ntsbno=ERA14FA337&akey=1

Hello everyone:
I want to let you know that today (this morning) I will first make the following announcement to you and tomorrow the world.
 I have been able to purchase all rights to manufacture Culver Cadets. I have secured a production site in Wichita Kansas. In the same building as the origional Cadet was manifactured!
 I have secured Franklin engines for the first batch of 100 airplanes from the Franklin Engine company of Jewett Texas. An optional and desirable engine is of course the Continental O-200. I am also looking at the Rotec Radial engine for a distinctly vintage look.
I've had engineers look at the entire airframe and with only small tweaks we can easily advertise a realistic 1500 lb gross weight.
 Below is part of the press release that I'm working on.

The Culver Dream Company is building all-new production Culver aircraft. A special Light Sport version is now available (fixed gear) and a standard certified version is coming soon with electric retractable gear.

We also service, repair, and restore all Culver aircraft of any vintage.

Both new versions use the original Culver Cadet airframe, which has earned its reputation as the strongest, most durable and most efficient light plane design ever. In fact, the Cadet has always set the standard for its class in every category, and its emphasis on quality, established early on, has been retained and improved on in the new versions.

Introductory price for the first 10 airplanes with out options is $50,000. With full options ie glass cockpit, autopilot, turbine engine etc the price will be closer to $60,000

Best-in-Class Performance
The new models offer more performance, comfort, and interior space than ever, and have even improved on the great flying qualities the Cadet is famous for, qualities which led Plane and Pilot magazine to report that "At any speed, the new Cadet maneuvers better than anything in its class." The new Light Sport Dream Cadet and the standard certified Dream Cadet will be  available for viewing and demonstration flights at Wichita Kansas! Come and see for yourself.

I've got to run right now April first is always a busy day for me. I'll have further details and pictures for you later today regarding when the first airplane will roll off the assembly line.

Mark re: "Culver Dreamer"   

 Hi everyone. I need the elevator trim actuator. The little cable driven gear box that bolts into the elevator. In the Culver Cadet parts Manuel its page 12 figure 7 item 3 part number 353.
 If you have one please contact me at pennair@hotmail.com.
Thanks Mark

   Hi everybody:
 I've seen a few Culver Cadets. I've read a lot about them. I've seen the U-tube videos but I had never flown in one or heard what they were like to fly.
 Well I just had the opportunity. What an awsome airplane. I just bought Tim Luncfords project Cadet and he suggested that I take his daughters plane up. I was dying to go up and see what the plane I bought would eventually be like. The first problem is that I'm really too heavy to do a duel check out. I'm 220 lbs and working at getting down to 180 or 190. I'll need to be lighter if I ever want to use the passenger seat! It is a small airplane. Once seated it is comfortable.
 Tim had the great idea of placing the Airplane on jacks then practicing retracting the gear and extending it. I did this about four times. Here is the sequence. Move the gear lever (between the seats) from the left position to the middle position, now grab the wheel with your right hand and rotate it. It's a ratchet system so as the wheel is turned it doesn't drop down when you let go of the wheel. Keep rotating untill you see the wheels in the wheel well and you can't rotate the wheel any longer. That's it. Now to get it down, a little caution is needed, first grab the wheel and pull in the upward rotational direction to unload the ratchet. Move the gear leaver to the right position  with your left hand all the while holding on to the wheel with the right hand. This is important because the gear wants to drop like a stone. Let the wheel rotate slowly in your hand, then when the gear is down, move the gear lever to the left position again. Wiggle the lever to make sure it's in place and also try to move the wheel. If nothing moves the gear is down and locked.
 If you have flown small airplanes before then everything else is quite conventional. Do a normal walk around and look At everything that moves.
 In the cockpit the fuel lever is under the dash turn it on, turn on the master, prime ( just one pump)! Then start the engine. Tim's plane has the Franklin engine which started right away cold or hot. I was surprised how smooth an engine it is. ( must be well balanced)  Oil pressure seems to run around 20
indicated at all times.
 After doing a conventional run up I did one circuit with the gear down. Then more circuits with the gear up.
 Here is the technique that I used for take off. With all the controlls nuteral I slowly brought in the throttle, when it was all the way in I lift the tail just enough so I can tell that the tailwheel isn't on the ground. I hold it in that attitude until it flys away. I don't know what speed it flys at, I did it by feel and my first look at the airspeed indicator Showed 60 mph at around 20 feet agl. Tim said to get the gear up prior to 100 mph so that you don't fight the air loads on the gear. This isn't a problem because the airplane isn't a stellar climber , if you are a little fast just increase the pitch a bit. The only caution in the climb is not to get fixated on the gear retraction and forget to watch the pItch. The airplane is very light on the controlls and has fairly small stick displacement to get directional change.
Once climbing away I accelerated to 100 mph and without doing a proper timed climb check believe the plane probably climbed around 500 fpm. Full throttle level flight indicated close to 130 at 1500 asl.  A more normal cruise of 2500 rpm indicated 120 mph.  Coming in for landing, in the later part of The circuit slow to around 100 and be fully trimmed because both hands will be busy with gear extension. I found I could follow the runway 3 degree papi at 70 mph using 1450-1500 rpm and I felt like I was on rails all the way to the ground. At around 10 feet bring the power to idle hold the attitude and let it sink.  At around 3 feet flair and I was able to 3 point it in consistently. The gear absorbs shock nicely and has no tendency to cause bounce. Just my personal technique but after touchdown I raise the tail slIghtly to keep the tail wheel off the ground. If I need it on the ground for directional controll obviously I'll keep it pinned on the ground.
In the air the airplane is simply a delight to fly its responsive and sporty. The view is better than I would have expected from an antique airplane. The wings look so cool.
 We did some pre arranged loose formation flying with Tim in his Dart, I found the Cadet an easy airplane to fly formation with because it responds so quickly to just pressure on the stick.
They say the Vans RVs are smile makers but it's been two days since I've flown the Cadet and I havn't been able to wipe the grin off my face yet!!
 It's a short airplane so a little twitchy on the ground but if you can handle a Luscombe you'd be fine in this airplane. I'll be sending Bill some pictures in a few days of my flight.
 For those who have always wanted to know what it's like I hope this was helpful
 Mark

   I've been reading on Wikipedia that the Cadet LCA was the early model with 75 HP. They upped the power and put in an electric system and called that model the LFA. Wikipedia states that they Introduced a number of refinements. My question, are there any airframe improvements in the LFA model and what are they?
  Thanks Mark

  Hello Guys: I can't find a project Culver Cadet, if you know of one please send me an e-mail at pennair@hotmail.com. Since I couldn't find a project I bought Neil La France's STF plans and intend to go ahead with it. If you have any parts particularly metal ones it would help speed up the build time for me.  Here is a question for some of the more knowledgeable in the group. I see some pictures of cadets that have a strut from the bottom of the fuselage to the horizontal stab. Not all have this what is the reason for this? If there is a weakness back there then why not have flying wires from the fuselage to the horizontal stab and continue up to the vertical stab like the Piper Cub for example.
 Mark