My BERKUT Project

www.berkut13.com Home Of BERKUT #013

"Live the dream and shoot for the moon! ...even if you miss, you will be among the stars."

This page was last modified on Sunday, March 15th. 2009 This section has been uniquely visited times since 09/01/1996

The Power of the Dream
Thoughts on Why We Build

Race 13 takes 2007 SARL Silver National Champion title

"Race 13" with 2008 Season Race Mods

A Squeeeeeeeker of a landing!

Race 13 Haul'in Ass Around Turn #3 - Taylor 100 Air Race

Three Amigos having fun in the Texas skies

On short final into Rough River, KY

Berkut #13 Flight Operations:

1.) FAA Airworthiness Inspection As of Friday August 13th, 2004 - an airplane is born!
2.) Pre-Flight Preperations Get ready, get set...wait!!
3.) First Flights of N97TX The long awaited and much anticipated...
4.) Squawks, Fixes & Upgrades Hey, things break...so I fix them!(UPDATED 5-7-08)
5.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2004) The enjoyment phase HAS finally begun!
6.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2005) A year of adventures and "firsts"!
7.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2006) The enjoyment phase continues!
8.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2007) Things just keep getting better!
9.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2008) Looking forward to another race season!(UPDATED 3-15-09)

10.) Berkut #13 Flight Operations (2009) Humm...Lots of flying to do, but not in "13" unfortunately.(UPDATED 3-8-09)
11.) Performance and Race Modifications My never ending quest for speed!!!
12.) The Raptor's Roost Good times and special happenings at the home base.
13.) Berkut Flight Videos A sensory trip into the world of Berkut!(UPDATED 3-15-09)

Building Berkut #13:

Kit "A" Stage Pictures and Comments

1.) The Jig Table is the first and most important thing you build.
2.) Winglets are the first airframe component...they're easy to build and replace if you screw-up.
3.) Vacuum Bagging the wet lay-up parts compresses the layers of cloth and removes excess epoxy.
4.) Wing Jigs are not torture jigs at all, they simply hold the foam in perfect position.
5.) Shear Web is the center structure that connects the upper and lower spar caps.
6.) Wings...the final frontier. The mother of all lay-ups - and it's easy!
7.) Bagging the Wings was just like the winglets, but on a bigger scale.
8.) Filling and Sanding the Wings is the tedious, less glamorous part of composite construction (sigh).
9.) The Canard & Elevators The last of the flight surfaces and the death of my first camera.

Kit "B" Stage Pictures and Comments

1.) Kit "B" Parts Lay-out Finally, something that looks like an airplane!
2.) Internal Fuselage Bulkheads ...and other internal structures.
3.) Installing the Main Spar is one area where precision counts.
4.) Installing the Main Wings Drum roll, please! And the verdict is?...
5.) Front Nose Gear bulkheads, brackets, doors, and actuator. (mpegs)

Kit "C" Stage Pictures and Comments

1.) Preparing the Main Gear Legs as-if pure carbon fiber was not strong enough.
2.) Installing the Main Gear so my baby can stand on her own!
3.) Longerons serve as the canopy seals and have molded drip rails.
4.) Canopy Seals and Drip Rails Stiff, lite, very strong...and dry.
5.) Winglet Installation Install them after 3 years...and finish them 7 years later.
6.) Rudder Installation Oooh, more moving parts! ...and only one set of controls left to do.
7.) New Fuel System The new design does away with the old sump completely.
8.) Strakes, Ribs & Fuel Tanks Strakes serve as fuel tanks, baggage areas, gear wells...and add lift!
9.) Canopies The future's so bright...I gotta wear shades.
10.) Canard Deck & Install Another Berkut innovation yields better access.
11.) Rudder Pedals & Brakes Gotta give your feet something to do.
12.) Hydraulic System & Main Gear Arteries, veins, and aluminum tubing. (mpegs)
13.) Engine Cowl Installation an exercise in patience and alignment.
14.) Control & Trim System Installation will help me get a grip on this project.
15.) Fuselage Roll-Over & Bottom Finishing Berkut #013's first aerobatic maneuver...or not...
16.) Belly Mounted Air Brake Adding drag to my plane?!?...say it ain't so! (mpegs)
17.) Aileron Installation What do you mean "cut into the wing"?!?
18.) Consoles and Cover-type Things I'm not hiding anything...OK, I am.
19.) Vortilons...and NO, they are not Star Trek aliens...

"All the other stuff" - Pictures and Comments

1.) Instrument Panel OK, Lights!...Radios!...Action!!!!
2.) Engine & Firewall Installation As they say - Firewall Forward...I mean Aft!
3.) Engine Baffles I hate metal...but we worked out a truce!
4.) Antenna Installations but nothing sticking out of THIS bird...OK, almost nothing.
5.) Electrical System Wires and relays and buses...Oh My!
6.) NACA Air Vents Ahh...smell that fresh air!
7.) Seats and Upholstery I finally get to sit down on the job!
8.) Propeller and Spinner ah, the big fan...just in time for summer too!
9.) Engine Start It's alive!! It's alive!! ...Feel the power!!
10.) Pitot Static System The plane gets a nose-job.
11.) Interior Cosmetics Gotta look good on the inside too!
12.) Exterior Cosmetics Time to make this thing look like an airplane.
13.) The New Hangar A new home away from home...for two Berkuts no less!
14.) The Move to TKI Check Six!! The raptors are moving in.
15.) Oxygen System Flying "High"...on Oxygen that is.
16.) Baggage Pods Finally, someplace to put our stuff!! (UPDATED 3-21-08)

XX.) The Road Less Traveled A chronology of updates over the years - the good and bad times.

Innovations:

1.) "The Cheap Little Sucker" $20 Vacuum Pump Plans (as used in Kit 'A', section 3 above)
2.) "Electric Speed Brake" actuator and mounting plate (Safer & lighter than the mechanical)
3.) "Main Gear Casters" a $20 solution to a $300 problem
4.) "Internal Tie-Down Hardpoints" an innovation I didn't even remember I had installed
5.) "1-cent Molex KK pin extractor" a Sandy-vention that saved $50 & other avionics savings
6.) "Aileron Gust Lock" keeps things from flapping in the breeze
7.) "LED Cockpit/Panel Lights" simple, lite, dimmable, and versitile
8.) "Rear Seat Beverage Holder" now the GIB's drink wont spill when I go inverted
9.) "Rear-view Mirror" Check six! ...or the GIB's "green" face, either will do
10.) Ford Explorer "No-Drill" Antenna Mount Only slightly airplane related...but here it is...
11.) Secure Fuel Tank Vent Plugs Huff and puff...but you can't blow my plugs off.
12.) Mobile APRS Beacon See where Berkut#13 or the Explorer is anywhere in the world. (UPDATED 1-15-08)

Magazine Reprints:

"Berkut Flight Test" - Today's Pilot

"Building Berkut - Setting a Standard of Excellence" - Custom Planes

"Flying an Eagle - Berkut takes canard airplanes to the next level" - Kitplanes

"Flying Quality Reports" - Sport Aviation

A Special THANK YOU to:

Sandy - my wife and my most avid supporter in the project!
Tim Cook - one of my best friends, 1st hangar-mate, and right-hand-man on the project especially in the beginning.

My mom & dad - for putting up with me for the first many years as I dedicated ALL my money, time and effort.
My cousin, John Redmon at SANO Sports International for providing the scanner time for some pictures.

Aden Wilson and Otho Henderson - A&P's at Granbury Flying Machine Co. (no longer there) for their technical input and help.
Charles Ledbetter for letting me use the BIG bandsaw for the wing foam and winglets! (It beats buying one!!)
Dave, Vicki and the crew at Berkut Engineering - for the help, support, and for doing a great job!
To ALL my friends that have provided all kinds of help and encouragement over the years - names WILL be on the airplane.
And thanks to out to all my web firends that have written in over the year...you really helped keep me going through the hard times.

Disclaimer:

This site chronicles the construction of my experimental aircraft for my own educational and entertainment purposes. The processes and procedures described herein should not be used as instructions on building any aircraft.

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