Oshkosh 2010
Photo Blog
Click here to see pictures from our Trek.
Trek to Airventure Oshkosh - Video Log 4
We finished our Trek to Airventure on Day 4 with the final 150 miles of the trip. That's officially 1,366 miles, although with the detours we were just over 1,500.
Maverick Trek to Oshkosh - Day 4 - 150 Miles
July 23, 2010
Well Flying Car friends, It's Friday - last day of our cross country, on the ground. If the FAA just knew how hard it is to keep this machine earthbound and how dangerous it is driving in heavy traffic on the interstate with all the cars we pass speeding up to take 3 or 4 pictures, I'm almost sure they would relent and let us fly it.
But, we did need to prove that this Flying Car really is a CAR. We are just an hour from Oshkosh. By the speedometer and the GPS, we will have made about a 1450 mile trip. That is a pretty extensive taxi test in anyone's book. Speaking of 'taxi tests', Steve B. said that the throttle stuck when Troy was driving the other afternoon and it was going 93 by the time he got it unstuck. Well, I'm with you in thinking, "No way is a Flying Car dressed in a 'Tuxedo' going to go over 90 mph. Well, Toyota has nothing on us. The throttle stuck on me this morning (this phenomenon is also called 'leaden foot syndrome') too.
I would tell you how fast it was going before I figured out what the problem was, but I have 16 grand children who will probably read this blog. I want to be able to tell them about the dangers of exceeding speed limits so I claim the '5th' on this one. I do feel that I can tell you with a great deal of certainty, however, that the Maverick will in fact do 93 on the ground and that 93 is not its top speed, even with the normally aspirated (carburetor for those of you who don't use pilot lingo - and sorry for the spelling for you English majors) smaller engine that puts out about 128 hp. Who knows how fast it will go with a 310 hp CRX engine with twin turbos and intercoolers.
Now for a little house keeping. I watched Daniel's video blog from yesterday, this morning. All those of you who are writing in for the prize that I intended to offer; shame on you or claiming a prize that was not won fairly and above board. Jonathan and Steve were giving you all the answers behind my back. That was dirty and you know it. So, no prizes. I'm not even going to tell you what I was going to give you. And while I'm clarifying things, Troy said that his hovercraft syrup pitcher really did move across the table every time the camera wasn't trained on it. I want you to know that we found Troy wandering a country road in East Missouri and he looked so skinny and forlorn that we took him in, little knowing that he was going to try to take over.
Now, back to Maverick business. Steve Buer figured that he could set up the front end so it was less sensitive to wind and the buffeting wake behind the thousands of trucks we have had to pass. So, while the rest of us were trying to master the waffle maker in the Day's Inn breakfast room, (just one side note here; did I remember to tell you all that Daniel turned 24 yesterday. That is almost grown up - but not quite. When Troy and I got to the breakfast room Jonathan and Daniel were cooking hard boiled eggs in the microwave. They wanted to show us how they could make whole eggs disappear. The sign on the nooker said, "No hard boiled eggs in Microwave. It was too much for these young bucks. Being the stewards of inquisitive minds, they just had to find out why you aren't supposed to cook hard boiled eggs that way. I could see doing one or two to find out, but 10? Come on guys!)
Steve's experiment came out lots better than Jon and Daniel's eggs. When the throttle stuck on me, the Maverick was rock steady as I passed the speed Troy claims he did the other afternoon. Way to go 'B'!
The biggest new news this morning is that Wisconsin looks like it has been through a monsoon. There is water everywhere and promise of more tonight. The other one is that we were offered our first Flying Car job this morning. We stopped at a Culvers Restaurant (the place to go for ice cream in Wisconsin) in Beaver Dam (what gives you the idea that we are out in the beautiful countryside?) and the manager saw people stopping to look at the Maverick and then walking into his restaurant. He came over to our table and asked if we would hire out to park in front of their 8 Culvers restaurants to attract customers. We told him we would trade for Ice Cream. (He doesn't know how much ice cream we boys can eat)
We suggested his boss buy a Maverick. The Culvers logo would fit nicely on a Maverick wing and everyone looks up when we fly near people. Fly in and land in the street (watch for power lines and telephone wires) and then pull into your parking lot and wait for the customers to roll in. And, Pres. Obama will help pay for it by allowing you to depreciate it for tax purposes. Maybe he would fund it as part of the "stimulus package".
Well, it looks like we have made it. What a great adventure. There aren't very many adventures anymore that don't involve an I-phone 'AP'. Which reminds me, did I tell you that Jonathan and JD almost have the telescoping mast ready to go. That will put the "magic button" within easy reach.
I started out my coverage of this dream adventure by mentioning all the things that could go wrong. A friend of mine says that "gratitude is the shortest lived human emotion." I don't want team Maverick isn't guilty of that. So, thank you everyone who has made this trip possible. Jay, you designed an incredible drive system. Arlen and Tim, you guys really got the frame concept down. Gene, thanks for working with me 6 years ago before we filmed End of the Spear, to build the proof of concept machine (the 'Cockroach', as we called that one, is still in the back hangar. Thanks all of those of you who have given and most of all, thank you God for allowing us the privilege of living in a free country that encourages innovation and allows even common, ordinary fellows like us to fly the skyways of this great country.
Now, I can't wait to see who is going to step up to the 'plate' and help us get this incredible and unique machine into production. My dream is that by Air Venture 2011, we will be in limited production and will be getting information from real life end users. And, I hope one or two or more will be on their way to frontier areas of our little globe to help people who live in the world 'Beyond Roads', "Where you fly or you die".
Stay tuned.
For Itec and Team Maverick, I'm Steve Saint. We are here!
Trek to Airventure Oshkosh - Video Log 3
On Day 3, we drove from Evansville, IN to Rockford, IL. 425 miles.
Maverick Trek to Oshkosh - Day 3 - 425 Miles
July 22, 2010
When we rolled the Maverick out of it's hangarage this morning (our shop trailer) the night manager from the motel was waiting to see the Flying Car.
After an 8 hour shift, she waited an hour to get to see it. The front desk clerk had asked last night, "Can you show the Maverick to 'Misty in the Morning'?"
It sounded like a country western song to me - 'Misty in the Morning'.
So, we showed the Flying Car to misty, and to a thousand other people along the way, including Betty who told us that she raises rabits and pheasants for
restaurants in Chicago. She was pretty sure she could use a Maverick to make her deliveries.
What everyone wants to know is, "Does it really fly?" So, when we were getting gas at a Flying - J station (seemed like the place to get gas for the Maverick)
we made a sign for the rear door window - "Yes, it flies"! It turned out to be a road hazard. People would start to pass us, and you could see they were
debating whether this car in the black tux. could really fly or not. Then they would see the sign and they would roll down the window and take our picture
with their cell phones and try to ask questions; while other traffic was backing up behind them and getting frustrated. But, when the 'photo' car would go
on past us, the next car would realize what they had been doing and they would start their own photo shoot.
So, we just sped up and started passing other cars instead of being passed. We had to be careful, however, because one of our vehicles is a big pick-up
pulling our shop/hangarage trailer which is limited to a slower speed limit than cars. Added to that was a wind from the West strong enough to start the
dust bowl days all over again. The Maverick weighs only about 40 to 50% as much as a subcompact car so strong winds should affect it more than even the
lightest cars. But, we had no problem going the speed limit, even in the strong winds.
We had only two interviews today so we took some time to shoot some pictures along the way. We passed an absolutely gorgeous home on a hillside overlooking
a little stream on what looked like about 80 acres of manicured lawn. I couldn't pass that up, so I turned in and Daniel and Jonathan started taking video
and pictures. When the owner of the 'Mansion' on the hill came out to see what we were doing, and saw the Maverick, he just said; "Hey that is quite a
vehicle - what can I do for you?" I told him we just wanted to take some pictures. He offered me ice for the Maverick air conditioner and sounded like
he was going to offer to let us move in, so I told him we had to push on to Rockford for an interview in the morning. People in farm country USA couldn't
be friendlier without adoption proceedings!
We turned into one big farm yard to get some pictures with some grain bins and a bunch of silos.The farm family saw us and came out to see the Maverick.
Too bad we hadn't been about an hour and a half earlier. I know they would have asked us to stay for lunch. Rats, just goes to show, "timing is everything".
Speaking of 'timing', one family with three pretty young daughters came over to see the Maverick at a gas stop. The mother said, "We were just commenting
about how the world was changing before our eyes. We were wondering what things would be like when our girls are our age. I said (mother speaking), I'll
bet they will have flying cars by then. And here you are with one already!"
Our biggest challenge today was heat. Not for the Maverick but for the 'Piver' / 'Drilot' (help me out here, what are we going to call a Maverick operator.
You have to have a light sport pilot's license but for this Machine, you don't really have to know how to fly. You really just need to know how to do a
thorough preflight and 'predrive' and to use common sense; as in, "Don't land through power lines".
We have an air conditioner in the Maverick. Actually, it is an IC (ice conditioner) rather than an AC. You just load the portable cooler with a bag or two
of ice and turn on the switch. The conditioner pumps air through the ice and then into the Maverick. When enough of the ice melts, there is a pump that
pumps the ice-cold water through a radiator that the air blows through. Because the radiator is ice cold, any humidity in the air condenses on the radiator
and drops into the cooler. What you get out is cold, dry air and lots of it.
But it was in the 90's today and the sun was beating down unmercifully so we decided to make an improvement on the 'fly', so to speak. "On the drive" would
be more accurate but 'that don't sound sa good', as they say where Troy comes from. I won't tell you where that is, because some of the other folks from
that abouts, who have moved to the big city of St. Louis, might take offense r sompin. And who am I to speak, when I keep getting my English mixed up with
Spanish and French and a tribal language we speak down in the Amazon where I grew up.
So, we cut the bottom out of a refillable plastic cup - Sorry Steve 'B' - and connected it to the discharge hose of the IC unit. Then, we took a long
plastic sleeve we found at the Flying - J, and taped it to the slim bottom of the now bottomless cup. Turn on the IC with that sleeve stuffed down your
shirt and you have the coolest racing suite since Nascar started doing the same thing some years ago. If we had had more time we would have connected a
four way splitter to run down each pant leg and up each sleeve - but Troy and Jonathan had already been asked to get out of the Flying - J dumpster a couple
of times and we decided that our image might start to suffer so we will perfect the 'Maverick Cool Suite' "AO", After Oshkosh, as we say around the shop.
You are probably wondering how good it could feel to have an ice cold tummy while the rest of you is baking. Well, think of it like this; it is like a
reverse convection oven. Or, it is like having your feet on a heating pad on a cold winter night, or on your wife's legs if she is real real understanding
or just over 50, which are about the only two occasions when that won't get you thrown out of the house. What I am trying to say is that if your feet are
warm - you are warm. And today we discovered that if your belly is cool you are cool all over. Sorry it took so long to say that, and I apologize to my
sweet wife Ginny and any other women who think what I just said was unkind. Just be glad you women don't have prostates and you only have to get up two or
three times a night. If you are young and don't have any idea what I have just been talking about for the last three paragraphs; just be patient, cause you
will.
And, I predict, there will be a flying car in your future or that of a neighbor before those three pretty young daughters have daughters of their own.
We are determined to help make that come true - for you and people like you and for people in frontier areas of the world who fly or die, because that
is the only way they can access medicines and medical care and schooling for their children.
That, is why the Maverick is so important to us that Team Itec and a lots of dedicated and generous people have been working together for six years so
that I could look in the rear-view mirror and see an honest to goodness Flying Car following me up I-39 with Oshkosh just a few hours up the road. The
Maverick is a dream come true for those of us who have been working on it these years. But what excites me is that it is going to become a dream come
true for lots of hurting people in frontier parts of the world that won't otherwise have access to body or 'soul' medicine for 'life hurts' that affect
all of us.
In the mean time, if you want a Maverick for your ranch, or for search and rescue, or for pipeline surveilance, or to break the monotony of driving to
Wal-Mart, or you are into extreme sports or just because you want one for whatever - then I have a deal to offer you.
We expect that the production Maverick will sell in the lower price range of the Light Sport Aircraft market - probably between $84,000 and $89,000.
We are, however, looking for 10 parties who want to use the Maverick for a variety of uses and will give us feedback on how well their Maverick is serving
their particular purpose. For those 10 "Beta Test" vehicles we are going to offer a special price and we have decided to set aside part of their purchase
price to make upgrades that become part of our production run. Our plan is to offer those first 10 units, complete except for the connecting of the wing
and the installation of the tires. They will be sold as ELSA's (Experimental Light Sport Aircraft) meaning that after they are inspected, each owner will
be free to make changes to fit their particular needs (i.e. more fuel, different wheels and tires, suped-up engine etc.)
We would even consider helping with some modifications that other customers would be likely to be interested in. After that, we will probably offer Mavericks
in 3 categories: SLSA's - turn key ready to fly but which have to continue to be operated in the same configuration as delivered; and as ELSA's which owners
can modify to their own needs; and maybe as Kits that would meet the 51% rule, which means that they could be licensed within the LSA standards, but which
could also be flown outside the LSA restrictions by owner / operators with private pilots licenses or commercial tickets.
Fox 7 WTVW - Evansville, IN - Video and Story
It's a plane. It's a car. Actually, it's kind of both.
July 21, 2010
Blog fans of the Maverick X-USA Trek
Day 2 of our cross country trek and everything is going great again. That almost doesn't seem fair to those of us who are used to inventing and prototyping new technologies. But hey, we'll take it and thank You very much.
We did decide to change the CVT ground drive belt. It showed a little wear (which it should considering how much off-roading we have done with it since we put on the last belt). It took a 3/8 inch wrench and about 5 minutes to make that repair, which pleased me because I know what it is like to be out in the jungle with just an emergency bag of tools, having to change a belt.
We had another first that is worth noting. We drove through our first rain storm, and it was a big one. Remember that the "Tuxedo" which covers the Maverick, and has to keep out the elements, is cloth, with lots of zippers for doors, windows, and parachute storage. On our previous prototype the water would run down the "Tuxedo" top and right on to the pilot / driver's lap through a zipper on the wing storage locker.
It was my turn to drive today when we hit the rain storm. I didn't get a drop on me. The inside of the machine was dry except for a little trickle that came in the bottom zipper on the two front doors. But there are openings in the floor to drain any water that would ever come in there.
Having water droplets all over the "Tuxedo" also gave me a chance to see how the aerodynamics of the Maverick work. I was impressed. We are getting a good 25 miles per gallon at interstate speeds (65 - 85 mph) with the propeller on. Normally for a long road trip we would take the propeller off which would greatly reduce our drag going down the road at 75 mph. But, we have done radio, TV and newspaper interviews multiple times each of these first two days and everyone likes to see the propeller on. A flying car without a propeller is just another 'car', right?
The Maverick attracts young and old, men and women, boys and girls alike. One woman commented. "Ok, now it is going to be my turn to fly." Her husband is a pilot. She went on, "and when my friends call, you can just say, 'Cindy just flew down to Wall Mart. She'll be right back."
Say, before I forget, did you see the great little video Daniel Jeter, our videographer, made of our first day? He stayed up almost all night last night editing it. You will like it if you haven't already seen it. Jonathan Nelson, our 'unflagging intern' who has worked with us for four summers now and is finally graduating from LeTourneau University, has been doing most of the driving in the lead car. But his claim to fame is that he is the dreamer behind the single mast, wing deployment system and now the moving force behind the telescoping mast which opens up the "magic button" possibility for going from car to plane and back with the push of a "magic button".
Steve Buer, who has supervised the building of the production prototype and done the lions share himself, is responsible for getting the Maverick to Oshkosh without being trailered even one inch. So far, he's batting 1000. And that is saying a lot because every once in a while we have to give Troy Townsend, co-test pilot and genius behind the 'Fly-By-Wire' air steering system, (and the 'whip' that keeps us all working toward the same goal ) a chance to drive the Maverick.
The reason that makes Steve Buer's job so big is that Troy is from Missouri, where there are no speed limits, or at least no Missourians working at Itec who pays much attention to them. The grape vine has it that the Maverick goes faster than the 85 miles an hour I hit when the throttle 'stuck' on a lonely stretch of divided road today. You can't believe everything you hear, but if Garmin GPS's don't lie; the Maverick will do at least 93 miles per hour - and I wasn't driving it when it hit that speed. It could have been Steve Buer, but he specializes in popping wheelies with the Maverick, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't him. Daniel was editing and Jonathan was driving - but who cares anyway. We all know that the Maverick will go faster than 93 mph. The only questions are, who will do it, where, and when.
Stay tuned. We could hit Oshkosh tomorrow night or Friday morning - unless we have to stop for gasoline or a pit stop. I'm telling you, it is impossible to stop anywhere without attracting a crowd. And there are always interesting comments:
- "Oh, Henry, you're just telling another one of your 'big whoppers' again."
- "Shirley, I'm telling you, cars can't fly. It just doesn't work. They are too heavy! Even "Junk Yard Wars" couldn't get a car to fly, for goodness sake. Sure they have pictures and video of it flying, but no one in their right mind is going to believe that isn't just some trick photography. I'm telling you, cars can't fly!"
- "Wow, wouldn't it be great in a traffic jam to just pull over into the median and fly away?"
- "How about when the policeman is writing out a ticket and you fly away?"
We are picking up ideas every day on this first-of-its-kind journey across America in a Flying Car. Don't forget to get your name on the list or you might have to wait a loong time to get yours, we hope!
Steve Saint - for Team Maverick.
P.S. Thanks Ron, for lining up all of the interviews and Jesse for getting us reservations when every motel on our route is sold out. And thanks Mark for holding down the fort and Andy for getting us ready to go. Gene, hope you are making good memories with your grandkids in Wisconsin. Stephenie, we are really missing you and your great video editing (hope you come back soon). And Daron, Michael, JD and Justin - why don't you just save the rest of college until there is less work for you to do at Itec. Charlie, your heat shields on the exhaust system is working flawlessly. I know we can develop a fixed wing for this incredible machine, now that you are retired. Barry, your windshield fits perfectly. Good job - ALL!!!!
Oh yea, thanks for all of those of you who have given 'green paper with the king's picture on it' as Mincaye would say. You are just as important to what we do at Itec as anyone pulling wrenches, or welding, or manipulating recalcitrant computers, or trying to teach me new apps on my i-phone. Thanks! How many people, in their life time, get to be part of even one adventure that has the potential of saving lives and making life easier for hurting people?
Trek to Airventure Oshkosh - Video Log 2
We drove the Maverick from Dalton, GA to Evansville, IN on Day 2 of our Trek. That's 324 miles with a visit to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN.
Chattanooga Channel 9 News Story
Maverick Trek to Oshkosh - Day 2 - 324 Miles
Trek to Airventure Oshkosh - Video Log 1
We drove the Maverick from Dunnellon, FL to Dalton, GA on Day 1 of our Trek. That's 467 miles.
WAFT Radio Interview
Bill's Blog - July 21 2010 - Flying Car!
July 20, 2010
I told you that my greatest fear in starting the first ever ‘cross country’ drive in a flying car – was not knowing what was most likely to be our biggest challenge.
Would the drive train – untested at any sustained speed over a long period – hold up. Would the machine get too hot in its black ‘tuxedo’ on a 95 degree sunny day with 100% humidity? Or would the machine overheat?
There was of course the possibility that we would be stopped by the police. That did happen; but the drive train held up great – at speeds up to 85 mph in heavy traffic. The cabin got warm but it was comfortable with one front window and one back window open on the opposite side – there was a very comfortable cross breeze.
The machine, however, was really cool. The engine never got over 172 degrees! And every one noticed how cool it was.
Whenever we stopped, people of all sizes, ages and a number of nationalities gathered around to ask questions, like:
“No way, great gag! I almost thought for a minute there that this was some kind of flying car or something.” or
“Wow, what’s the fan for? Don’t you have air conditioning?” A – “The fan is just to attract attention when flying over populated areas”
Yes, we did get stopped by the police. The officer saw us in a mall parking lot waiting for a local Television news crew to arrive to interview us about the first ever Flying Car passing through Valdosta, Georgia. I told him he could not be the first police officer to pull over our flying car. “I’m not thinking of pulling you over”, he stated matter of factly, “I’m thinking of confiscating it!”
When I told him we would be happy for him to have one but he would have to get his name on our prospective customer list, and that he would have to count out about 80 big ones; he tried playing Mr. nice guy. He escorted us across town so we could get some duplicate keys made. That was a first. We have never had a police escort before.
Which brings me to, perhaps, the most amazing event of the day. The big news was that there was no big news. The car ran perfectly. We did not get blown off the road. It handled speeds up to 85 mph and sustained I-75 speed limits for almost 10 hours. Remember, the longest day trip in the two weeks since we were licensed for road travel, was a 25 mile jaunt we made to see what would happen. Then, after that tiny field test, we started off on a 1300 mile ‘Journey Across America’.
If my Mom were here she would probably ask me, “So what was the most memorable thing that happened today?”
To that I would say, “All of our dreams came true, on the driving side of the Maverick, in one day.” But perhaps the snapshot that sticks in my mind was that people ‘got it’. All day long people would pass the shop trailer and would see a picture of the Maverick taking off, that we have fastened to the lift gate on the back of the trailer. Then they would pass the Trailer (those that we passed probably had the same reaction but we didn’t get to see their reactions, if you follow), see the Maverick and realize, “Hey that is the same thing that was flying in that picture on the back of that trailer we just passed!”
Over and over, cars would then slow down until we passed them so they could pass us again and have another look.
As the red orb of the sun set to the west of downtown Atlanta, I noticed strobe lights in my rear view mirror. “Police. Why now, when everything has gone so perfectly all day?” But there were no red and blue flashing lights. Just then, Steve ‘B’ in the chase vehicle called over the radio. “Hey, look at that. People in cars on both sides of the Maverick are taking flash pictures." So, Troy is not going to be pulled over. No police; just a few more inspired travelers wanting to document the story they were going to tell the ‘fam’ when they got home tonight!
Maverick Trek to Oshkosh - Day 1 - 467 Miles
WCTV News Story
All Eyes on the Maverick Flying Car
Ocala Star-Banner Article
Missionary takes flying car prototype to Wisconsin fly-in
Airventure.org Article
Maverick Sport Flying Car to Fly to AirVenture Oshkosh
July 20, 2010
Remember Christmas mornings when you were little? Is there anything in your life that still excites you that way?
Yes! I'm heading off on a cross country in a flying car this morning - Why is it taking so long to get light outside?
The chase vehicle looks like a mobile garage - mostly tools and equipment we don't need, we hope. On the other hand, when was the last time you saw a "garage", or a "dealership" that advertised; "We specialize in 'Flying Car' repair and maintenance"?
We took a little test drive on Saturday and made an important discovery. If you want to go around town INCOGNITO, leave the propeller off. With the Prop on, the Maverick is like an attention magnet.
If you think the average person stuck in a traffic jam hasn't thought about being able to pull into the median and flying away - you are wrong! People see that propeller and are sucked in to the world of make believe, that the Maverick is helping open up.
The Flying Car and Roadable Airplane are ideas whose time has come - It must come. We are out of alternatives.
It is a new phase of transportation that will take pioneering and needs champions (Government probably won't catch on until the demand makes them notice) to become a reality.
A Flying Car has to be a great car before it will be taken seriously as an aircraft. SO, off we go on a 1300 mile trek to the Biggest Air Show on Earth - Airventure Oshkosh 2010.
(what do you think our biggest challenge will be? Will it be a major breakdown, a 'Rear Ender' when someone following us fixates on the propeller and doesn't notice our break lights? Or will every highway patrolman from Florida to Wisconsin want to be the first to write a citation to a Flying Car?
It will be a trip of FIRSTS for sure.
I took four of my grandchildren through the drive thru at Arby's the other day. I ordered "5 of everything please". "Five of everything, OK, that will be ______; uh just pull up to the window please!"
The manager ran outside to take our picture. We let her get in and took her picture instead.
"Ma Maum, is gonna realee flip whein shee sees this. I'um sittin in a flien car." We are pretty much country down here in Central Florida. Look forward to chattin with some of you Yankees up North.
"Oshkosh or Bust"
Steve Saint for team Itec
Stay Tuned
Proposed Route from Dunnellon, FL to Oshkosh, WI
July 19, 2010
Maverick 'Aficionados',
It looks like the Maverick (The Flying Car That Does) is ready for a coming out party. There are a couple of little details that have to mature - but just a
Couple - and we aim to overcome those like we have the hundred other challenges.
As you will see in the following "Plane and Pilot" blog-piece, we haven't been out pushing for publicity. We have just been quietly hard at work picking off one obstacle after another - to get where we are headed.
But there comes a time when we have to put "IT" to the test. That is what we aim to do.
July 21, 2010 we plan to start a Cross country (1300 mile) Maverick-trek to the Big-Daddy of all aviation events - Oshkosh, Air Venture 2010.
We have been concentrating on getting the Maverick certification for "FLIGHT". We have finished all of our ASTM structural and flight testing requirements and have prepared hundreds of pages of technical forms, Operators Manuals and other certification requirements and turned it all over to the FAA.
But, we are in uncharted territory. When we are asked for proof of insurance - will it be an 'Auto Owners Policy' or an 'Aircraft Hull and Liability Policy' being asked for?
What will we do when we are asked, "License and Registration Please!"?
Know what Lindberg's greatest obstacle in flying to Paris, was? Not fuel; not navigation; no, not even North Atlantic storms - it was lack of sleep that almost got him.
What will our "Rubicon" be? Might be being stopped by every Highway Patrol man who hasn't previously had the opportunity to pull over a Flying Car dressed in a 'Tuxedo' with a five blade PROPELLER on back. (The Maverick fits in with other traffic just fine - but it doesn't blend well when it comes to looks)
The big challenge might be as simple as "Air Conditioning". With weight at an absolute premium there is only a minimal allowance for insulation. So, how do we handle 100 degree heat with Florida's 100% humidity? (Portable A/C piped directly into the "Drilot's" flight suit - or will it be "Piver"?)
Our check list will be unique too:
- Wing Deployed
- Lights, turn signals, wiper operative
- transmission: Propeller / Transaxle
Stay tuned for the "blow-by-blow"
Steve Saint for Team Maverick
Plane & Pilot Blog