Thinking about buying a Zenith STOL CH 750 Super Duty with Titan IO 360 engine and Alaskan Bushwheels.

http://www.zenithair.net/introduction-c ... uper-duty/

https://youtu.be/BnH-_r1SM3E

Lands and takes off in less than 200 feet.

I would like any first hand feedback on the kit quality and ease of build?

Also interested in any first hand knowledge about flying a Zenith?

Thanks in advance,

KJ

My buddy owned a 701 and let me fly it. Was almost 20 years ago and we still talk about how awesome that plane was. We won all the contest at a local event once- spot landing- flower drop (in the bucket bulls eye)- short takeoff- short landing.

This plane had a rotax engine and it was great! I felt safe in the plane except flying it in the rain with the doors off was painful. I remember vaguely having to land with power as the tail was very cambered and it quit flying without the prop wash.

Thanks Joe.

I know very little about the experimental world.

It appears that the Titan 360 is a non certified version of the Lycoming 360. I was leaning toward that engine due to the good history of the certified engine.

There is everything available to power this plane from Rotax to a Honda car engine (Viking Engine).

It looks like a ton of fun and would save me a 45 minute drive to a spot that I could land this plane in but cannot get my 205 there.

How was the feel of the plane? I have been in a few really light planes that felt solid and some that felt like a bucket of bolts.

KJ

Their factory is in Mexico, MO, which should be a nonstop Bonanza trip for you, I think. They’re very good about demonstration flights and all that outreach and customer service stuff.

I did their intro to homebuilding rudder class at the factory 5 years ago. I’m not mechanically inclined AT ALL. I’d be willing to build one after the experience.

I agree, factory visit is the next step. I really need to see one up close and fly in a Zenith. The videos online seem to backup the STOL performance. It is hard to get a feel for the construction quality without flying one.

KJ

That is good to hear.

I previously had no plans to build a plane, however it seems building your own is the only way to get this type of STOL performance.

There is one trip that I make 3-4 times a week that this plane would work perfectly for. I tried a Cessna 182 & 205 and they will both do the job, but the margins are just too tight.

I have built a lot of things with no prior experience, just not an airplane. If I buy one, I hope to find an experienced Zenith builder for consultation during the build process.

KJ

Kieth

THe whole thing is put together with pop rivets. I helped a friend build his CH701 and it went together easy. If they have a option for pre-punched skins I would most likely go that route.

I saw that online. Looks easy to build, made me wonder about the build quality. Any thoughts on the quality and real world length of build time? I could probably give the project 2 days a week.

KJ

I built a 701. The Zenith folks are great, factory support is great and you will have no problem building the kit. After I built my 701 I went down to the factory to get a little time in their 701 prior to test flying mine. On the takeoff we turned perpendicular to the runway and lifted off in the width of the runway.

I saw that online. Looks easy to build, made me wonder about the build quality. Any thoughts on the quality and real world length of build time? I could probably give the project 2 days a week.

KJ

Keep an eye on barnstormers. They come up often and generally pretty cheap. How much payload?

I had a 10 second ride in a Rotax powered 701 and I want one!

A friend that knows that I have an aversion to homebuilts talked me into taking a demo ride. We pulled the aircraft out of the T hangar and he started it and was taxiing the few hundred feet to the runway while I was putting my seat belt on. As soon as we got to the grass runway he firewalled it. With an abrupt pull the tail pranged the ground and we were off in a little over a hundred feet and climbing at an insane angle.

When we got to about 2 or 3 hundred feet the engine quit cold! Time stood still while I had time to think to myself “this is why I don’t do homebuilts”

We dropped like a rock with the wings level and nose high. I didn’t feel like I was going to die but I was expecting an ambulance ride at minimum. We hit hard with very little forward speed.

The left gear splayed out and the nose gear was OK-no prop strike. I got out to assess myself while the pilot turned the fuel on and started it up. He was able to taxi it back to the hangar with the left wing almost dragging and left me standing in the runway. Shortest airplane ride ever!

Turns out that the owner had smelled gas in the hangar the night before and turned the fuel selector off. We later found the leaking fuel can that caused the odor.

While the pilot was panicking trying to figure out how he was going to raise 45K to pay for the un-insured borrowed airplane I assessed the damage.

There was zero damage except to the one piece aluminum spring gear assembly. I had someone lift the tail while I put a saw horse under it. We unbolted the axels with the wheels and brakes still installed and set them on buckets so I didn’t have to remove the brake lines. The main gear was held on with 4 bolts. I removed it and straightened it with a hydraulic press.

The aircraft was back on its gear and fixed in less than two hours. I am amazed that there was no structural airframe damage considering how far we fell and how hard we hit.

By the time the gossip mill cranked up and everyone came out to see the crash he was up flying it again.

The elderly owner later dropped it in hard on his tiny uphill runway damaging it the same way again and elected to put a new spring gear on it.

I never did get another ride but I plan to buy one and install the Viking Honda engine on it.

You sure have some fun stories Norm.

Do you mean that in a dismissive way, Jay?

All of the Zenith models use Avex flush rivets that are installed with tools that have die heads that cause the shop heads on the rivets to be formed into domes. Its a bit more involved that just pop-rivets and is unique to Zenith. Seems to work well (Zeniths have been built this way for 40 years), and is much simpler for the solo builder (needs nobody to hold a bucking bar).

And since I'm talking, with the construction techniques for all the Zeniths is the same, the 750 Super Duty design is different than the regular 750 and way more different that the 701. The SD is not limited by light sport limitations, its got a gross weight of 1900 pounds, 3 more feet of wingspan, and is nominally a 3 seat plane. Its also got more options for engines. Unfortunately, it is no 'prettier' that its predecessors.

I've been watching the Zenith designs for a number of years. With luck I will be starting a SD rudder kit early next year.