Homebuilts

John Morris August 01, 2014
The way Oshkosh used to be – full of homebuilt rag-and-tuber biplanes like the Starduster and Skybolt. Now the most popular aircraft are composite speedsters.
The builder claims this is the world’s only Sea Breezy. It’s based in Missouri.
Hanging it all out! The Breezy is a popular minimalist airplane, usually using the wings and tail from a Piper Cub or Cessna.
The Dyke Delta was a radical homebuilt for its day—which was in 1966. More than 50 have been built. The structure is 4130 steel tube, covered with fiberglass skins – a far cry from today’s composite-structure homebuilts.
This Dyke Delta first flew more than 40 years ago. Some homebuilt aircraft are now becoming collectible antiques!
The SAM light sport aircraft “warbird trainer” is a traditionally-made steel-tube and aluminum-skin kit, modern in design and retro in look. Power is a 100 hp Rotax ULS engine, price $117,900. Its decoration leaves no doubt about its structure!
SAM’s nose art is nothing but nostalgic!
Kits for the popular line of Sonex aircraft are produced here at the factory at Oshkosh.
A brightly-painted row of Sonex kit-built planes.
Oshkosh also features a section of the show for ultralight and light sport aircraft.

All photos by Mo Spuhler

John Morris

John has led Aviation Week's ShowNews, the best-read daily news magazine of aerospace trade shows, for nearly two decades. His background in business journalism before joining Aviation Week includes stints at Reuters, the American Banker daily banking newspaper and as business news editor at the Milwaukee Journal and the Cincinnati Enquirer.