2001 KR Gathering at Pine Bluff, AR


2001 KR Gathering at Pine Bluff, AR



When I arrived on Thursday evening, Mike Garbez was showing pictures of his Corvair with GPASC shaft drive attached for improved aerodynamics. It looks like he's after a "Best Engine" award too!


Gene Knight arrived from his home base of Gulf Shores, Alabama Friday morning and created quite a stir.


Tommy Waymack can't wait to scope out those winglets.


And Frank Ross has a few questions about the panel.


This is the first implementation of Dr. Dean's rod end bearing hinges that I've noticed flying. Maybe Dean Selby has them too.


This homemade taillight is one of the most elegant I've seen.






Hmmm, how do you get in there?


This is a neat little hidden oil door latch.





The gear will be faired in later. Gene had barely finished the plane (and the 40 hours) when he flew it to the Gathering.




Dean Selby's plane was already there, so I checked out his baggage compartment. The latch came off of a dead milk shake mixer from McDonald's.


These latches may look familiar to those of you with sash windows.


Here's Dean's interior, complete with Engine Information System.



Dean's dual stick mechanism.


Tommy Waymack shows off his new engine, which I believe came out of Troy Petteway's plane.


It looks like he's updated the interior, and repainted the whole thing too.


Here's another compact way to mount a brake setup to the rudder pedals, without introducing geometry issues.



A nice little collection, for the Friday before the Gathering actually starts!


Dean had a little mag problem upon arrival.


Another peek at that baggage compartment. I think this is a great idea, since the only time you'd have baggage is when you had a passenger, and you'd NEED some weight up front. All of Dean's fuel is in the wings.






Dean retained the stock VW fuel pump for simplicity. It's always on! The distributor is topped off by a Compufire electronic ignition.

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Jerry Mahurin, Jim Morehead, and Dan Heath.


Tommy heads to the runway.


Dean talks over his mag problem with Steve Bennett, the VW guru.





Rich Siefert arrived...


...along with Richard Shirley, both flying in from California in one day.


Richard's KR1 just screams "aerodynamic". He built this thing back in the early 80's, and it still looks fantastic.



Richard (on the right) explains some of the details.




Dave Mullins has to get a shot of this interior.


Later Richard flew in formation with Larry Flesner's Tripacer so I could get these great air-to-air shots.


If you don't think he was close, you would be wrong. This is with my camera zoomed all the way OUT, as in wide-angle! Larry and I were still flying when Richard landed. He taxied all the way to the tiedown with the tail in the air, killed the power, the tail dropped, and he got out! So, I missed that picture! So not only can he build one hell of an airplane, he can fly it too.


Dean Selby made it up too, for some nice shots at well.



I'd like to thank Larry Flesner for letting me hang out the door of his TriPacer for what seemed like about half of the Gathering to take all of these pictures!


I have no idea what was growing in this field, but the pattern was kinda neat.


This is Richard Shirley's KR1 engine compartment. He was accused of not taking his cowling off so he didn't win "Best Engine" award. The judges don't know what they missed!


I forget exactly how many cc's this thing was, but it was a lot bigger than your average Type 1!


I wonder how many other engines at the Gathering had custom made valve covers on them, machined from a solid billet to they'd be as tight fitting as possible for minimium drag?


Battery compartment, complete with vent.


No, I'm sure it shouldn't have won "Best Engine"...


Note the airfoil shape in the inlet, to smooth the airflow into the plenum.



Cable operated cowl flap.


See how it is gradually accelerated back into the airstream? That's exactly what I've been planning on doing, except using a reverse NACA duct that will taper inward toward the tail.


Cockpit view.


Nice trailing edges, which look a lot like mine as well.


How's this for attention to detail? He machined this tailwheel fairing out of a solid billet of aluminum. But no awards for this guy!


Rich Siefert's KR2. I believe he's building another one too, this one Corvair powered.

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Terry Chizak from Kansas also made the Gathering. He's building a KR2S to go along with this KR2.


This shot is for all those folks who say there's plenty of room in the KR2 and KR2S (they're the same width)!


Troy Petteway and son Graheme showed up from Columbia Tennessee. He's just installed a C-85 in his KR2...


...just in time to watch Dean finish up his mag timing.


Troy did some formation flying too, and Richard couldn't resist this time around either.



See ya later!


Ken Thomas from Jasper Alabama put in a brief appearance. This is all I got to see of his plane, for two years in a row!


Bob Lester's Subaru engine with redrive won "Best Engine". He's now installing a Corvair!


Nice access plate.









Time for another air-to-air run in Larry's Tripacer.


Gene Knight's KR2S.


I hope my plane is finished before he shows up with this thing at a Gathering, because the crowd will be around this one! If he builds airplanes anything like his wooden models, it'll be something to behold!


Rich Siefert's interior.




Rich, Dave Mullins, and Kerry Miller.


Jack Cooper had a good time.


Interesting oil streaks. I can't wait to have oil streaks of my own!





Steve Bennett prepares for takeoff.


Rich Siefert's going for it too.


Terry took me for a ride in his KR2, and here we are turning final.


Terry Chizak's canopy safety latch might look familiar if you've ever stayed in a hotel before!


And here's his simple vent.


Terry's KR2.



Rich explains something about his plane.


There's a keg hiding over in the corner.


The KR Banquet was interesting, and Richard Shirley didn't win a thing other than splitting "longest distance flown" with Rich Siefert. This picture is fuzzy, but what do you expect for a half second hand-held exposure in the dark?


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