Pete Zutrauen sent in this photo with this explanation: “My bucket list — #Osh15 Hummelbird arrival — what a great 650 nm trip!”
Reader Interactions
Share this story
Become better informed pilot.
Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.
Thx for your kind comments! The trip was a blast! The performance of the 1/2vw is ‘adequate’. Of note is that I discovered a burnt exhaust valve upon my return (from a mfg defect – once which I did not inspect for during head installation – lesson learned). That valve may have impacted my performance slightly. The vibration that is inherent in the 1/2VW is significant due to the engine’s ‘rocking couple’ and restricts engine RPM ranges avoiding 1300-2100 rpm. At the cruise 3200rpm, and a full tank, the vibration isn’t significant. The vibration is evident on my hard mounted cameras (which sometimes go into resonance) in my Osh15 trip video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl9Q9TB0Ovk Cheers and blue skies, Pete
I saw this airplane parked at OSH 15, and it was beautiful. But a 650 mile journey is unbelievable. Great job, and thanks for bringing it, Pete. Wish I could read an article about it, especially the performance of the 2-cyl VW engine. How is the airplane for vibration?
Others, check it out if you see it.