By Larry Weldon, EAA 579140
I walked in one night and my wife, Jane, had Falco photos and a brochure spread out on the table. Jane motioned to the glossy images on the table and said, “If this is the one you want to build, then build it.” That was my green light. I ordered the plans the next day.
Building an aircraft from nothing but wood, glue, and epoxy was going to be challenging, but it was the best-looking airplane I had ever seen, and I was ready to make it my own. With a 30-by-50 climate-controlled building, I could beat the Alabama heat and work throughout the year.
It wasn’t long before the plans and material for the tail arrived. Soaking the wood skins was no problem using the swimming pool in the yard, and rubber bands with lots of hot water pulled them around the leading edges. I kept everything level with numerous water levels and hung plumb bobs to be sure nothing moved. Aerolite glue held the frame along with West System epoxy under the skins. After about three months, I had the tail built and gained a lot of confidence.
The flaps and ailerons followed just before ordering the spar. Now, the work would really begin. Sheets of wood slowly turned into wing ribs, bulkheads, and longerons. I was building jigs, making sanding tools, and calibrating my eye to free-hand scarf joints.
The jigs were built from scratch, and the wing jig was especially important. Alfred Scott, who marketed the Falco plans and components, helped, and I set up plywood that the wing went through. At one time, there were six plumb bobs hanging from the ceiling to be sure nothing moved. If the plane was bumped and got out of place, things would go awry quickly, so I checked them often.
Scarf joints are important for strength and were a real learning point. The largest ones were only about a half-inch, and most others were smaller. I tried making a tool, but it quickly filled with sawdust and bogged down, so I began fastening the joints to a table with a very smooth edge. After a lot of practice with a sander attached to a hand drill, I learned that I could make the perfect scarf joint just by eye.
Steady and true, it began looking more and more like the beautiful aircraft I had admired in the brochure. When it came time for wiring, Alfred had designed a set of electrical plans that made it the easiest part of the build. I hooked up the battery and everything worked.
My friend Jim was very skilled with fiberglass and happily helped with the canopy, cowling, and paint. I installed the IO-360 engine, and we built up the cowling and doors such that there were no bumps. We chose white as the base color to keep the epoxy cool and eliminate any concern of it softening. The standard paint scheme was slightly modified to improve the curves in the detail that runs nose to tail.
Seven years after I had begun building, we were finally ready to move the Falco to a hangar. Through those years, I had set aside a regular time to work on it and usually spent at least five hours of my weekend with it. Having the workshop at home and a set time to work was important. There are too many distractions and interruptions at the airport. During the week, I would contact Alfred and other builders for advice and recommendations and be ready to go again on the weekend.
Once at the airport, I spent another two years putting the final touches on the aircraft. My desire to fly kept me focused, and the doubt of others made me more determined. There were still those who didn’t believe I would ever finish it.
Finally, on July 26, 2008, we were ready to fly. It had been nine years and 16 days. I was very nervous, and my emotions were running wild. Despite my efforts to keep the first flight quiet, word got out and there was a crowd at the airport. The test pilot, Brett Curenton, ran a taxi test and then returned to the end of the runway, applied full power, and the Falco jumped into the air.
There is no way to explain the emotional feeling you get the first time you apply full power and feel the Falco racing down the runway, lifting off, and heading for the sky.
While there were many people who helped me make this experience happen, Jane supported me all the way. I called Alfred regularly, visited other builders, and went right by the plans. The Falco made its first visit to Oshkosh in July 2018, 10 years after its first flight, and won Plans Outstanding Workmanship in the homebuilt category. I was thrilled.
Be patient, be persistent, and keep building to make your dream fly.