By Louis Rosner, EAA Lifetime 422425
This piece originally ran in the February 2025 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
This is my Panther Sport built from a Sport Performance Aviation kit and completed in 2024. After earning an airworthiness certificate on January 18, the Panther made its maiden flight on January 24, 2024. Total build time was just shy of 1,000 hours over a three-year period. Recently retired from a busy surgical career, I was looking for the ideal airplane kit to supplement my Bonanza A36. I wanted something fast, light, and capable of limited aerobatics. A smaller hangar necessitated a possible folding-wing design. The Panther aircraft introduced by Dan Weseman in 2013 seemed to fit the bill. Originally designed with a converted Corvair automotive engine, I had plans to upgrade this to the much more reliable and bulletproof Lycoming IO-320.
Since this was my first build, I can only compare the process to many of my friends building much more common RV variants. The skins are all pre-pilot-drilled, but there is a fair amount of match drilling. Riveting is all pulled Cherry, and this saves some time. The frame is all welded steel tubing, and there are many parts preformed and nicely powder coated. The airplane is a beauty to behold with its big muscular cowl cheeks and large, tinted F-16-style canopy. I built the wing-folding option with added lighting, and the entire aircraft can be stowed for transport or storage in a matter of minutes. Rudder pedals are adjustable to suit all sizes of pilots. I did have to do a great deal of research on power and installation of the engine but was fortunate to have access to every possible resource and experience, which is so prevalent living in the greatest fly-in community in the world.
Following successful completion of FAA Phase I flight testing, the Panther was prepared for painting by the famous aviation artist John Stahr. Since retiring from my surgical career, I have been involved with astrophotography using an array of telescopic cameras and equipment. John was able to use several of my actual astrophotographs, which he digitized and created paint templates from. Through an amazing array of painting and airbrush techniques, John was able to accurately capture the cosmos on the airframe. A beautifully furled American flag graces the underbelly. The Panther has become a storyboard completely capturing those elements that are so important to me, namely God, family, and country.
The Panther is a joy to fly. It is light with an empty weight of 871 pounds and a maximum gross weight of 1,250 pounds. It is powered by a new Lycoming Thunderbolt YIO-320 engine swinging a Sensenich ground-adjustable three-bladed composite propeller. The Panther cruises at 160 knots burning only 6 gph. VNE is 200 knots, but I have seen 183 knots level high-power cruise at 8,500 feet and 12 gph. On a standard day using a VY of 85 knots, climb rates average 1,500-1,800 fpm. With 26 gallons of usable fuel, three-hour flights with reserve are easily attainable. The avionics are Dynon with the beautiful HDX 1100 EFIS and integrated autopilot. All circuit breakers are software controlled through the AFS Advanced Control Module.
So far, I have accumulated 100 hours’ time on the Panther. This includes a wide array of gentleman’s aerobatics within the +6/-3.3g range. The Panther handles these maneuvers with aplomb right down to an extremely manageable 55 knot VSO. The roll rate is greater than 120 degrees per second, and pitch is well harmonized. The trim as well as the rudder are sensitive, requiring extremely gentle inputs to keep the ball centered and flight level. Stability in all axes is excellent, and there is never any hint of departure from coordinated flight. I have comfortably flown the Panther from my home base in Spruce Creek, Florida, to Oshkosh with three interval stops, making it an extremely capable and comfortable cross-country machine. Landings are straightforward for a tailwheel aircraft and require active rudder control, but tracking is excellent. There is some tendency to bounce, but this is probably more pilot than airplane.
In conclusion, I am extremely satisfied with my Panther aircraft. It does everything I had hoped and anticipated and is as much a joy to fly as it was to build. Not many other aircraft kits in this price range can compete with the Panther. I can assure you that wherever you fly, you will garner a great deal of attention with this handsome airplane.
Attention — Aircraft Builders and Restorers
We would love to share your story with your fellow EAA members in the pages of EAA Sport Aviation magazine, even if it’s a project that’s been completed for a while. Readers consistently rate the “What Our Members are Building/Restoring” section of the magazine as one of their favorites, so don’t miss the chance to show off your handiwork and inspire your peers to start or complete projects of their own. Learn more ->