M. Wynn: "Wild Card" Aviation Photography & Images: Gallery Update: Unique Sightings at Independence State Airport

About This Blog:

The primary purpose of this blog is to showcase the best of my aviation photography. As such, you will find links to my main aviation gallery on Facebook containing photos from aircraft spotting, some kind of aviation event such as air shows and fly-in events, as well as aviation museums. I also critique my flights on commercial airlines and the services they provide. Occassionally, you'll find personally written, independent articles based on news and current events involving aviation. And of course, I'll put up links to official and unofficial aviation-related websites when I find them. And when time permits, I'll talk and discuss about anything involving aviation. But most importantly, this is my way to document my journey into the aviation industry!

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Gallery Update: Unique Sightings at Independence State Airport

I had some family members visiting this weekend so we went out this morning for a little breakfast outing to the Starduster Cafe and of course, I brought my camera with me. There were a few unique things that were parked on the ramp today so this was a worthwhile trip. When it comes to small airports like this, there always seems to be unique things to see. Here's the link:

Independence (7S5) 3

Preview:

Gyroflug SC 01 Speed Canard (N5HN). An unconventional sports plane produced in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s, the Speed Canard was a was an all-new design inspired by the design of the Rutan VariEze (without input from Rutan, which is a nice way of saying it's sort of a knock-off!). The aircraft is made out of composite materials and was actually the first composite canard design to achieve certification anywhere in the world. It's got a two-seat tandem cockpit and canopy design derived from the Grob Twin Astir sailplane, and the nosewheel of the tricycle undercarriage is retractable, like the Eze aircraft variants. A unique feature of the control system is that the twin rudders operate independently, allowing both rudders to be deflected outwards simultaneously, cancelling each other's yaw, but acting as airbrakes.

Schweizer SGU 2-22 glider (NC2202). Note the old Canadian tail code C-FPBJ. The SGU 2-22 is a two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, training glider built by Schweizer Aircraft of Elmira, New York. It was designed to replace the two-place training gliders surplussed at the end of World War II and until the 1960s, was the most numerous two-place training glider in the United States.

CZAW Mermaid (N42SK). An amphibious aircraft built by Czech Sports Aircraft (and later Czech Aircraft Works), the Mermaid has a composite hull and aluminum wings, with pusher configuration engine and a cruciform tail. I really like the paint job on this aircraft!