I'm thinking of building something out of wood. I have an RV-12, so this would be used on nice days for local low & slow cruising around, maybe an occasional burger or pancake run. I'm not interested in an ultralight, I'd like to be able to take my grandkids, wife or a Young Eagle passenger along. So far I'm looking at the Fisher Celebrity, but wondering if I have missed anything.
- Needs to be within LSA weight and performance parameters.
- Needs to be able to carry a large pilot (5-11/250) and adult passenger.
- I would prefer all wood construction.
- I'd prefer a biplane with a classic or WWI appearance. Open cockpit is fine - preferable, in fact. Almost required. Not really interested in a Cub/Champ type. I'm not ruling out parasols.
- Does not need to be aerobatic... though it wouldn't hurt.
- Needs to be able to use a reliable engine that's obtainable and not a $30K radial. O-200, C65, VW, etc.
- I would prefer something with a kit available, but plans building is not out of the question.
I know this seems like a tall order. I looked at the Airdrome WWI replicas and like them, but they're all either one-holers or have tiny little side by side cockpits. And I'm really liking the idea of a wood construction project. I've looked at a ton of other designs that either lack the useful load, are configured like a Cub/Champ, or are not even close to being LSA. The Celebrity is so far the only one I've found that meets my requirements, but I'm open to suggestions.
