Frank Christiansen

[Barry]

When the Christian Eagle came to the fore, my fading memory tells me Mr. Christianson's son did some aerobatic displays that were amazing for a kid of very tender years. He seems to have dropped off the map whilst I thought he would become an aerobatic leader. Did I dream this up or has he found women and poker?

[martymayes]

Are you sure it wasn't Frank Christensen you remember? He flew N2FC in a few movies and was quite accomplished as an aerobatic pilot.

[Zack Baughman]

Marty is right. It's Frank Christensen and the Christen Eagle. Staff just hung the Christen Eagle II prototype in the AirVenture Museum, and Frank will be the guest speaker for our Wright Bros. Banquet in December.

[smutny]

Frank's son did fly aerobatics. However, I don't know if it was recreational, competition or air shows. He had one of the four factory completed Eagle I's. Last time I looked, it was registered up in Alaska.

Two Swiss pilots flew that Eagle (to top 10 finishes IIRC) at the 1980 World Aerobatic Championships in Oshkosh.

There were a total of 5 Eagle I fuselages built, four aircraft were completed at the factory. One for Frank's son and three for the Eagle Team. The fifth one was eventually acquired by Dan McClung and is the Talon Eagle of the Red Eagle Air Sports air show team.

[Dana Heimos]

Marty is right. It's Frank Christensen and the Christen Eagle. Staff just hung the Christen Eagle II prototype in the AirVenture Museum, and Frank will be the guest speaker for our Wright Bros. Banquet in December.

And here's a link to the EAA news story!
http://eaa.org/news/2012/2012-10-29_christensen-to-speak-at-wright-bros-banquet.asp

[martymayes]

There were a total of 5 Eagle I fuselages built, four aircraft were completed at the factory. One for Frank's son and three for the Eagle Team. The fifth one was eventually acquired by Dan McClung and is the Talon Eagle of the Red Eagle Air Sports air show team.

Ennie Argence built an Eagle I at his shop in River Ridge, La. It was registered as N24EA. This would have been about the time the Eagle Team's aircraft were built. I don't remember Ennie building a fuselage and I don't remember many other specifics but it was identical in every way to the ones used by the Eagle Team, except for maybe the prop. N24EA was distroyed in a crash in Hernando, MS about 3 yrs ago.

Here is a photo of N24EA from the EAA young eagles photo gallery: (can't get it to upload)

http://www.youngeagles.org/photos/gallery.asp?action=viewimage&categoryid=18&text=&imageid=266&box=&shownew=

[smutny]

N24EA was a modified Eagle II. It had a 360 engine, not the 540 of the Eagle I's.

[Barry]

Frank's son did fly aerobatics. However, I don't know if it was recreational, competition or air shows. He had one of the four factory completed Eagle I's. Last time I looked, it was registered up in Alaska.

Two Swiss pilots flew that Eagle (to top 10 finishes IIRC) at the 1980 World Aerobatic Championships in Oshkosh.

There were a total of 5 Eagle I fuselages built, four aircraft were completed at the factory. One for Frank's son and three for the Eagle Team. The fifth one was eventually acquired by Dan McClung and is the Talon Eagle of the Red Eagle Air Sports air show team.

Thanks, Smutny and everyone else. I do recall Frank and his son both flying at OshKosh one year. I think his name is John. The announcer (Roscoe?) went on and on about the young man, 18 at the time. Maybe someone can ask Frank at the event?

[kevgofly]

I remember seeing his son fly at Oshkosh, I thought (think) his name was Eric. Must have been around 1985/86. I think the Eagle he flew was white with all black feathers, I'll have to dig through old photos and see if I can find it.

Kev