Building a Panther

[Tony Spicer]

Last month I started a thread to introduce you folks to Dan Weseman's Panther. I also started a Yahoo group to give those with an interest in the Panther a way to ask questions. Membership and participation hasn't been exactly stellar, so we're going to give it a try here. I'll introduce the 'we' shortly. For those of you not familiar with the Panther the quickest way to get up to speed would be to read Rachel Weseman's blog here (http://flypanther.wordpress.com/). Three-view of the Panther here (http://www.sportperformanceaviation.com/images/Panther_3_view_specs8.5x_11.pdf). Now to the 'we'. The Panther prototype is being built by Rachel and Dan Weseman at Haller Airpark, Green Cove Springs, FL. I included Rachel for a reason. Not only is she handling the business end of Sport Performance Aircraft, she's also up to her eyeballs in helping to build the prototype. This week, she's getting aquainted with tank sealant as she builds the prototype fuel tanks.

Now for the three beta builders. Bob Woolley, who is a neighbor of the Wesemans at Haller is building a sport wing version of the Panther with a Lycoming O-320 engine. Dick Fisher, who lives in Youngstown, OH, is building a tri-gear version with 120 hp, 3 liter Corvair. My name is Tony Spicer and I live in Wilmington, NC. I'm very fortunate to have a hangar at Stag Air Park, a 4000' grass strip 15 miles north of Wilmington. I'm building the LSA version that will also have a 120 hp Corvair.

This thread won't be a blow-by-blow of three beta Panthers being built. What Bob, Dick and I will try to do is hit the high points as we go along. Dick is using Kitlog to track (http://www.mykitlog.com/dickfisher)his build. I have Picasa albums (https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo) that will give you a good idea of what a Panther build entails. Bob? Well, Bob would rather spend his time in the shop. But he's promised to answer any questions thrown his way.

Back to the shop!

Tony

[Tlb67]

Tony I have been watching - great job! really looks like it will be a fun airplane

[Tony Spicer]

Those of you with sharp eyes may have noticed that the advertised fuel quantity is 20 gal, and that Bob Woolley is putting an O-320 in his Panther. Not much fuel for that much engine. I've been told that the 20 should have read 20-28 gal. The 28 was just a calculated (https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo/PantherFuelTanks#5820438670579905954)number, which as it turns out, was very close to actual. I measured (https://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo/PantherFuelTanks#5842348847164153842) my first tank yesterday, and it held 13.7 gal of usable fuel. 27 gal will be plenty for the O-320, and a bladder-buster with the Corvair.

Tony

[woolleys]

I am one of the Beta builders of Dan Weseman's Panther aircraft. Since I live on the same airport as Dan and have known him since he was a teenager and was keenly interested in his efforts with the Panther. When I was looking for a quick nimble airplane to compliment my big horsepower glasair, I wanted the RV 3. But at the time Vans was just bring the RV3 B out and I was looking to save money by picking up a used kit from someone. I talked to Vans and they advised me that there would be a 7-9 month lead time to get most of the big parts for the 3. They suggested that I build a 4. A used RV 4 kit was the way to go. Now 5 years later, the building bug has come back; I still wanted a quick nimble single place. Dan has done his homework on kit construction, strength and hopefully, fly ability. With Dick building the Trike, Tony the TD and my Lycoming powered TD, it will give Dan three additional platforms to prove his design.


Bob

[ccsmith51]

My name is Chris Smith, and I am assisting SPA with their Panther project. I will be helping with the wiring on the Panther prototype and will assist with marketing and staffing shows. I built the "Son of Cleanex", a clone of the Corvair powered Sonex that Dan Wesemen built. I now have an RV-4, but will eventually sell that and build an O-320 Panther. I look forward contributing to this group and helping SPA become a powerhouse in the kit planes arena.

[flypanther]

Check out the intros on our blog for the three beta builders -
Tony Spicer - http://bit.ly/UKh1z0
Dick Fisher - http://bit.ly/V3PSVn
Bob Woolley- http://bit.ly/VHuCqS

[Tony Spicer]

http://i47.tinypic.com/2ui855i.jpg

This is what the Panther prototype looked like yesterday. Cheek cowl extensions to be added.

Tony

[flypanther]

See how our fuel tank build is going here.
http://flypanther.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/fuel-tank-update/ (http://flypanther.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/fuel-tank-update/)

See how the canopy build is going here.
http://flypanther.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/canopy-skirt-gives-the-panther-even-more-dimension/ (http://flypanther.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/canopy-skirt-gives-the-panther-even-more-dimension/)

[dfisher]

I am beginning the process of squeezing rivets for my wing spars. Check out the latest entry on my builders log at http://www.mykitlog.com/dickfisher

[Frank Giger]

Outstanding work! I really appreciate bringing the highlights to this forum - it lets me focus in on the challenges and solutions y'all are coming up for them.

[Tony Spicer]

Got busy skinning the first wing and didn't have time to leak check the second tank until today.

http://i48.tinypic.com/344tvk8.jpg

No leaks, and so much easier using closed end pulled rivets. More details here. (http://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo/PantherFuelTanks#)

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

http://i50.tinypic.com/2agrn1f.jpg

The center wing skin on the Panther is rather large- 48" x 80" to be exact. Reach on a standard C-frame is a little less than 20". How to dimple the circled holes and get nice crisp dimples?

http://i48.tinypic.com/oaoeit.jpg

This did the trick. Piece of 1/2" scrap aluminum with 3/16" hole in center to hold male die. Rod from C-frame to hold female die. There are two conditions that must be met for this setup to work properly. The workpiece must be held parallel to the aluminum block, and the rod must be held perpendiculiar to the block. Easy to do.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2qa4s2p.jpg

This gets what you're not working on out of the way.

http://i47.tinypic.com/vzddo8.jpg

Pick the skin up and locate the target hole. Slide male die into place, then use both hands to keep things in place while lowering to the workbench. Place female die and tilt holder until holder reflection and holder are a straight line. Without moving holder get an eyeball lock on top of holder and strike smartly with hammer. Squeezer in the photo is just a weight to keep things level.

http://i48.tinypic.com/zin7lg.jpg

Whack the rod now and you'll have one very nasty looking dimple. Note the reflection. For more photos and details, have a look here (http://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo/PantherWings#).

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

It had been years since I had installed more than just a few nutplates. The Panther fuel tank has 32 on the top of the tank and 32 on the bottom, plus 10 that wrap around the leading edge. Lots of stopping, starting and fiddling on the first day.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2qipzds.jpg

Developed a system on the second day and those little buggers just jumped on the wing. To see how, have a look at the last six photos here (http://picasaweb.google.com/tonyboytoo/PantherWings#).

Tony

[Frank Giger]

Fantastic!

[Tony Spicer]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2ev89cn.jpg

The prototype wing skins had no holes for aileron bellcrank inspection. Another beta builder task. Skin too big to use flycutter on drill press. Too chicken to use flycutter in drill motor. To tight to pay $50 for a 5" hole saw. Knew that others had used a router in the past. Harbor Freight trim router for $27 was just the ticket. Made a couple of easy mods and gave it a try. http://i49.tinypic.com/2jd1gyc.jpg<BR><BR>Angle Bracket came with router. Cut the length down and extended the slot inboard. Used a 1/4 socket head cap screw for the pivot. Head is just under 3/8" in diameter. Calculated distance and set the pivot. Couple of tries had the diameter nailedhttp://i45.tinypic.com/epjj9z.jpg<BR><BR>Drilled 3/8 holes with a Unibit. Then had second thoughts about the location and drilled two more holes. Piece of 1/4 plywood underneath also had 3/8 hole. 3/8 drill lines up the holes. Clamp. &nbsp;Put router in place and turn on. As soon as you start to rotate the router the cutter will do its thing. No need for a starter hole.

Tony

[GlenNJ]

2809 Malco makes this hole cutter for sheet metal. The model is the HC1 and it costs about $50. You can find them at sheet metal supply houses or online. You use a hand drill to drive the cutter. I use them to make holes in duct work. There nice because there is a width gauge on the bottom of the tool that makes it easy to change sizes of the hole. Cutting on top of wood like Tony did is a good idea, because the tool will want to move when the hole is about finished. It shouldn't move if the center hole is in a stationary object like the wood, and the metal is clammped down. Always cut the hole in a clockwise rotation, and you have to tilt the tool slightly to the left (opposite direction of rotation) to get the fastest cut. This tool should work good for the insrument panel to, and is a lot safer than a fly cutter.
Glen

[Tony Spicer]

Minor issues with the trailing and skin required about 3/32" be trimmed off and yet maintain a factory edge. Choices? Belt sander, vixen file, or router.

http://i50.tinypic.com/24qo4d5.jpg


The router worked great for the inspection holes, so decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose? Only wing skins and a rear spar. Off to Lowes for a piece of 3/4" x 12" x 8' MFD. $7 and change. And no charge to cut it in half on their panel saw. Two perfectly straight edges. Glue and drywall screws and I had a 11' straightedge. Two passes and the first wing was done.

Panther prototype rollout will be 3/9. I'll post photos here when available.

Tony

[flypanther]

We unveiled the Panther today - for those who couldn't make it check the pictures out here: (http://flypanther.net/2013/03/09/panther-roll-out-party/)

[Tony Spicer]

Here's a couple of photos from the link above.

http://i50.tinypic.com/14l7n1s.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/20zp4sx.jpg

Very nice for sure!

Tony

[GlenNJ]

Things have been slow lately, so I played around with Dan's line drawling and this is what I came up with.
Glen

[Tony Spicer]

http://i48.tinypic.com/2928rqx.jpg

Glen,

Just to keep from forgetting how, I took the liberty of posting your drawing. My comments in no particuliar order. Months ago, I did a drawing very similiar to yours, as I thought maybe the canopy extending aft of the roll bar would make it so large as to be floppy. Turned out to not be an issue. As to making it into a slider, there are a couple of things to consider. The canopy support rails must be parallel. In this case, the fuselage sides are not. The rails can go inside the cockpit like the RV-8, or outside like the CX-4. The build is much more complicated. When your body parts start wearing out, it's nice to be able to grab the roll bar and launch yourself up on the wing. Hard to do with a slider. Yep, it's cool (in two ways) to taxi around with a slider. But once the canopy closes, the slider looses its cool with the canopy bow. I've had a Sonex, RV-3 and RV-4 and much prefer the unobstructed view that comes with the bubble canopy flopper. The Panther canopy has a taxi position, so there will be no lack of fresh air.

A VW? Sure! I've flown the Sonex with both an AeroVee and a Jab 3300. Differences? Climb rate and top end. And the biggest difference? Price.

Fuselage fuel? The original RV-3's had a 24 gal fuselage tank. The RV-12 has a fuselage tank. I'm guessing a roto molded fuselage tank wouldn't be a big deal for those not wanting to build wing tanks, but that's up to Dan.

And here's why things have been slow lately:

http://i48.tinypic.com/20fc9bn.jpg

Wings are finished!

Tony

[GlenNJ]

Tony,

Thanks for posting the line diagram. I couldn't figure out how to make it stay posted instead of going to the link button. I can't believe how nice your wings look and how quickly you built them. A sliding canopy might be to much of a pain to do, but it could still be a flip over canopy. I have always liked the razor-back look of a P-51 B Mustang, or the early Spitfires. I wonder if Dan will have an air-leakage problem with the front of the canopy skirt on his plane. Not a problem in the summer, but it might let in some cold air in the winter. I would choose a VW mainly for the fuel burn, and fewer parts to maintain (2 less cylinders). I know you can throttle back, but I'm in no hurry anyway. I know a lot of RV pilots have had problems with leaking wing tanks. A VW powered Panther probably wouldn't need more than 15 gallons. It might fit in the fuselage.

Glen

[Tony Spicer]

Glen,

Not to worry about the flipper canopy leaking. Hundreds of RV-3's and -4's, including mine, have proved it's not an issue. Rachel Weseman built the Panther prototype tanks. She says not to worry about building leak-free tanks. I suspect factory-built tanks will be offered as an option. No option for a fuselage tank, as there are already fuselage diagonals that have called dibs on that space. Once you get more familiar with the Corvair, you'll learn to love the smoothness of those two extra cylinders.

Tony

[GlenNJ]

Tony,

It's to bad diagonals are taking up the space of a fuel tank. I figured if the instrument panel was moved back towards the pilot, it might give enough room for a small fueslage tank. If the panel is moved back though, it might interfere with the pilots knees. Leaky fuel tanks is not the only reason why I don't like the wing tanks. I don't have access to a cheap hangar, and would have to fold the wings and transport the plane often. Folding the wings is enough work, but to drain fuel and disconnect the fuel lines would make it harder. I understand the need for wing tanks in the Panther. It's being designed around the Corvair engine, which is going to burn more fuel than a VW. A fuselage tank is out of the question for the bigger engines. I know Dan says a large VW will work in a Panther, but I suspect very few will be built with the smaller engines.


Glen

[Tlim486]

Tony , that is a COOL Plane, I could not find a yahoo group, is there one? I'd follow it

tml

[Tony Spicer]

Yes, it's a COOL plane!

The Yahoo group didn't see much action, so this thread has taken its place. Click the correct box, and you'll get an email every time somebody posts to this thread. Go here (http://flypanther.net/) and click on the + in the lower right corner. Whenever Rachel updates the Panther blog, you'll get notified. There will be very big news on her blog soon. Don't miss it!

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

The DAR went for a Panther visit on Friday and left this behind:

http://i49.tinypic.com/24cwguw.jpg


Rumor has it the first flight will happen in the next few days. Have a look here (http://flypanther.net/2013/03/29/panther-prototype-inspection/)for a few detail photos.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

The Panther prototype is ready to fly!


http://i46.tinypic.com/29ynm6v.jpg


Details here (http://flypanther.net/), along with many more photos and a short video.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

The weather in central Florida hasn't been what one would want to fly a first flight for the last week. But today that changed. The Panther has flown! Rachel is working on an update to the blog (http://flypanther.net/)with photos and video. Look for it later tonight.


http://i46.tinypic.com/vs2lue.jpg


Tomorrow it will get loaded on the trailer and head for S&F, where it will be on display in booth N57, which is in front of hangar C.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Here's the Panther on takeoff roll.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2igj1ft.jpg

And here's Dan Weseman, the very happy designer, builder and pilot.

http://i45.tinypic.com/25fiq80.jpg

For more photos and a really slick video, have a look at the 4/8/13 blog update here (http://flypanther.net/). I'm building a Panther and have only seen bits and pieces of the prototype. Would somebody please check it out at booth N57 at S&F this week and let me know what you think? It's not too late to turn my wings back into beer cans.

Tony

[Jim Hann]

Congrats to Dan and his crew! Tony, she looks nice and the fact that he put his hands up during the first flight shows he's got the basics right. I don't think it will quite be an RV-3/4 but it looks good! Good luck with your build!

I did notice one thing that Dan may want to check/revise, the distance between the should harness attach points. I remember that there is an optimum max distance they should be apart, his appear to be farther apart or it might be due to the camera being so close to them. Just wouldn't want him to slip through if he does have a sudden stop.

[Tony Spicer]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the tip on the shoulder harness, and thanks for commenting.

I have to agree with your observation that it will never quite be an RV-3/4. My guess is that it will outshine both of those in the handling department :) I hope to be able to fly the prototype later this summer, and with 450 hours of RV-3 time and 200 of RV-4 time, I'll be in a good position to comment. Bob Wolley, the chase pilot and Panther beta builder, also has considerable RV-4 experience. He's the real pilot of the bunch. When he talks, listen.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

I'm a real dummy! Totally forgot that Dan Weseman's last airplane was an RV-4. We'll see what Dan and Bob have to say about comparisons when they get deeper into the test program.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Ron 'Smokey' Schreck stopped by the Panther booth to try it on for size.

http://i49.tinypic.com/15gw5rk.jpg

Ron's a member of Team AeroDynamics (http://teamaerodynamix.com/) and was rumored to be trying to work a deal for twelve airplanes!

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

The Panther was a big hit at Sun n Fun. Even Van the Man stopped by to chat with Dan.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2podtp5.jpg

And not every member of Team AeroDynamix stopped by, but 4 out of 12 wasn't bad.

http://i50.tinypic.com/v7behu.jpg

Phase 1 test flying will start in earnest this week. With two highly-skilled pilots sharing the load, hopefully the program will be completed in the next 5-6 weeks. Then it will head for the paint shop. For all the latest, don't forget to tune in here (http://flypanther.net/).

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

If you read Rachel Weseman's blog (http://flypanther.net/), then most likely you've already seen Dan's flight report. If not, here it is:

With 8 flights and over 5 hours flight time in N515XP I guess I’m the worlds hi time pilot for Panther LS sport aircraft, and it is time to give my impressions.
These are only impressions and Flight testing will continue over the next 4-5 weeks (if all goes well). The airspeeds given are plus or minus and are corrected for the errors we have already found.
Take off is fairly short even on our grass strip, which is often a little long and many times damp. Climb angle at 70 mph is great and it inspires confidence. The corvair pulls well, but with a 2500 static rpm and 2650 rpm in slow climbs it is not making typical corvair power. My Cleanex had a 54x58 sensenich prop and pulled 2850 static and 3150 at 100mph in climb and 3400 WOT. The 62x48 prop on the 3.0L is holding RPM and power down, but I’m still impressed with the thrust and it very quiet. 200 more RPM will make a big difference in takeoff and climb, as well as top speed performance (a new prop will be on order ASAP). On the 6th flight with a DA of 2900ft Climb at 110 mph was around 1200 ft. per minute and at 95 it’s closer to 1500. I’ve been crusing at about 21 inch manifold and around 2800 rpm. This gives me a solid 135 indicated and under 5 gal per hr. fuel burn. WOT at 5000 ft DA was about 158 indicated and 3100 rpm. This is low rpm for a corvair, it should be up around 3400. We will soon start documenting performance and post information as we gather data and have reliable info we are confident in.
Basic handling is excellent. It has quick, light positive handling in all axis, without be twitchy or prone to PIO. Much of this is owed to the long stick with ample travel and text book tail volumes. The yaw and pitch rates per unit force are perfect in my opinion. The ailerons are also powerful and in 45 to 45 reversals it feels great. Roll rates build up and fall off after 50% travel, and overall roll rate is around 140 degrees per second. I’m still pouring through flight data recording from the MGL but should get actual rates soon. I would like to see roll rate higher though, so after testing will likely do some experimenting. I’ve been warned already that most yank and bank pilots will likely find the roll rate exciting, so I will get more feedback before making permanent changes. It is positively stable in pitch and trims well in climb, cruise and pattern speeds. It stalls honestly with ball centered and if a little sloppy on rudder tends to drop left wing a bit. Stall speed at this point seems to easily meet the LSA 51 MPH clean requirements at about 48 mph true, corrected for sea level.
OK now the fun stuff, what the Panther is made for: On the 7th flight all instruments and indications were perfect gripes. Fixed and verified , so I carefully tested from stall to 180 MPH TAS (vne 200) and 3.5 Gs. I did a few aileron rolls, barrel rolls, and lazy 8s. (and a few radical as my uncle Bob calls them) . After a complete airframe and engine inspection, I launched for the local fuel stop 20 miles away. I flew wing on Bob Woolley’s rv-4 and it was a joy to do some formation work in her after spending a long 10 months of building! We fueled and headed home. Near our home airport Bob signaled to go in trail and we proceeded to gently and freely trade airspeed and altitude for about 10 minutes in smooth rolling and looping maneuvers. I realized after that I hadn’t put the GO Pro in. Darn; it’s likely the last time I will have that RV in front of me. But we will see soon enough. As I flew along looping and rolling I was caught with emotion. This airplane was just electronic dots on a screen a year ago. Now I was in it as I had imagined 1000 times. The world slowly moved around and I truly realized how well the Panther flies. It was designed for this, and to help share this type of flight with others. The Panther performs and handles as good as I hoped (and planned, and planned for).
I want to take a moment to thank my friends and family and customers for their support, tolerance and assistance on this project. My friends at and around Haller were always here to help or lend a bolt or rivet. I thank my God for the opportunity and blessing to accomplish this, and the courage to dream even bigger!
I thank my best friend, business partner and wife, Rachel for everything she’s done to realize this dream of ours. Many guys have supportive wives, but I have one who makes me feel like this is her dream as much or more than mine. The best part of this project has been working side by side with her. (She is so cute with pro-seal on her nose). Thank You Rachel !
Stay tuned for more flight test info and videos.
- Dan Weseman

And here's the link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eX_HN--ZQVI) to a twelve minute flight test video.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Two test flight reports in one day! Whooppee! Bob Woolley (http://flypanther.net/2013/02/05/meet-panther-beta-builder-robert-bob-woolley/), a Panther beta builder and retired USAF pilot wrung the Panther out and wrote an outstanding report. Too long to post, so you'll have to go here (http://flypanther.net/2013/04/25/test-flight-by-beta-builder-and-ret-af-pilot-bob-woolley/) to read it. Bob had the Gopro camera fired up and got some great footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VzZl4gU_6o8). Read the report first, and you'll have an idea of what he's doing in the air.

All this Panther stuff is being posted to give folks an opportunity to ask questions. So far, looks like not many.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Bob Woolley did his test pilot thing again on Saturday. Report follows:

The following is a brief summary of my second flight in the Panther.
It occurred on 4/27/2013 at Haller airpark. Departure time was 1325 and lasted for 45 minutes. Winds were estimated to be a right crosswind at 14 mph and temperature in the high 70′s. Fuel load was 20 gallons.
Departure was made with the first notch of flaps with an estimated 20% reduction in takeoff distance. The aircraft lifted off at a noticeable lower speed with little, or no forward stick. Rudder control was strong and positive during the takeoff.
A 90 MPH climb was established and a 10% power reduction was made at 500 feet AGL. A climb over the airport was complete to 6500 feet ranging in airspeed from 110 to 90 MPH. The climb took 10 minutes to reach 6500 feet. The majority of the sortie was accomplished at or above 5000 AGL to explore the low speed envelope.
Multiple series of stalls, accelerated stalls and spins were completed. Deep aft stick stalls were entered and held for up to 30 seconds. With full back stick the aircraft could be sustained in semi level flight with large deflections of aileron and rudder. Sink rate was around 1600 feet per minute with no tendency to have excessive wing drop. Recovery was fast with only a slight release of back pressure.
A series of high G turns were completed to test the accelerated stall characteristics. An entry airspeed of 130 MPH with a 70+ degree bank was initiated with a steed increase of back pressure to 2.7 Gs. The aircraft had very little indication of buffet onset with a rumbling in the aft section of the fuselage. The stall occurred with a significant fuselage rumble and a top wing drop of about 40 degrees. This indication was seen for both right and left turns with acceleration forces up to 3 Gs. The recovery roll rate could be stopped with rudder and the recovery was quick and smooth with a slight release in back pressure. Nose high and low attitudes saw the same general results.
A series of spins were completed with starting attitudes of nose level to 40-50 degrees nose high. Both left and right entries with power on and off. The nose high entry did see a slight increase in the tendency for the aircraft to enter a spin and generally the spin developed with one to 1 1/2 turns. The aircraft resisted spin entry especially from a lower pitch angle. Spins to the right saw a marked tendency for the aircraft to resist spin entry. It was slow to develop and generally took more than one turn to develop. Spins to the right and left for up to 3 turns were completed. In all case the spin could be broken with opposite rudder and forward stick. The recovery occurred within a half turn and was positive with a significant nose low attitude. Recovery with a control release method was accomplished and in every instant the recovery was positive and only slightly slower than the positive control method. Spinning attitude was generally 50-60 degrees nose low.
Spins to the left saw the same results except that the entry and spin development was less resistant and developed faster. The spin attitude was very steep and it was difficult to hold the aircraft into a spin. If full aft stick and rudder was not maintained the aircraft would recover. Any relaxing of aft stick causes the aircraft to recover. After one turn the spin was fully developed and after 3 turns the spin was almost a vertical aileron roll and would recover with any relaxing of back stick. In all case the aircraft recovered with positive spin prevention of just releasing the controls.
Overall the aircraft does resist spins but once in a spin or approaching a spin releasing or using positive anti spin inputs will result in recovery promptly. It was predictable and consistence during all phases of stalls and spins.
A normal landing was completed with maximum slips on final. At 70-80 MPH the rudder was very strong and slips with sink rates up to 1800 FPM were observed. Touchdown was in a wheel landing attitude at 60 MPH and the landing roll out was well controlled. During the transition to the three point attitude the rudder appeared to lose a small amount of authority, but this could have been a result to the right crosswind. Further examination will made during my next sortie.
Overall the airplane is a well-mannered craft with predictable results for control inputs. Its harmony of controls, easy breakout forces make it light and responsive. Overall a fun airplane to fly.

- Bob Woolley
Panther Sport Beta Builder

[Tony Spicer]

The Panther has been wired for sound. Want to take a ride?

http://flypanther.net/2013/05/08/what-is-it-like-to-fly-a-panther-ls/

Tony

[ccsmith51]

I flew formation again today on the Panther, Bob Woolley at the Panther controls. What a beautiful and fantastic airplane! The worst part of the flight?? Looking for the Panther for the initial join-up and Woolley radioing "I'm on your six!!" The best part? Seeing the Panther doing what it was designed to do... FLY!!!

[Tony Spicer]

If you enjoy reading really nice flight reports and seeing great video, then you've got to see the latest (http://flypanther.net/2013/05/17/flight-testing-continues-review-and-video-from-bob-woolley/) from the Panther blog.

For some background on Bob Woolley the test pilot, have a look here (http://flywithspa.com/panther/aboutteampanther.html).

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Just a heads up to let folks know that there is now a new Panther builders group (http://flywithspa.com/panthercave/) online. If the Panther rings your bell, come on over and get signed up. That, and the Panther blog (http://flywithspa.com/panther.html) will be the main source of Panther info. Most likely, not too many more posts here.

Tony

[Tony Spicer]

Well folks, the Panther has paint:

http://i41.tinypic.com/1zbuwly.jpg

More photos here:

http://flypanther.net/2013/07/19/the-weather-isnt-the-only-thing-thats-hot-in-florida/

North display area, spot 615 in one week.

Tony

[Floatsflyer]

That's a stunning paint job and design. Great ramp appeal. Well done! You might be one of the finalists for the dead grass award. Thanks for the pictures. I'm very interested in knowing the brand of paint used? Looking forward to seeing it in person next week.