Bob Thorne (back) and Erik Gullikson gluing patches to the fabric covering the right wing of their S-20 Raven two-seater airplane. They purchased the kit in December of 2014 and have put in more than 500 hours each since starting on it Feb. 2, 2015.
Gullikson and Thorne have assembled the frame for the left wing (left in photo) and primed and painted the fuselage (right). Every part is accounted for as it is used. They are currently working on covering the left wing with fabric and then it will be painted.
Erik Gullikson using clecos to hold the sheet metal in place as he bends it to fit the front of the airplane. All the sheet metal comes predrilled. Gullikson and Thorne use a step drill to make the holes the correct size. The clecos are inserted into the holes to maintain the alignment while they set the permanent rivets.
The parts board with everything needed to assemble their new plane. Each individual part comes in a bag labeled with the exact number. With 1,633 rivets in just one bag, Gullikson estimates there are more than 10,000 parts to assemble. They diligently keep track of what they use and if they make any substitutions. At the end of the project, the parts board should be empty.
SEELEY LAKE - After more than 40 years of flying experience each, Seeley Lake residents Erik Gullikson and Bob Thorne are building their own two-seater plane, an S-20 Raven. During his career as an aircraft mechanic, Gullikson has done just about every step of the plane-building process, but never built one from start to finish. Thorne swore he would never fly anything he had worked on but that has changed working under Gullikson's guidance. While the average time to complete a home-built aircraft is 10 years, they hope to have the plane air-worthy by this summer.
After having his pilot's license for three years, Gullikson got his aircraft mechanic license in 1977. He switched to flying helicopters early in his career. When Gullikson retired he owned Air Link Incorporated flying helicopter Emergency Medical Services and mountain rescue missions in and around Idaho Falls, Idaho. He continued to do maintenance through his entire flying career.
Thorne flew for the Marine Corps and retired from Delta as a commercial airline pilot.
When he moved to Seeley Lake in 2008, Gullikson owned a Beechcraft Bonanza four-seater plane that he and Thorne shared. While Gullikson owned the plane, he and Thorne both flew it and Thorne stored it in his hanger. Gullikson sold it April 23, 2015 because they weren't using it.
"It was a cruising plane [flying 200 miles per hour]," said Gullikson. "We wanted something more appropriate for the back country. More of a utility aircraft."
Gullikson and Thorne agreed to continue their partnership because it worked out well with the Bonanza. After hours of research and visiting Rans Design factory in Hays, Kansas, they decided to purchase a kit for the S-20 Raven. They decided to build something new instead of a rebuild because it's clean and everything is new. This was the 20th airplane kit produced. It cost $25,500.
They chose this model for several reasons. Gullikson said that its high wings keep the prop from kicking up rocks into them. It is a taildragger, has a tail wheel, that keeps the prop higher off the ground keeping it out of the tall grass. It also has good visibility, can haul up to 80 pounds of cargo and comes equipped with larger wheels, 21 inches versus standard eight inches. The larger wheels allow for easier landing on dirt and grass strips and last longer. They also have the option to add floats or skis should they want that capability.
Thorne added that it flies slower, with a cruising speed of around 110 mph. It lands and takes off when travelling less than 40 mph. The landing strip is only required to be between 300-400 feet, versus 1,500 feet required for the Bonanza. According to Thorne, the lower airspeeds make it more maneuverable.
"Plus this is the closest thing to a helicopter I can afford," said Gullikson. "It costs a lot of money to hover."
Another benefit Gullikson highlighted was that this model is designed as an experimental, owner-built aircraft. While they need a final inspection from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and to pass a conditional airworthiness test of 40 hours without passengers, they are then allowed to do their own maintenance and make their own modifications without FAA approval.
"My whole career I've been strictly by the book following all the FAA requirements," said Gullikson. "I'm looking forward to taking my 40 years of experience and building something using standard techniques and practices that are strong and safe and having the latitude to make adjustments without FAA approval."
Being designated "experimental" also means that the aircraft is less expensive to fly and insure. It flies on premium auto gas versus Jet-A aviation fuel, parts can be purchased from NAPA making a routine oil change $10 instead of $125 and they are not required to install certified avionics, the electrical systems used on the aircraft.
"This allows us to install what is most fun and useful for a fraction of the cost," said Gullikson.
Thorne and Gullikson ordered their kit from Rans Designs Dec. 12, 2014 and received all the parts by late January 2015. They started working on their new side-by-side plane Feb. 2, working out of Thorne's hanger.
"They say that two people that know what they are doing can work three times as fast," said Gullikson.
The first thing Gullikson and Thorne did when they got their kit was make a parts board. All the parts are numbered and put in the priority order.
While they have no idea how many actual parts, there are guessing into the tens of thousands, Thorne is quick to say there are 1,633 rivets. If anything is not used, or Gullikson substitutes parts, it is documented. Then at the end if anything is left they know why since everything in the kit should be used.
There are three manuals that help guide them through the step-by-step process; the parts manual listing all of the parts for each component; the text manual that gives a description of the process and the figures manual that visually shows the assembly. If they are still unclear about how to do something, they can call the factory or a dealer Thorne knows in Utah, search for a video on YouTube, or engage in the RANS Clan Internet forum and talk with others that are doing the same thing.
"Everything is done in a specific order," said Gullikson. "There is a lot of time spent figuring things out before we start building a certain part. However, with the wings for example, once we get the first one completed, the second one will go much faster."
Gullikson and Thorne still need to purchase the Rotax engine and avionics. They will install two, 10-inch flat screen monitors and two computers that are all digital. They will have GPS capabilities and be equipped with the communications to fly into any large airport. They have also agreed on luxuries including electric start and autopilot.
As of Dec. 8, Thorne and Gullikson have both put in around 460 hours on the project.
"I've always wanted to do something like this. I'm glad I'm doing it but I don't know if I would attempt it myself. It has been a huge learning experience," said Thorne. "Erik has been my teacher. After 40 plus years of flying, I have a new appreciation for this stuff."
"I think this thing will fly like a champ," said Gullikson.
To keep track of their progress visit Thorne's kit log at http://www.mykitlog.com/bthorne222/ Each day they work on the plane, Thorne posts updates, photos and keeps track of his hours.
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