Reproduced from Sport Aerobatics magazine May 1991
Official magazine of the International Aerobatic Club
Photos courtesy of Experimental Aircraft Association
Mike Goulian's Pilot Report from Sport Aerobatics magazine February 1992
Pictures of Staudacher Aircraft
The Staudacher S-300
By: Jon Staudacher
It all started in 1961. My dad built a workshop for me next to his business. He built church furniture and race boats (unlimiteds). His shop was stocked with wood, aluminum, AN fasteners and fittings, Allison and Rolls Royce "Merlin" V-12 engines, and J-35 jet engines. He let me take anything, to build anything I wanted. Building became an addiction and during the next twenty years I built an aluminum go-cart, a Lycoming 0-290-G powered snow plane, a formula V race car , two houses, five mahogany runabouts, and about 120 race boats.
By about 1982, I had acquired an interest in building an airplane but I didn't know what to build. I'd watched Doug Dodge fly aerobatics and thought that looked pretty neat. He showed me the plans for the Stephens Akro but noted that a lot of changes would be needed.
While working on a race boat one day, pondering what airplane to build, the phone rang. The guy said that he raced boats a long time ago but had changed hobbies. He said his current hobby occupied too much of his time and he was considering a return to racing.
His name was Henry Haigh.
Well, Henry didn't quit aerobatics but I began. He gave me some advice that day, "Build a Pitts and don't do air- shows."
Since then, I've built a Pitts S-IE (currently owned by Henry Haigh, Jr .), a copy of an S-2 Pitts, and a "Ratsrepus" (a Haigh/Chappell design). (Superstar spelled backwards). These projects left me with the urge to design an airplane from scratch utilizing what I learned along the way. Construction was started on October 1, 1989 and the first flight was May 9, 1990.
The airplane is large because I wanted the span and wing loading to be a little lower than some of the new, powerful aerobatic planes. I wanted the pilot positioned aft of the wing for good downward visibility and the wing and engine mounted low for good forward visibility. The crankshaft centerline is even with the top of the wing. The large engine, a Lycoming IO-540-KIE5, balances the weight of the aft located pilot. The airfoil is a modified version of one designed by Bob Liebeck, of McDonnell-Douglas, at the request of Henry Haigh and the late Harold Chappell. They had learned of his work with high CL max airfoils and persuaded him to attempt an aerobatic version. I've modified it from the quarter cord aft to make it compatible with a constant section aileron.
The aileron design is a result of much effort. Between Henry Haigh and myself, five aileron designs were tried on the "Ratsrepus". I also mounted a seven-foot section of the "Ratsrepus" airfoil above and in front of a pickup truck to which a variable geometry aileron was attached. A protractor and spring scale measured deflection versus stick pressure. Tufting indicated flow control. Dan Rihn also sent some World War II NACA studies that proved helpful. I think both the wing and the ailerons work perfectly.
The wing is constructed mostly of wood with the front spar gaining most of its strength from carbon fiber reinforcement. Both front and rear spars are continuous with a large section of the fuselage removable for installation. The ailerons are actuated by push/pull tubes.
The fuselage is of standard steel tube construction. The longerons hug the outer skin to provide maximum volume and strength. The fuselage is skinned with aluminum from the firewall to the rear of the cockpit. One piece covers the entire top, one each side, and two cover the bottom. There are no fairings or gap bands on the entire plane. Access to almost anything internal is gained by removing the two bottom panels. The cowl is a two-piece fiberglass unit. Inspection and maintenance is extremely easy. Fabric covers everything aft of the cockpit as well as the ailerons. The cockpit is large and internal fuel capacity is 35 gallons.
The landing gear is a two-piece unit (interchangeable left to right) converging at the bottom center of the firewall which is deflected aft to provide room for the aft- mounted fuel injector servo.
The accompanying photos show the engine installation. Everything is stock. The oil cooler is mounted above and behind the engine with its air exhausting upward. The tail feathers are wire-braced and of steel/fabric construction. Servos have been retrofitted {black tabs) since elevator pressures have proven to be excessive without them. The plane weighs 1,300 pounds empty. This includes an engine with heavy crankshaft, angle valve cylinders ( + 23 pounds), and Prestolite starter and battery ( + 48 pounds).
I don't want to go into a long description of how it flies because I am not an expert aerobatic pilot. However, I like it more than anything I've flown. I'm confident that the plane will speak for itself.
My hope now is for lots of people to see it and a few experts to fly it.
Two more airframes have now been started which will I incorporate a few improvements including a more streamlined canopy, integral elevator servos, and some weight reduction.
