Photo by Dick Gavin

Prescott Pusher designer Tom Prescott.

Tom Prescott's Pusher by Dick Gavin

When a fabulous aircraft like the Concorde debuts at Oshkosh, all the other shining stars tend to become somewhat obscured in the public's eyes. Such was the case with a most unusually configured aircraft that sported a most unusual paint job ... the Prescott Pusher. It had slipped in very unobtrusively while the crowds were still raptured with the magnificent parked Concorde. It wasn't too long, though, when the famous Oshkosh syndrome took effect. Somehow one knew there really was an airplane in the midst of that swarm of humanity and if you were patient a part of it would eventually show up. Sure enough, perseverance paid off again and there was a gleaming white T-tail providing benevolent shade for the troops. Seeing the glasslike surface of the tail brought on knowing nods and such sage comments as, "It's made out of a solid slab of plastic, etc."

and horizontal tail were incredibly smooth metal! That wasn't all, either. So were the wings, with the exception of their exotic downturned tips. Wow! What metal work! During the past year there had been short press notices about a new four place pusher that a young aerospace engineer was developing and there were a few artist sketches and an occasional photo of it when it was nearing rollout. But here it was in real life, looking for all the world like a non-sanforized Learjet. Somehow the pictures gave the impression that the fuselage was too short, but up next to it was a different story. I well remembered how the first 727s offended our eyes with their strange proportions. We kept coming back to further study this new bird. The more we looked the more we marveled at how this superbly crafted airplane could go from the drawing board to a show quality aircraft at Oshkosh in only 18 months. Even more remarkable is the fact

ialized totally buried radio antenna system, an elaborate flight instrument system, a fuel system, a pitot/static system, a brake system, an engine indication and control system, flight control system, a heating/ventilation system — the list goes on and on. There was a large canopy, too, in addition to seats, upholstery, etc. All those things had to be designed, fabricated, tested, installed, and perhaps be replaced with a re-designed component or system. We could believe a fully staffed, well coordinated, dynamic aircraft factory could make it in that time, but for less than a dozen dedicated men to perform such an incredible feat makes one think of the big dairy commercial in which a man asks, "Elsie, how DID you do it?" To understand where the Prescott Pusher comes from we need to go back to the beginning of Tom Prescott's aviation career. After his teen years, as a participant in numerous

Later, when the Concorde's fascinating fly-

that this is a sophisticated airplane. It has a

bys were mesmerizing the crowd at the flight line, we were able to almost leisurely inspect the airplane and even snap a few photos of

hydraulic system to retract and extend gear and flaps, its rear mounted engine had to be baffled, have an exhaust system tailor made, have a special motor mount; it had to have an electrical system all its own, have a spec-

national R/C model championships, he entered Northrop Institute of Technology to study aero engineering. The Vietnam fracas intervened, though, and he spent 3 years as a U. S. Army officer. He then resumed his aero engineering studies at the University of

it. It was then we discovered that the "plastic"

tail wasn't composite at all. Both the vertical

10 MARCH 1986

Photo courtMy Th* PrMcott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

Arizona, where he spent the next five years working towards his masters degree, while heading up the University's flight laboratory. In his supervisory capacity in flight testing programs for general aviation airplanes he gained valuable experience in the investigation of performance, stability and control characteristics. This led to an opportunity to go with Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT in 79 where he was involved in the certification of an 80% composite helicopter, the S-76, and the U. S. Army Blackhawk. More valuable experience. His love for flying brought him to California where he joined the Piper Aircraft Aerostar Division as chief of flight test, becoming a DER (Designated Engineer Representative) in the process. This in turn led to another career option with Gates Learjet, where he managed and directed multimillion dollar R & D programs on the company's Model 20, 30, and 50 series aircraft. While at Sikorsky, he and another EAAer often brainstormed on designing a kit airplane, using a marketing approach to answer the age old question, "How can I afford to own and operate an airplane?" The obvi-

ous answer came out as "pay as you build", addressing one aspect of the problem. His Sikorsky position led him to the idea of an all-composite preliminary design study, but a number of problems arose immediately. One of these was the necessity for a "horse collar" engine mount, which was totally unacceptable to him. Starting afresh on construction materials options, as specifically keyed to his particular marketing concept, he found a fuselage framework of TIG welded square 4130 steel tube best suited the requirements for strength, weight, reduced systems complexity, and minimum fabrication time. This rugged frame would provide a strong backbone to attach a lightweight non-structural shell, whose contours were tailored to meet optimum inflow pressure distribution to a pusher prop, a most important point. The tubing sizes vary from 3/4" .035 wall for the predominate structure to one and one quarter by .065" wall for the wing carry through members. Pilot index holes are pre-drilled for wing attach points, vertical tail and engine mount to assure builder accuracy. All tubes are also treated with hot linseed oil to rust proof the structure.

A significant advantage of the steel tube fuselage method is that every component of the airplane can be assembled and installed before the fuselage shells are attached. (Theoretically, the airplane could be flown without the shells.) This method allows easy installation of controls, wiring, plumbing, engine components, etc. without having to crawl back inside a shell. Access doors in the shells allow easy access to important points. Tom's sojourn at Aerostar had well acquainted him with Ted Smith's very successful design concepts that made the Aerostar a truly stellar performer. The Aerostar had used a heavier than normal metal wing skin and perfectly flush riveting to achieve almost perfect laminar flow, whereas the common contemporary practice was to use lighter skin and more internal members. The heavier skin eliminated the inflight oil-canning and gave significant performance gains. The heavier skin, though, required special stretch forming tooling to accurately contour the leading edge radius. The simplicity of pop riveted metal construction was well known to the homebuilt

fraternity, making this construction type an

SPORT AVIATION 11

Photo by Dick Gavin

Leo Prescott demonstrates the ease of entry into the large cabin.

Paul Bowen Photography

Courtesy Prescott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

Some of the tooling for the Prescott Pusher kits.

odds on choice for the wings and tail group of a simply built kit airplane. The heavier skin allowed countersinking (instead of the commonly used dimpling) and in combination

12 MARCH 1986

with newer type hand pulled flush cherry rivets it gives an unbelievably smooth surface. To achieve that perfect a surface in composite construction would require a huge investment in highly skilled labor (and time) to fabricate production molds of that quality and would significantly increase kit costs. By mid 1983 Tom had established the preliminary design parameters for building and marketing the airplane. Attending the NBAA Convention in September 1983, he got the first financial commitment to enable him to start full time work on the project, so he left Learjet in November '83 and almost immediately ordered the CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) equipment. When the CAD/CAM arrived in December '83 the project shifted into high gear. In addition to Jack DeBoer, the major investor and an owner of a motel and restaurant chain, the management end of the project was enhanced when Linden Blue came aboard as an investor and Chief Executive Officer (see sidebar). With Linden Blue as CEO, Tom Prescott recently became president of the company, primarily devoting his time to engineering, R&D, and administration. Rounding out the management team is Les Jordan, a 22 year veteran of general aviation sales and marketing with Lear Fan, Beech and CombsGates. He will head up the marketing division. Steve Cain, another veteran from

Beech and other prestigious aviation firms is in charge of Public Relations. A 1/5 scale model was intensively tested in the Wichita State University wind tunnel in November '83. This led to some minor design changes in the two 1 /5 scale R/C models flown in February '84 as proof of design concept. One of these changes was the addition of the Super Tips, found to not only reduce drag, as Winglets do, but also to impart excelling qualities at stalling angles of attack. To really appreciate the value of the CAD/ CAM system one might note that in the 18 month period prior to the time the first airplane flew on July 9, 1985, not only were parts being designed and built direct from computer controlled tools, but also long run production tooling was being built as soon as testing was completed. An example of this is the fuselage frame. Not only did CAD/CAM generate drawings, but also guided the cut off of the square tubing to precise angles and lengths, where individual parts fit together so perfectly in the welding jig that not much more than the thickness of a laundry cardboard separates them. Building the frame of square tubing instead of round also allows a 20% reduction of wall thickness, as well as much more precise fitting. Still another example was in the male dies that the leading edge skins are stretched formed over. The CAD/CAM drove a tape

root, tapering to 1 at the tip. Part of the formed .050 is the shear web. The .032 ribs are spaced at about 15" intervals. The wing area is 110 sq. ft., the span 28.5 ft., the mean chord is 3.93 ft., the dihedral is 3 degrees, the aspect ratio 7.3, the incidence is 2 degrees, washout -1.5 degrees, and sweep angle is 10.25 degrees. The wing is tapered in plan form and thickness. The spar bolts to the steel tube fuselage carry through member with a standard cantilever type 4130 steel fitting 5/8" thick, via 2 5/8" bolts per side.

The same airfoil section is used at the root and the tip. It is the NLF(1)-0215. It is modified at the wing root. The Natural Laminar Flow series by NASA are follow-ons to the

GAW series and are designed to re-attach the laminar boundary layer if there is leading edge contamination (bugs, moisture). By reflexing the aileron and flap to -5 degrees it has a very low pitching moment, hence smaller down load on the tail at cruise, reducing drag considerably. It is 15% thick.

Photo by Mck Gavin

The inhouse designed and built equipment for stretching leading edge skins. controlled milling machine that routed these dies out of solid blocks of steel, all automatically, in one week's time. When it came time to stretch the .040 skins over the dies, they found local metal specialty shops couldn't do as accurate a job as they required, due to equipment limitations, so they used CAD/CAM to design and build their own hydraulically operated stretching machine. The results are superb. The skins stretch to die contours so perfectly that one can't see light between them. The skins are first cut to size and pilot drilled. They are kept on dry ice in the "O" condition until ready for forming and after forming they age harden to the T-42 heat treat condition at room temperature in less than an hour. They now have the only machine of its type in the world. The CAD/CAM controlled tooling for the wing and tail group ribs is also a work of art in sculptured metal. Prescott presently sends these hydropress male dies to a local shop, along with precut rib blanks, where

The fiberglass gear weighs only 7 Ibs. per leg, as compared to a C-172 gear leg at 28 Ibs. The gear is drop tested to 5.5 Gs, as per FAR 23. The main spar has been tested beyond 3.8 Gs positive and 1.5 Gs negative, also as per FAR 23 for the normal category. Tom is very hopeful that EAA's Primary Aircraft proposal will be adopted by the FAA soon, so they are staying in strict conformity with FAR 23 in every area as they go. He feels that approval of EAA's proposal is vital to the future of Prescott Aeronautical. Probably the most important part of an airplane is the wing. Its size, planform, taper, airfoil shape, its dihedral, its strength, how it blends to the fuselage, the size and type of its flaps and ailerons, and what it's made of, etc. The Pusher's spar starts with a C shaped sheet of press brake formed .050 2024 T3. The caps are nested heavy 2024T351 extrusions, with 3 laminations at the

In a corner of the factory I saw the almost swimming pool sized female molds for the fiberglass fusleage shells. The male plugs that the molds were made from were alongside and obviously they, too, were CAD/CAM works of art. Tom said that this is the most accurately lofted airplane in the world and that the plugs alone cost 1/10 of their total factory tooling cost of $200,000. The CAD/CAM controlled milling machine routed out each of the dozens of station templates of aluminum with an accuracy to 11 places! It also perfectly positioned all those cross-sectional "slices", so that splining the mold plaster in between was a cinch. The CAD/CAM also generates patterns to accurately cut the exact amount of fiberglass needed at various points (3 to 8 plies). Metal bulkheads conforming to shell shape are riveted to the fuselage at several stations and the shell is in turn flush riveted to them. Index pins hold the shells in perfect position while the bulkhead flanges and the shell are back drilled simultaneously. Shells are epoxied together at top and bottom center.

they are hydroformed (again to the T-42

temper) and come back free of distortion or warpage. Even the spring back is machined

on the form block by the CAD/CAM, which

also routs the rib blanks by the stack. Number 40 pilot locator holes are drilled in the rib flanges prior to bending and perfectly match pre-drilled holes in the skin (matched hole tooling). This piece by piece building of the No. 1 prototype really got under way in June 1984. While it looked like it was moving at a snail's pace at times, the work was moving forward on several fronts at once. In addition to the tooling being built, each part was being videotaped as it was built and aural and visual building instructions coordinated on the tape and

the superb instruction manual was being prepared. There were hundreds of parts to be ordered from vendors, cataloged and stocked. Big items, like the nose wheel assembly, are locally contracted out with Airite, which makes nose gears for the King Air and others. The main landing gears are of fiberglass and are made by another local firm.

Paul Bowen Photography

Courtesy Prescott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

This view serves to illustrate the close fitting of the square tubing made possible by CAD/CAM equipment. All the cut-off angles are precisely figured.

SPORT AVIATION 13

down to the glue to attach a paper pattern

to the steel strapping to make it into a drill template to locate rivet holes. They are already shipping the first two kits, the trim tab and rudder. Soon to follow are ailerons, flaps and the balance of the tail surfaces. Not only will you get to test these methods for yourself, hands on, at future EAA fly-in

workshops, but they'll soon be sending demonstration kits and video tapes to a considerable number of EAA Chapters to educate members in the ease and quality of this type kit construction. Tom has already said there will be other Prescott models down the line. They're here to stay ... they have long term financing and they have expertise in design, management and marketing, so don't sell Prescott Aeronautical short.

The big question is, "How does it fly?" We

first contacted Prescott in October 1985 to

set up a flight date and learned it would be January '86 when press flights would begin. January finally came. Paul Bowen Photography Courtesy Prescott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

One of the Molds for the fuselage shell. Tom also showed me the drape molds for the airplane's windshield and windows. He farms out the forming at the moment, but they will build an oven when time permits and do that inhouse also. Again CAD/CAM drives a router that cuts the Plexiglas to exact size and shape. All these operations add up to much less labor cost, parts that fit precisely and practically eliminate unacceptable parts. CAD/CAM is expensive, but will pay for itself in production, plus other intangible benefits that are difficult to hang a dollar sign on. Tom told me they had recently acquired the AVIA Products Co., along with their chief engineer who will direct a separate division of Prescott to develop a multi-blade fiberglass propeller, that will function essentially as a constant speed prop, being electrically controlled by a computer. It will not only be lighter than the Hoffmann prop, but will be much less costly. Historically, electrically controlled props have had a problem of current transfer by slip rings from the non-rotating part to the rotating part. The AVIA method utilizes two rows of ball bearings in a common race, immersed in a graphite lubricant, for enhanced current conduction and trouble free service life. Tom said they also would soon embark on the development of a fuel injected, turbocharged, liquid cooled, Mazda rotary engine that will produce 200 prop horsepower through its own gear reduction unit. It should

have to go around the tank now. This not only lightens the airframe by about 45 lbs., it also reduces the spar bending load significantly, as fuel in the wings actually reduces the spar bending load. They will use a new DuPont adhesive/sealant epoxy that cures slightly flexible. It also won't delaminate in the presence of colloidal moisture, as some epoxy compounds are prone to. The concept of an integrated video/instruction manual is the best and most complete I've seen to date. It illuminates every detail concerning the building of that particular kit and supplies everything needed, even

THE FLIGHT REPORT Our chance to fly the Pusher came in midJanuary under almost perfect weather conditions. Skies were clear, the wind was only 5 mph, and the temperature was in the mid40s, and at that altitude giving almost sea level standard air conditions. We were flying out of the Col. Jabara airport on Wichita's northeast side, where the airplane was based. It has one paved runway about 4500' long. Renewing our acquaintance with the airplane with a brief walk around, we climbed in the spacious cabin via the extra wide opening canopy on the left side. An auxiliary step is really needed to get in and out easily

price out about $7500. He said they would have preferred to simply buy their engines

and props from a vendor, but since such a package to meet their specs isn't available now they will also go this way as a lower cost, lower weight option. If this program is successful they will probably standardize on it. One current program now in progress is to re-examine the airplane structure and eliminate weight wherever possible. One of

these areas is the moving of all fuel to the

wings, which will not only eliminate about 35 Ibs. of fuel tank weight, but will also permit simpler routing of aileron push-pulls that

14 MARCH 1986

Photos by Dick Cavln

Prescott Pusher close-ups.

shaft, with vibratory problems. Mounting it further aft is the way Prescott does it and the shaft is only 12" long. To counteract the weight further aft like this calls for the battery and oil cooler in the nose, one of the many compromises a designer must make. The airplane taxis nicely, with a moderately soft oleo action. Noise level at taxi rpm allows

normal conversation. Flaps are

positioned to 20 degrees for takeoff and initial climb. Tom did all the flying the first few takeoffs and landings, while I observed from the right side and recorded takeoff time, rpm, airspeeds and climb rates. Later I flew from the left seat with Tom's brother, Leo, a retired Air Force pilot, riding shotgun. Our takeoffs into almost zero wind took about 27 seconds each at our 2250 lb.

takeoff weight. Since the present fixed pitch wood prop is a cruise prop and only allowed the engine to turn 2400 rpm, we obviously were only developing somewhere around 130 hp. The 3 blade Hoffmann constant speed prop (on order) will let the engine develop its full 180 hp and 2700 rpm. Aver-

Photo Courtesy Prescott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

The Prescott Pusher's large cabin. (as most 4 placers also do) but by stepping up on the wing leading edge one can then easily step in between the front and rear seats. A narrow aisle separates the two front seats and it's no problem to get in either front

seat.

The front seats are out of a Helio and while they are comfortable, they are at least 3" too high, putting one's head quite close to the canopy. Tom says both front and rear seats will be lowered about 3" on the production airplanes. At present the rear seat passengers sit on the 45 gal. fuel tank, but all fuel will be carried in integral wing tanks on all the rest. Cabin size is the same as a Bonanza and there is plenty of leg room for front and rear seat passengers. Cabin width is a comfortable 42.5" inside. The present airplane windshield has a 4" wide center strip that restricts vision a bit, but production airplanes will all have one piece windshields. Removing the center strip and lowering the seat will give superb forward vision. It's not too bad as is and one

pump handle recessed into the floor at the base of the pedestal. All three wheels are 5:00 x 5, with individual Cleveland brakes on the mains (which are quite effective). Nose wheel steering is done hydraulically, using a shuttle valve, and it is electrically signaled via a rocker switch on the pedestal. It is quite similar to the Aerostar on this item and is

only needed for low speed turns of greater magnitude. Slight direction change is easy with the toe brakes. Rudder control is positive when one reaches 30 mph and there is enough rudder control to handle (probably) 30

mph

direct

Crosswinds.

Production

airplanes will use a direct mechanical linkage from the rudder pedals for nose wheel steering. Starting is routine. The 24 volt electrical

system spins the starter with authority. The battery and its solenoids are located in the nose, just aft of the oil cooler, which has an air inlet in the nose. To mount the engine

amidship in a pusher means a 5-6' long

age rate of climb after clean up is 800-1100

ft./min. at 110 mph.

Going to full throttle (which only gave us

2600 rpm, not 2700) gave us an indicated

airspeed of just over 170 mph with flaps set at -5 degrees. There's really not much point in quoting speed figures until the right prop is installed. One of the things Tom demonstrated was a practically zero pitch response when gear or flaps (or both) were extended or retracted. Tom also demonstrated how an over-rotation on takeoff is easily handled by simply turning the yoke loose. The airplane's attitude stays put or gradually flattens a bit at normal trim settings. He had also spoken of how easily the airplane lands, almost by itself. Coming across the fence at 90-95 and leaving just a little power on, when the airplane gets into ground effect you just hold what you have and don't flare and it will touch on the mains quite gently. I was quite comfortable with takeoff and landings in the airplane after only a couple of times around the patch. I entered the downwind at 120 mph and

quickly learns to adapt to it. All glass is 3/16"

thick and is beautifully fitted to the fuselage and canopy frame with a silastic compound and is nearly flush with the skin.

Both the rudder pedals and the nicely arranged instrument panel will be slightly relocated to harmonize with the lowered seat geometry, so that there will be no interference between the wheel at full throw and the pilot's legs. Front seats are adjustable fore and aft and engine, gear and flap controls can still be reached with the seat full aft. The gear handle and warning lights are located together on the lower left center of the panel, with a small wheel on the end for identification. The flap handle and its 1-1/2" dia. position indicator are at the right center of the panel. A small "flap" identifies it to touch. The trim tab position indicator is also a miniature instrument and is located in that area. The trim tab switch is located on the lower pedestal, just below the nose gear steering switch and it actuates a tiny electric motor inside the elevator. Gear and flap actuation share the same hydraulic pump, with an emergency manual

Photo Courtesy Prescott Aeronautical Corp., Inc.

The basic tubular frame of the Prescott Pusher.

SPORT AVIATION 15

dropped the gear (4 seconds up or down) and got 20 degrees flap when the gear was

twice when the throttle was retarded fairly

down, allowing speed to bleed off to 100-105 mph. Turning final at 100 I extended 35 de-

Rarely does one ever find a prototype airplane that is 100% perfect and the Pusher

grees of flap when the field was made and

held 90-95 until close to the fence. Reducing

power to almost idle gave about 80-85 over the fence, with about a 3 second float to touchdown. Light braking gave stopping distances comparable to a Bonanza. Static and inflight flutter testing is now 95% complete and is being done by a Burbank, CA firm that specializes in flutter investigation. All that remains is to do the VDO (demonstrated dive) test at 260 mph, which will set VNE about 235 mph. The airplane has not been spun yet, awaiting small rocket thrusters from Germany for spin recovery augmentation (if needed). The R/C models have been spun many times with excellent results, even though they are very difficult to get them to spin at all. I was particularly impressed with the Pusher's manners in the stall series. With flaps -5, O, 20 or 35 degrees, gear up or down, its stall was super gentle, with practically zero roll tendency. Even a 35 degree flap stall out of a 10-15 degree bank only produced a very mild roll off of only about 5 degrees. Stall speeds ranged from 58 mph to 66 mph IAS according to flap and gear configuration used. Tom attributes this to the downturned "Super Tips". These tips made the R/C models practically impossible to spin, as they continue flying after the wing is stalled, apparently, so no autorotation gets started. I expected the pusher to be much less than dead beat stable directionally, due to inertia effect of the rear mounted engine, but full rudder deflection and release brought the divergence down to one half amplitude on the first oscillation. Almost exactly the same result was observed on pitch, except that it took only one more quarter amplitude excursion to actually return it to trim speed, so short period damping is very good. Lateral stability was also very good. Put it in a 30 degree bank and it stayed there. Since the wing is swept back 10.5 degrees I expected some slow speed Dutch roll effect, but such was not the case. Even abrupt full aileron deflection produced an insignificant amount of adverse yaw. All in all a most well behaved airplane. Control pressure balance was excellent and response rate is practically zero lag, making it a pleasure to fly, an airplane to be enjoyed. My only complaint is that the nosewheel is hard to hold off on landing, but with practice it can be done, I think. I also would have liked to have seen detents with the flap handle, so flap position can be set without looking (as in the case of a balked landing).

One other little test I like to give an airplane

is determining the maximum angle of bank with which you can pick up the low wing with rudder alone at VS plus 30%. It gives one a

handle on the relationship between dihedral

and vertical tailpower. From a pilot's standpoint it answers the question of, "Does it have enough dihedral?" The Pusher could pick up the low wing at 25 degrees bank.

Some tractor type airplanes can exceed that,

though not by much. I also was curious to see if we could detect any resonant vibration from the 12" shaft. I

could detect only a slight amount once or

16 MARCH 1986

rapidly around 120 mph.

is no exception. I feel what very minor deficiencies it might have will be rectified by the time the second or third airplane flies. On the scale of 10, I'd rate the Pusher about 9.9. We came back after dark so Tom could show something new and exciting for instrument lighting. It's called "Strip Lighting". It's a flexible band of luminescent material and lights the panel in a superior way with a slight greenish glow. A rheostat controls brightness and there is no glare. It uses 110 volts

LINDEN'S LEGACY by Jack Cox

Linden Blue has already made his mark in aviation. The Beech Starship is now being recognized as a turning point around which industry will soon bank sharply and head onto a new course . . . and Linden Blue was the person who initially made it happen. A few years ago, he came to Beech as its new president and CEO with the realization that the lightplane industry was mired in technological obsolescence and was already in the early stages of the tailspin that has reached such devastating proportions today. He recognized that only a dramatic infusion of new technology and radically altered thinking would turn things around . . . and he had the courage to try to do it. One of his first acts was to call Burt Rutan and set in motion the program that would ultimately result in the Starship. Once that airplane was conceived by Burt, Blue unhesitatingly committed Beech to building it and, damning the corporate torpedos, ordered full speed ahead in every affected department. Apparently, this was a pace that even a Fortune 500 biggie found difficult to maintain, and soon there was evidence that the brakes

that's tapped off a transformer and amperage is very low. You'll be seeing the Pusher at all the major fly-ins and you'll see and hear lots more about it in videos at EAA Chatper meetings

and how to do it sessions. I believe I can safely predict that the Prescott Pusher will become an institution in

EAA, alongside many other names that are synonymous with high quality flying machines.

(For additional information contact Prescott Aeronautical Corporation, P. O. Box 4590, Wichita, KS 67204, phone 316/8321400.)

Last June, Blue jumped headlong into the fray again, making a "substantial investment" in the Prescott Aeronautical Corporation, the developer of a new 4-place pusher intended for the homebuilt market. Today, he is the company chairman and takes an active role in all aspects of its management. In January, the aviation press was invited to Wichita to fly the Prescott Pusher and interview company officials. Those of us within the sport aviation/homebuilt movement have our own ideas about what we want in an airplane . . . and our own viewpoint on where we stand vis-a-vis the lightplane industry with regard to new ideas. Now that Linden Blue is also a part of our scene, we knew the question he would be asked most frequently would be, "Why a homebuilt?" We thought EAAers would be interested in his answer. "Homebuilding is the last bastion of creativity in aviation," Blue told Sport Aviation. "To be able to create an airplane that is a major breakthrough in efficiency and affordability is the ultimate challenge today. I've always wanted to be where the leading edge of innovation is in aviation, and that currently is in the homebuilt movement. It is exciting to be able to run as fast as you can . .. and that's something you can't do under the cost and time constraints of FAA certification." Commenting further on the personal plane (as opposed to the corporate aircraft) market, Blue said, "Manufacturers have let the crisis escalate to the point that they now are all but abandoning the two and four place airplane. I've always believed you have to provide the market with what it wants . . . and I think there always is a place for new faces to find a niche in the market." Blue is in general agreement with the nation that is widely afoot today that the small, personal airplanes of tomorrow are likely to be built by new companies . . . companies that are just now being formed or do not yet exist. He does not, however, think any will

Blue's legacy . . . one that cannot be taken away from him ... is that he was the decision maker who set Beech on the path to the

soon challenge Piper, Cessna and Beech in size and resources. He sees the new companies as small and narrowly focused in their product line . . . "finding their niche", as he puts it, and doing their thing exceptionally well. It's an exciting prospect for him because it implies a freedom to create, to inno-

mately be forced to follow. The Raytheon Corporation certainly deserves immense

also carries over into the cockpit. "When I fly the Prescott Pusher," he says,

were being applied to at least a limited degree. The result was that Blue, who is interested only in running in the fast lane, resigned to pursue other interests. Linden

technological superiority it appears headed for and that the rest of the industry will ulti-

vate that does not always exist in the large corporation context. It's an excitement that

credit for going along with Blue in the early,

"I experience a joy and an invigoration that

critical stages, but he was the point man, the one who pushed the first button.

I haven't experienced in an airplane for a long time."