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History of Kolb aircraft

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rickofudall

Joined: 19 Sep 2009
Posts: 1392
Location: Udall, KS, USA

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:13 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

I was doing a search for something about Kolbs the other day and a link popped up to this. I tried doing a search of the Matronics archives to see if it had ever been posted before and didn't see anything. If it's old news, I apologize. 



Rick Girard

-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

   - Groucho Marx

KolbHistory.pdf

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_________________
The smallest miracle right in front of you is enough to make you happy....

slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:57 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

not sure I've seen that one. There are several historical spots hidden in obscurity.  Homer was a special guy.BB

do not archive



On 31, Jul 2011, at 6:11 PM, Richard Girard wrote:

[quote]<KolbHistory.pdf>[b]

brubakermal(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:34 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

last fall my wife and got a real nice tour of Homers  hanger and shop from dick,

 we wher ther to look at the firestar. we got alot of pics of the planes hanging from the cealing. it was a nice time    mal 

 

  

 Malcolm & Jeanne Brubaker 

Michigan Sport Pilot Repair 

LSRM-A, PPC, WS

Great Sails - Sailmaker 

for Ultralight & Light Sport

(989)513-3022



   

From: robert bean <slyck(at)frontiernet.net>

To: kolb-list(at)matronics.com

Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 6:55 PM

Subject: Re: History of Kolb aircraft



 not sure I've seen that one. There are several historical spots hidden in obscurity.  Homer was a special guy. BB

 do not archive

 

   On 31, Jul 2011, at 6:11 PM, Richard Girard wrote:

 [quote]<KolbHistory.pdf>



=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

et=_blank>http://forums.matronics.com

llow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/contribution



[b]

Dennis Thate

Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Posts: 362

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:32 am Post subject: Re: History of Kolb aircraft

Thanks, Great Post and new to me. Homer's early design seemed a fish out of water in the early years of the ultra lite movement. But his three axis control set him apart from some of the weight shift death traps of the early days.

 Homer always took the time to visit with you and answer any questions you had. It took twenty years for me to finally own a Kolb Firestar...but it was worth the wait.



Great Guy, Great Plane !



RIP Homer

_________________
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern

Richard Pike

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 1671
Location: Blountville, Tennessee

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:58 pm Post subject: Re: History of Kolb aircraft

Mark Twain is still wrong. And very possibly knows it.



Richard Pike

Pastor, Blountville Community Chapel

herbgh(at)nctc.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:09 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

yep!!  A man without a Kolb is a man without a soul....   Herb

At 08:58 PM 8/1/2011, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  



Mark Twain is still wrong.



Richard Pike

Pastor, Blountville Community Chapel





Read this topic online here:



http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=348323#348323

Mic

Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 12
Location: Ashland, Oregon

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:38 pm Post subject: Re: History of Kolb aircraft

Thank you Rick for the history link.  My son and I look forward to building our own MKIII Xtra with a GP VW conversion and making a contribution to the history of this fine line of aircraft.

_________________
Mic
"It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
â€” Carl Sagan

"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire."
â€” W.B. Yeats

undoctor

Joined: 21 Oct 2008
Posts: 212
Location: Bethelhem, PA

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:08 am Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

Time:     12:35:17 PM PST US

Subject:     Re: History of Kolb aircraft

From:     "Dennis Thate" <retroman(at)frontier.com>

       Thanks, Great Post and new to me. Homer's early design seemed a 

fish out of water

       in the early years of the ultra lite movement. But his three axis 

control set

       him apart from some of the weight shift death traps of the early 

days.



Hello Kolbers,



I don't get some attachments so I don't know if this has been included 

in the thread.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the ultralight movement began in 

the '80s when

they began hanging engines on hang gliders, hence the wight shift 

models.  However,

as you can see in the attached photo, Homer was building real three axis 

"ultralights"

about 30 years before they existed.



This photo is from '56 which puts Homer in his early 20s.  The aircraft 

was powered

by 4 chainsaw engines.  This is early history of the fine aircraft we 

are fortunate

enough to fly.



Best,



Dave Kulp

Bethlehem, PA

FireFly 11DMK

HOMER_KOLB.jpg

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rickofudall

Joined: 19 Sep 2009
Posts: 1392
Location: Udall, KS, USA

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:53 am Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

Actually it was the mid 70's. I had a Mac 101 powered Easy Riser in '76 and a Soarmaster power pack on a Phoenix 8 Sr. in '78.



Rick Girard



On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 9:05 AM, David Kulp <undoctor(at)ptd.net (undoctor(at)ptd.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  

 Time:     12:35:17 PM PST US

 Subject:     Re: History of Kolb aircraft

 From:     "Dennis Thate" <retroman(at)frontier.com (retroman(at)frontier.com)>

 

 

       Thanks, Great Post and new to me. Homer's early design seemed a fish out of water

       in the early years of the ultra lite movement. But his three axis control set

       him apart from some of the weight shift death traps of the early days.

 

 Hello Kolbers,

 

 I don't get some attachments so I don't know if this has been included in the thread.

 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the ultralight movement began in the '80s when

 they began hanging engines on hang gliders, hence the wight shift models.  However,

 as you can see in the attached photo, Homer was building real three axis "ultralights"

 about 30 years before they existed.

 

 This photo is from '56 which puts Homer in his early 20s.  The aircraft was powered

 by 4 chainsaw engines.  This is early history of the fine aircraft we are fortunate

 enough to fly.

 

 Best,

 

 Dave Kulp

 Bethlehem, PA

 FireFly 11DMK

 	


-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

   - Groucho Marx



 

  [quote][b]

_________________
The smallest miracle right in front of you is enough to make you happy....

Dennis Thate

Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Posts: 362

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:41 am Post subject: Re: History of Kolb aircraft

Airframe Info

Manufacturer: Kolb 

Model: KOLB FEATHER    Search all Kolb KOLB FEATHER 

Year built: 0000 

Construction Number (C/N): K2 

Number of Seats: 1 

Number of Engines: 1 

Aircraft

Registration Number: N2HK 

Mode S Code: 50307012 

Current Status: Deregistered 

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N2HK.html



Well Homer was definitely a pioneer !

_________________
Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern

slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:46 am Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

Several years ago I had stopped in at a neighbor's place who has a back yard strip and watched a pterodactal  fly.Being a guy with a license and a real airplane, I was content with my lot in life but, just the same, quite curious about

these rigs of cable and slipcover wings.  -the better ones were actually sort of inviting.

The driver was a hippie looking guy, ponytail and berkenstocks.  Seemed a little standoffish or aloof.  About what, I don't know.

He spent a long time on his preflight which, considering the plane, was certainly in order.  Then he climbed aboard,

started and took off.  -alarming angle of climb, leveling off a couple hundred feet above and did a turn tight enough that the inboard wingtip could have been on a pivot post.

Well maybe it WAS capable of the climb angle, but I knew for certain that if that thing quit he was in a pickle.

Sure enough, I talked to the neighbor a few years after that event and was informed that he had been seriously broken up in an accident.

Maybe one of you guyz who did fly these early kits can tell me why you would have spent as much money on one as a real

airplane. ????  I might have bought one but the economics looked like a bad deal.

BB

MkIII, suzuki

-close enough to a real airplane for me



On 2, Aug 2011, at 12:50 PM, Richard Girard wrote:

[quote]Actually it was the mid 70's. I had a Mac 101 powered Easy Riser in '76 and a Soarmaster power pack on a Phoenix 8 Sr. in '78.



Rick Girard



On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 9:05 AM, David Kulp <undoctor(at)ptd.net (undoctor(at)ptd.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  

 Time:     12:35:17 PM PST US

 Subject:     Re: History of Kolb aircraft

 From:     "Dennis Thate" <retroman(at)frontier.com (retroman(at)frontier.com)>

 

 

       Thanks, Great Post and new to me. Homer's early design seemed a fish out of water

       in the early years of the ultra lite movement. But his three axis control set

       him apart from some of the weight shift death traps of the early days.

 

 Hello Kolbers,

 

 I don't get some attachments so I don't know if this has been included in the thread.

 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the ultralight movement began in the '80s when

 they began hanging engines on hang gliders, hence the wight shift models.  However,

 as you can see in the attached photo, Homer was building real three axis "ultralights"

 about 30 years before they existed.

 

 This photo is from '56 which puts Homer in his early 20s.  The aircraft was powered

 by 4 chainsaw engines.  This is early history of the fine aircraft we are fortunate

 enough to fly.

 

 Best,

 

 Dave Kulp

 Bethlehem, PA

 FireFly 11DMK

 	


-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

   - Groucho Marx



 

   	  Quote: 	
		  



href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

href="http://forums.matronics.com/">http://forums.matronics.com

href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	
[b]

rickofudall

Joined: 19 Sep 2009
Posts: 1392
Location: Udall, KS, USA

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:05 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

Oh, man, way back when. The Easy Riser kit was $900 plus about $50 shipping. I found a couple of new MAC 101 engines for $135 each and John Moody's plans were $15. A prop was $50 and I built everything else. No landing gear, foot launched, so I made a couple of skids to keep my butt out of the prop if I should happen to fall on take off or landing. Climb rate was 150 fpm. Scared the peewadden out of me every time I flew it. Sold the Easy Riser, bought the latest hang glider after seeing the Phoenix line at the Nationals in Oklahoma in '77. $950 from a friend who was a dealer. Three of us went in to get the dealer discount on Soarmaster powerpacks. $650 as I recall. The West Bend engine had 8 hp. Climb rate was 75 fpm on a good day, maybe. The first time I flew it I barely cleared the power lines and tree line a half mile from my starting point and then I was over a subdivision. Boy did those people look shocked to see me. As I got higher it was like watching ants coming out of a hive. By the time I came back to land there were a couple of hundred people to watch. By the third flight the local news arrived. Nobody had ever seen some idiot run across the ground and then take off before. They were all sure I was nuts. Probably was. Probably still am.

 



Rick



On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 12:43 PM, robert bean <slyck(at)frontiernet.net (slyck(at)frontiernet.net)> wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   Several years ago I had stopped in at a neighbor's place who has a back yard strip and watched a pterodactal  fly.Being a guy with a license and a real airplane, I was content with my lot in life but, just the same, quite curious about

 these rigs of cable and slipcover wings.  -the better ones were actually sort of inviting.

The driver was a hippie looking guy, ponytail and berkenstocks.  Seemed a little standoffish or aloof.  About what, I don't know.

 He spent a long time on his preflight which, considering the plane, was certainly in order.  Then he climbed aboard,

started and took off.  -alarming angle of climb, leveling off a couple hundred feet above and did a turn tight enough that the inboard wingtip could have been on a pivot post.

 



Well maybe it WAS capable of the climb angle, but I knew for certain that if that thing quit he was in a pickle.

Sure enough, I talked to the neighbor a few years after that event and was informed that he had been seriously broken up in an accident.

 



Maybe one of you guyz who did fly these early kits can tell me why you would have spent as much money on one as a real

airplane. ????  I might have bought one but the economics looked like a bad deal.

 BB

MkIII, suzuki

-close enough to a real airplane for me

On 2, Aug 2011, at 12:50 PM, Richard Girard wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

Actually it was the mid 70's. I had a Mac 101 powered Easy Riser in '76 and a Soarmaster power pack on a Phoenix 8 Sr. in '78.



Rick Girard



 On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 9:05 AM, David Kulp <undoctor(at)ptd.net (undoctor(at)ptd.net)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  

 Time:     12:35:17 PM PST US

 Subject:     Re: History of Kolb aircraft

 From:     "Dennis Thate" <retroman(at)frontier.com (retroman(at)frontier.com)>

 

 

       Thanks, Great Post and new to me. Homer's early design seemed a fish out of water

       in the early years of the ultra lite movement. But his three axis control set

       him apart from some of the weight shift death traps of the early days.

 

 Hello Kolbers,

 

 I don't get some attachments so I don't know if this has been included in the thread.

 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the ultralight movement began in the '80s when

 they began hanging engines on hang gliders, hence the wight shift models.  However,

 as you can see in the attached photo, Homer was building real three axis "ultralights"

 about 30 years before they existed.

 

 This photo is from '56 which puts Homer in his early 20s.  The aircraft was powered

 by 4 chainsaw engines.  This is early history of the fine aircraft we are fortunate

 enough to fly.

 

 Best,

 

 Dave Kulp

 Bethlehem, PA

 FireFly 11DMK

 	


-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

    - Groucho Marx



 

  



 	  Quote: 	
		  



href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

href="http://forums.matronics.com/">http://forums.matronics.com

href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	




get="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List

tp://forums.matronics.com

_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution



	


	


-- 

Zulu Delta

Mk IIIC

Thanks, Homer GBYM

It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy.

   - Groucho Marx



 

  [quote][b]

_________________
The smallest miracle right in front of you is enough to make you happy....

Dana

Joined: 13 Dec 2007
Posts: 1047
Location: Connecticut, USA

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject: History of Kolb aircraft

At 01:43 PM 8/2/2011, robert bean wrote:



  	  Quote: 	
		  Maybe one of you guyz who did fly these early kits can tell me why you would have spent as much money on one as a real

 airplane. ????  I might have bought one but the economics looked like a bad deal. 	


 The 'dacs weren't bad planes if flown within their limitations.  They were way overpowered with a Cuyuna engine (they could exceed Vne in level flight!), but that must've made them a blast to fly (I never flew one, but a friend of mine remembers his fondly).  Yes, I bought my old T-Craft back then for about what a new Quicksilver cost, but the picture might have been different if I didn't already have my pilot certificate.



 It's all about what kind of flying you want to do.  Even today, a new PPG costs as much or more than a used fixed wing ultralight, but PPGs are probably outselling fixed wing ultralights by 10 to 1 or more.  As a PPG pilot also, I understand why.



 -Dana



 

 --

 Stupidity got us into this mess... why can't it get us out?  

    [quote][b]

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