Walt Fricke, Crystal, MN
RV-8, N523WB, First flight March 2006
Here’s mine.. Built by Wayne Berg in Reno..One of the old
Frank Tallman movie stunt pilots..
Wiplinger painted it last summer to match my 210 (which they did
the year prior).
Wayne delivered it last Feb…or March… and I
didn’t get a chance to fly with him, so it was early April I
think when I first flew it. The smallest tailwheel airplane
I’d flown in the last 10 years was a Waco Classic…and
most recently my Beech Staggerwing..but it had been gone a few
years.. so much to my surprise, when I brought in the power for
takeoff I found the rudder VERY responsive…in fact I
couldn’t wait to snatch it off the ground to “regain
control” J…. First thought once airborne
was….OH…S___! I gotta land it now. I went out to Lake
Minnetonka and shot some low approaches to the ice…upwind
…cross wind…both ways…and found that the
responsiveness was dampened with reduced power and reduced adrenal
flowage. So landing back at MIC for the first time was a non-
event. It’s a kick in the pants to fly…
And it is my “carbon offset” . If I fly the T-28 for an
hour…I then fly the RV-8 for five hours to make up for my
transgression..
Specs are below…and pic’s of the panel…Wayne
owned an Avionics shop, thus the nice full IFR panel..
Walter L. Fricke
AirBoss
Veterans Airlift Command
www.veteransairlift.org
952 582-2911
2006 RV-8 Specification Sheet
Airworthiness Certificate: March 2006
S/N: 81960
Registration Number: N523WB
Airframe Total Time: 140 hours
Engine Total Time: 140 since new
Engine Type: Superior IO-360-B1DA3
Propeller Time: 125 since new
Propeller Type: C. S., 2 blade Aerocomposite
Airflow Performance Fuel Injection System
Dual Slick Magnetos with Slick Smart Start
Avionic: KMA28 Audio System
KX155A Nav/Com with GS
KX155A Nav/Com
KT76C Transponder with Transcal Encoder
KLN94 IFR GPS Coupled to Autopilot
Trutrak Digiflight D200G Autopilot
Astrotec Digital Clock TC-2
ELT
Vacuum A/H and DG
Electric Turn Coordinator
Gem 602 Engine Monitor
Adjustable Rudder Pedals
Electric Elevator Trim
Rear Seat Controls
Harmon Rocket Tailwheel Link
Avionics Annunciator Panel
Systems Warning Panel
Alternate Air Controls
Parking Brake
Interior: Gray fabric with contoured foam
Exterior: White with Blue Red and Silver trim striping (paint not
decals)
Wingtip Strobes
Dual Landing Lights
Based at KMIC (Crystal, MN)