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where I have been for 2 years-My airplane

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jeffp51:
So not archery, not primitive, but a couple of people expressed interest when I said why I haven't posted in quite a while.  I have been building an airplane in my garage, and have had neither time nor space to make any bows.  I still shoot in my backyard from time to time, and I am super thrilled to see this forum back up and running.  I have discovered such a community here and I would hate to lose it.

I am building a Zenith 601xlb Zodiac.  It is a low wing two-seat homebuilt aircraft from a company located in Mexico, Missouri.  I am discovering a great community there too.  there are a lot of similarities between building a bow and building an airplane--balance, precision, craftsmanship. . .it itches some of the same scratches.  My user name betrays one of my early passions, and I finally decided I had to either act on it or let it go forever.  When I turned 50, I broke both arms in a bike accident and spent a winter brooding over my mid-life crisis, and decided to just go for it.

Here are some pics:

And if anyone wants to see more, I post regular updates on Facebook.  Friend me as Jeff Packer (Pleasant Grove, Utah) and you can see more than you will ever want to.

bjrogg:
Very cool Jeff. The first aircraft I ever piloted was a wizard j-3 ultralight.

Everything I knew about flying I learned from reading a book. It really wasn’t enough.lol I ended up stalling it when trying to turn back to the field i just took off from. Its stall speed was only 14 mph so it was a very slow motion almost under control crash. I didn’t get a scratch, but I gained a lot more respect for Orville and Wilbur Wright.

I really did love the ultra light it was so open and an amazing experience.

I did take flying lessons after that though and went in on a Cessna 150 with a cousin of mine.
I flew a lot before I got married. I haven’t now in over a decade. I don’t miss it like I once did, but once in awhile I get the bug to get a bird eye view of things. It is beautiful way to look at our world.

Bjrogg

PS my two all time favorite planes. P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lightning

Parnell:
Wow, that’s just awesome.  I’ve got a wood canoe going out back.  It’s good to do different projects  and keep bow making, avoids burnout I think.

Best on your project.  Looking forward to seeing how that turns out!

JW_Halverson:

--- Quote from: Parnell on January 26, 2025, 12:56:36 pm ---Wow, that’s just awesome.  I’ve got a wood canoe going out back.  It’s good to do different projects  and keep bow making, avoids burnout I think.

Best on your project.  Looking forward to seeing how that turns out!

--- End quote ---

I do believe there is plenty of room for a new thread dedicated to your canoe project, buddy!

Jeff, Iowabow bought a garage project 1946 Taylorcraft and rebuilt it a few years ago. Not a lot of top end speed on that kite, but an excellent glide ratio.

TimBo:
Super cool!  Mexico, MO is just a couple of hours from me.  Thanks for sharing some photos.

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