The first piece made!

Builder: John Nunn

Project: Steen Skybolt

Among four and six cylinder experimental aerobatic biplanes, the Skybolt is clearly the gold standard. The Skybolt is capable of extreme, on-the-edge aerobatics, yet it is polite, predictable and forgiving in the air and on the ground.

There are some 450 Skybolts licensed in the US and another 200 or so around the world, with over 2000+ plans sold. The Skybolt is by far the most popular 2-place experimental biplane, and is loved for its perfect, classic biplane lines.

There is maximum room for pilot and passenger, and the Skybolt is comfortable and practical for cross-country trips and sport flying. Clean, well constructed examples cruise at nearly 180 mph. Skybolts have always been popular on the airshow circuit. The Skybolt is a straightforward, honest, and absolutely beautiful biplane.

Construction methods are conventional. The truss-rib wing is made of wood, while the fuselage and tail surfaces are welded up from chromoly steel tubing. The Skybolt is extremely strong, and has been thoroughly analyzed for strength - there has never been an in-flight failure attributable to insufficient design strength.

Power options range from 180 hp to 350 hp. Skybolts are built as open-cockpit, two-place canopy, or rear canopy only. It is common to build a convertible configuration which allows change from open to canopy in half an hour.

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John Nunn has a web log detailing his Skybolt-build exploits. He purchased a 1975 Skybolt to use for salvage etc. He is still taking his PPL [as at August 2006]. John is our chapter webmaster, and he also administers www.biplaneforum.com

John's website can be found here:

www.65degrees.net/skybolt

Laminating wing tip bows

Lower wing