While Wall Street frets about the Europeans taking the lead in some aerospace ventures, there’s proof positive that some Europeans still respect Yankee know-how. One of Europe’s best aerobatic pilots, 2001 European champion Zoltan Veres, of Hungary, will use a custom-built round-engined Culp’s Special biplane for the 2003 competition and air show schedule. “It’s definitely a crowd pleaser,” said Steve Culp, the plane’s designer. “There’s kind of a nostalgia about it. A lot of people would like to see the older, more graceful aerobatics.” Culp said Veres’s Special will be no slouch in the air since it will sport a 400-horsepower M-14P radial spinning a three-bladed prop. Besides competitions and shows, Veres will use the Special for a 70th anniversary commemoration of a biplane flight by two Hungarian pilots, who circumvented the Mediterranean in a bid to boost aviation in their country. Veres is helping Culp and a team of technicians build the airplane at Gesoco Industries in Swanton, Vt. The seven-week construction process will be finished in a couple of weeks and test flights will begin immediately afterward. Then, the plane will be disassembled and shipped to Hungary for final painting and the start of the season.
European Champ Buys American
Key Takeaways:
- European aerobatic champion Zoltan Veres will fly a custom-built, round-engined Culp's Special biplane for his 2003 competition and air show season, valuing its nostalgic appeal for "more graceful aerobatics."
- Powered by a 400-horsepower M-14P radial engine, the biplane will also be used by Veres to commemorate the 70th anniversary of a historical Hungarian flight around the Mediterranean.
- The aircraft is nearing completion in Vermont and will be shipped to Hungary for final painting and the start of its season after test flights.
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