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As a self appointed historian of all things Starduster, mostly because I am one of few who worked for the company that is still alive. This along with building and flying biplanes has been my interest, as well as a big part of my adult life..
I am working on some history regarding the Acroduster Too. I think the airplane in recent years has gotten"A Bad or Undeserved Reputation" in many respects. Mostly because of the recent accident in Austrailia that has produced a lot of in accurate speculation, and want to set the record straight, at least in my view. I will also be focusing basically on why I think the Acroduster Too has not been viewed as a good or reasonable two place aerobatic performer. There are three historic examples. N5462 the first Acroduster also known as the Super Starduster Too, and more or less prototype, also the second, and company built Acroduster N750X, as well the third prominent one. The Gold duster N363J. Also I want to touch on the accidents involving two of these three airplanes, and my thoughts about what happened and why.
Further I want to focus on several other Acrodusters as examples of what can be done with this airplane in a positive way. Kendall Horst's N540AD, Tom Shpakow's N28KT, and Lowell Slatter's N300AD their are of course other well built examples that I can further comment on in what would be a continuation of Acroduster history.
So what I am asking at least for now, are pictures as well as any stories of these three, about colorful pilots that were around that owned or flew them, as well as others that have time in one. I view these airplanes as instrumental in the History of the Acroduster Too. I am not an aerobatic pilot, and the only one I ever flew, and as a passenger was Lowell Slatter's N300AD and all I did with it was rolls. I plan on writing about each airplane in detail based on the information I have, and hope to receive. I am also going to post a list of N-Numbers of all Acrodusters that I am aware of that did exist at one time that is not quite 100. I am also going to post a list of roughly two dozen builders that I have been in contact with off an on from way back and over the years. My goal in this respect is to determine if any of these builders are still with us or their projects and what state of the build that may still be out there..
Any help in this regard will be much appreciated, so humor an old guy like me. Besides I think it will be of interest to many on this forum. Dave
I am working on some history regarding the Acroduster Too. I think the airplane in recent years has gotten"A Bad or Undeserved Reputation" in many respects. Mostly because of the recent accident in Austrailia that has produced a lot of in accurate speculation, and want to set the record straight, at least in my view. I will also be focusing basically on why I think the Acroduster Too has not been viewed as a good or reasonable two place aerobatic performer. There are three historic examples. N5462 the first Acroduster also known as the Super Starduster Too, and more or less prototype, also the second, and company built Acroduster N750X, as well the third prominent one. The Gold duster N363J. Also I want to touch on the accidents involving two of these three airplanes, and my thoughts about what happened and why.
Further I want to focus on several other Acrodusters as examples of what can be done with this airplane in a positive way. Kendall Horst's N540AD, Tom Shpakow's N28KT, and Lowell Slatter's N300AD their are of course other well built examples that I can further comment on in what would be a continuation of Acroduster history.
So what I am asking at least for now, are pictures as well as any stories of these three, about colorful pilots that were around that owned or flew them, as well as others that have time in one. I view these airplanes as instrumental in the History of the Acroduster Too. I am not an aerobatic pilot, and the only one I ever flew, and as a passenger was Lowell Slatter's N300AD and all I did with it was rolls. I plan on writing about each airplane in detail based on the information I have, and hope to receive. I am also going to post a list of N-Numbers of all Acrodusters that I am aware of that did exist at one time that is not quite 100. I am also going to post a list of roughly two dozen builders that I have been in contact with off an on from way back and over the years. My goal in this respect is to determine if any of these builders are still with us or their projects and what state of the build that may still be out there..
Any help in this regard will be much appreciated, so humor an old guy like me. Besides I think it will be of interest to many on this forum. Dave
