Earthstar Video

[willphelps52]

I was very surprised to open my mail box yesterday and find the info
pack from Earthstar. I figured with Oshkosh this week I wouldn't see
it for a couple of weeks yet. And my on line banking didn't even
show the check as cleared.

At any rate, I ran in the house and threw in the tape. First
impressions... lousy introduction. Jumps right the middle of some
action. Sorry.... too critical. My step-daughter does production and
I'm used to her work.

Second impression... Is Mark building an Ultralight or a Jeep!
Watching the "J" bounce around through the snow and then over rocks
and bushes... Well that alleviates my fears about landing in the
farmland around here.

I watched longer... and became more amazed. I didn't know an
Ultralight could do a barrel roll. The first hour was pretty much
all old stuff, showing the "J" and "JT2". Then it got to the
Odyssey. Nice, but I was leaning toward the 2K. Ahhh... That's
better. A more up to date, complete go over of a new Thunder Gull
2000. Practically a pre-flight. That's what I was looking for,
since there are really no quality close up pictures of some areas of
the plane on the web or any of the pamphlets or articles I've seen.
Now I see about the BRS, the flaps and the instrument panel.

Then they show it flying. Just as awesome as the "J", if not, more
so. In the beginning of the tape, every time the "J" landed, it
looked more like it was "mushing" in for a landing, than flaring.
But at the end of the tape, the yellow 2000 does a nice nose down
approach, flare and touch down. Nice... Does anyone know if that
yellow one at the end had an HKS engine on it? I couldn't tell.

Anyway, I was totally impressed with what I saw. I can't wait to get
down to DCC and check them out in person and go up in the Odyssey.
Now I just need to get my garage cleaned out and figure out how I'm
going to pay for the plane AND a wedding.

Cheers,

Will Phelps

[derbaier]

Will, that yellow Gull2K at the end of the video looks like the one
that Mark keeps at the factory, and is using as the test aircraft
for his new RadCam engine design. Unfortunately, the video did not
seem to go into much detail on that one, as I recall. My impression
of it was that it was the ultralight version of the Gull2K, probably
with the Hirth engine that he uses for the ultralight version? I do
seem to recall one of the planes in the video sounding like it had a
four stroke engine, but I think that it was an Odyssey?

Regarding the video, it really was not a major studio production, was
it? :-) Leslie warned me about that before sending it. BTW, when
I went to visit EarthStar, Mark really does taxi those planes around
there like they are 4WD off road vehicles! When I first saw the
video, I was wondering if the demo plane had to spend a few days in
the shop after all that rough taxiing. But now, it seems like that is
just normal operation for Mark. Also, those rolls that Mark did on
the video really do show off the fast roll response that ThunderGulls
have, don't they!? :-) Did you notice that he also maintained
altitude within about 50 feet during those exercises?

The HKS for my Gull2K arrives today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
--Dave

[Jim C]

> Now I just need to get my garage cleaned out and figure out how I'm
> going to pay for the plane AND a wedding.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Will Phelps

Will - Skip the wedding :-)

Jim C

[kfcounts]

Hi everyone,

My name is Karl Counts and I have been lurking on the list for quite
a while enjoying hearing about the earthstar planes. I was happy to
find this group because there is so little info about the earthstar
to be had. I am not a pilot, but hope to be one day. When that day
comes, I hope to be able to afford an Odyssey. Now on to my
question.

Several months back, I finally ordered the info pack and video. I
already have videos from Vans and Sonex. Now you already know that
the Odyssey is my favorite design, but I was so disappointed with
the video. Besides looking like an amateur home video, my tape had
loss of audio, and drop outs where the video would dissolve into
static and reappear seconds later. I contacted Earthstar and Leslie
was apologetic and sent me another tape. This one was only
marginally better. It still had the drop outs. It is painful to
watch! I didn't have the heart to call and complain about it. I
was amazed at Mark's take-offs, and the flights (as much as I could
see).

Is everyone's video tape this bad?

Karl Counts
Simpsonville, SC

[derbaier]

Fortunately, Mark does MUCH better as plane designer and pilot than
as a video producer. :-) My video was just as bad as you describe,
but I oredered a Gull2K anyway. :-)

--Dave

[kfcounts]

Dave,

The video didn't turn me off of the designs, but they did dampen my
enthusiasm a little. It is so obvious that the design of the
aircraft have been miticulously polished. I have never met Mark or
talked to him, but I'll bet he is a perfectionist. Seems strange
that he would allow these videos on the market looking the way they
do.

Karl

[derbaier]

I know what you mean! I guess I was just lucky that I live in
southern California, and was able to go to Santa Margarita to see the
planes for myself. Mark seems to really enjoy what he is doing, and
has a lot of enthusiasm for his projects. I guess video is just not
one of the enjoyable projects. Anyway the video does show off the
performance of the planes pretty well, but getting a chance to fly in
one with Mark was even better. I was especially impressed
characteristics of the Thundergull wing design.

--Dave

[willphelps52]

Karl.

My video was the same way. It didn't dampen my disire to own a
ThunderGull one bit. In fact... I want one more now than I did
before. Not much footage of the Odyssee, but at the end there was a
real nice "inspection" of a single seat TG2K... my choice.

My step-daughter does production work. She's got everthing I need to
do a real nice job. If all the Thundergull owners sent me footage of
their planes, building process, fly-ins, etc., I'd put together a
real nice video for Mark's birthday. Of course all contributers
would get a copy. Just a thought.

Another thought... I do web development. I'd sure like a shot at
fixing up Mark's website, too.

Nuff 'bout that.

Dave has ordered and I'm not far behind. Good luck on your quest,
Karl.

Will Phelps

Hey Will,

Good luck on your quest. I have a gull J2 with a 503 and it screams. I have
no problem staying behind with one of the guys that I fly with if they have
trouble, cause I can catch up with everyone else so easily... :-)

I also do web development. One of my sites is www.dfwliteflyers.org . What
technology do you use?

George