AVweb
Les Krumel invested 22 years building his award-winning Thorp T-18.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always liked to make things, and I thought an airplane would be the ultimate project,” said Les Krumel of Moriarty, New Mexico, a mechanical engineer who recently retired as a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force who worked on aerospace projects. That understatement defines his humble personality. Making almost every part, Krumel invested 22 years in his project, and he was not yet a pilot when he started in 1993.
Born and raised in Nebraska, Krumel’s father, Ermin, was a machinist and a tool and die maker. “He grew up on a farm, and there is very little a farmer cannot fix, and I attribute most of my shop skills to my dad,” he said. “He passed away about three years ago.” Krumel cannot pinpoint his aviation inspiration. Growing up, he didn’t know anyone who was into it, but still the allure of flying coexisted with his joy of building thing
AVweb
Anyone who has seen the Cygnet SF-2A will remember the two-seat, side-by-side taildragger because it looks like no other. Contrary to the high- or low-wing choices favored by designers of Amateur-Built and certified aircraft, the Cygnet extends its wings from the shoulder like outstretched arms. Even more unusual, the wingtips are 14 inches ahead of and 11 inches above the wing root. And in the right light, looking across the 13-foot span of each panel, it is clear that the fabric is attached to diagonal members instead of fore-and-aft ribs.
Each of these features serves a specific purpose. Designed by Albert “Bert” Sisler, the Cygnet first flew in 1973 and earned an Outstanding Design Contribution award at its EAA Oshkosh debut that year. The shoulder-mounted wings provide the pilot with a clear field of view above and below the wing without cockpit contortions and lifting or lowering a wing, said Patrick Taylor. He should know. He earned his Private Pil