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The 265 is Don's latest design. A 2 place side by side homebuilt. Plans are NOT available for the 265. Sorry!
The 65 hp Walter Mikron Engine is rare in the United States.
Don Says- She's a really nice airplane. With the current prop at 2300 RPM (75%) she indicates 100MPH on 3.9GPH.
Ray Jacobelli shared these first two photos below on Facebook.
I designed the 265 after many years of dreams, sketches and remembrances of when I was a kid working at the local airport pumping gas, answering the phone, etc. One day an airplane landed that was so pretty it took my breath away. It was a Ryan ST and I couldn't take my eyes off it. I determined that someday I'd have an airplane like that. Many sketches and ideas were done from that time on.
I wanted the airplane to be in my favorite category, which included the Champ, Chief, Cub and all the rest of the 65-85 HP clan. The problem was that there is no engine available that fit the conception of my "perfect" airplane.
A publicity release in 1993 for the Mikron III answered my need for the engine and so I got down to work and finished the design work on what's become the 265. Two people, sixty five horse power.
At this time, December 2007, the airplane has over one hundred hours of good service with no problems other than making some new fiberglass parts to remove weight. The airplane cruises at about 90 MPH, stalls about 40 and handles very nicely. The engine burns 3.7 GPH which makes it very economical these days.
I've received many requests for plans. Many indicated that they wanted to install large engines which are not compatible with the 265. For that reason, I don't have drawings for sale.
Dennis Price photo above taken at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, Iowa
Don wrote this some years ago- Folks,
I'm pleased to announce that yesterday March 13, 2005 I finished the 40 hours flight testing on the 265.
It was a bright sunny day, not a cloud in the sky with the viz unrestricted. I climbed up to 6500 feet to avoid a lot of very rough air. The final test flight was a Round Robin cross country from Faithorn to Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Menominee and back home, all in Michigan. The tachometer changed to 40.00 just as I passed over the strip on the return here in Faithorn.
The flight test results are with uncalibrated instruments and a nonaligned pitot.
Vso flaps up 41 MPH. Flaps down 36 MPH
Vx 61 MPH Vy 65 MPH
Vno 82 MPH at 2500 MSL @ 2350 RPM
Vne 130 MPH
Takeoff distance 600' +/- @ 900 MSL @ 30 F
Landing distance 600' +/- @ 900 MSL @ 30 F
I'm hoping to make the rounds of the fly-in circuit this summer and enjoy the airplane. It sure is doing a great job. Not one problem in all the test flying required to get the restrictions removed.
The powerful little Mikron IIIAE is the smoothest engine I've ever flown behind. It seems to start instantly.
Low & Slow
Don
Some photos of the 265 under construction
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