Single Seat Merlin Experimental Kit Aircraft YOU CAN AFFORD 

You are welcome. Thanks for showing up AGAIN and AGAIN :-) YES! This is a nice little package and a lot of value for the amount of work already done as a "Kit." For sure!

They have now released a engine called the VTWIN which is a four-stroke engine made by Aeromarine

It is pretty cool isn't it?

Looked it up. $55K to $61K (difference being the ballistic parachute)

Welcome to Florida humidity 😂

Thank You!

I was thinking the same thing. I have a boat. I take the boat out frequently by myself. I would go for it. No hassle and fly fly fly.

He is not a pilot

Now I'm thinking of what other airframes you could put that Aeromarine V-Twin engine on. Legal Eagle comes to mind.

With only a 300 pound useful load for most people the only passenger you'd be able to put back there would be a toddler. I'm about 260 pounds and would not be able to fly the Merlin with a full tank of fuel, let alone a passenger or any baggage. I'm waiting for the Merlin 2.0!

@@DarylS256 🎯👍

@@DarylS256 go and check out more single seat airplanes and complain about a missing second seat 🐊🦖

Dont get a family then. Easy. Settle down after your big purchases. Premarital assets and belongings is better anyways. Altho an aircraft doesnt appreciate but still.

Yeah very vague on WHO makes that engine and model #. yeah great engine well WTF IS IT exactly?

Yes. Aeromarine has a taildragger (video is on their channel). Also available are larger tires for bush flying, as well as floats with retractable wheels.

This reminds me of a scaled down Cessna 305 / L-19 US military observation aircraft, only without the rear tandem seat.

If you want an inexpensive 2 seat experimental then Sonex is your only option. For a ready to fly airplane, the Vashion Ranger is probably the cheapest at $128k.

Once it’s turning, you don’t know the difference! I used to fly a British plane and engine rotated opposite most aircraft engines. Did not bother me!

Really 🤔

From videos of takeoff, it's more like 8-10 seconds.

Experimental doesn't affect the license required. It depends on whether it meets LSA rule. If it exceeds LSA rules, you need a private pilots license. In the case of this airplane, you'd need a light sport license.

I see no issues with tying it down except you need to cover those plastic windows from UV

The manufacturer of a kit Airplane is not supposed to make/fabricate more than 49% of the "processes" or "tasks " required to complete and fly an Airplane. The Builder is required to completed 51% of the processes. Etc. Etc. Are you ready to BUILD?!! :-)

@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Well, I know I AM. Looking for 2 seats and stol capability

Near the end of the video.

That is always the question it seems for very light aircraft. I am constantly told that in reality only a few people request it.. and half of those rarely use "The Option." So many manufacturers steer away from doing it.

@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel Its hard to own a airport rent for hanger here in Naples cost some 200,000$ +

Look at a Onex. Easy wing fold setup for storage or trailering.

He has them out there already!! And makes floats for them as well!!

From their website! Yes, the taildragger version is available but it is made to order so delivery is a few months longer. You can choose standard or tundra tires. See how it looks in the photo gallery. Now. The V-Twin installation is nearly ready and we have engines in stock. We are just finishing the cowl.

@@tc6849 ok, awesome!

@@tc6849 so, uh, how about the landing gear? Can it handle rough terrain? It's not just about the tires.

@@groachslayer Yes good question. Looks like a good candidate for Shock Monster gear.

Flown on AVweb

The Vashon Ranger aircraft was never offered for $90k. Per their website their base model "The Glacier" is currently $119,500. You're only off by 33% or $29,500. Vashon Aircraft was launched approximately March 1, 2018 as reported by Dan Johnson on his website. He noted their base model aircraft was $99,500. Per the Wayback Machine website, Mar 3, 2018, is the first screen capture of the Vashon Aircraft home page that was made. On Mar 5, 2018, there's a screen capture that documents their base model at that time was called "The Yellowstone." It's list price was $99,500. I expect it's a very fine aircraft, however their current pricing options are $119,500 and $126,500 plus whatever additional options a customer wants including more detailed vinyl wrap designs that cost an extra $2,500 or $9,500. vashonaircraft.com/ranger-pricing.php web.archive.org/web/20180305042844/vashonaircraft.com/ranger-pricing.php bydanjohnson.com/newest-light-sport-aircraft-join-fleet-vashon-ranger-r7/

For 40K you can buy an RV-8 Kit, there are thousands cruising over 200 mph (a factory built is around 100K). This 40K does include the engine?

@@utuberagain18 Even at 120k its a deal. It is fully factory built SLSA. Comes with a full Dynon glass panel and an all metal design. Built like a tank. A single seater kit like this video is talking about is a joke. 2000 hours of your own labor and you wont have as much aircaft as the Vashon. AND it will be experimental when done, not a factory backed SLSA with a warranty.

@@gbigsangle3044 Are you claiming it’d take 2,000 hours to build the Merlin aircraft? What’s your source of that alleged information? Perhaps that’s your assessment of your own refined skill level. Regardless, the original poster’s emphatic statement that the Vashon Ranger costs $99,000 was never correct and is patently false as the references I included clearly document. It’s not even close. That’s fine if the Ranger meets your mission, but it’s not for everyone just as the Merlin will meet the mission for some pilots and not others. I’ve sat in the Ranger, and the cabin is quite small for tall pilots, especially due to a lack of headroom. As I recall the size and positioning of the main spar provides a substantial risk of a head impact injury, probably in an off-airport landing or possibly in less significant circumstances. I don’t assess that as a favorable characteristic for an aircraft, especially one marketed for training of new pilots. For a pilot under 6 feet or so (but probably shorter) with a short torso it might be an okay option. To each his own. Also, the useful load is extremely low and not very useful. At the LSA limit of 1320 pounds, the stated 875 lb empty weight delivers a 445 lb useful load. Subtract 168 pounds for full fuel and that leaves 277 pounds for two pilots and zero baggage. No basic tie down kit, no quart of extra oil, no windshield cleaner and rag, no canopy cover, certainly no overnight bag, nothing. And then each pilot can only weigh an average of 138 pounds. I don’t believe that’s even remotely realistic. With a full rated 100 pounds of baggage, the two pilots’ average weight could only be 88 pounds each. How many healthy adults do you know that weigh 88 pounds? As the original poster described it, “with a HUGE cargo area,” however you effectively can’t even carry your required paperwork in it. You’d even need to be a pretty small solo pilot to carry a full baggage load. It’s great if you believe that performance is worth $120,000, but I suspect many others would disagree. A Ranger pilot could recover the use of 84 pounds if they fly with half fuel, but that’d severely limit flight time, range, and practical usefulness for anything much beyond pattern work. That 84 pounds would still only allow for two pilots at 180 pounds each and still absolutely zero baggage. That’d greatly restrict legal use as a trainer aircraft. They could each weigh 130 pounds with full baggage. Maybe the Ranger would be a great solo aircraft, however its manufacturer specifically markets it for flight schools. Doesn’t that seem like an odd combination? Perhaps you never considered these facts which I’ve identified. Pilots come in all shapes & sizes and combinations of missions. YMMV.

@@gbigsangle3044 You can literally build this one seater in less than 2 weeks. 1 week if you option the builders assist at the factory.

In Europe, the Merlin is sold as a ready to fly aircraft.

YES. :-) I think it is not widely known. (Meaning not the HKS that used to power it... but what he is developing).

I can't remember the exact make and model but it's a Chinese manufactured v-twin.

@@ExperimentalAircraftChannel are you going to get a chance to fly it with the new V-Twin?

He probably has an agreement not to use the brand name of the manufacturer so he just calls it the Aeromarine V-Twin. It's a Gaokin UTV engine that's used in Hisun vehicles though.

What makes you say that?

@@Ichibuns 🎯 Ikr? I was asking the same question... Why he would say that? He's either not a pilot, or never flown LSA or ELSA. Either way, it's an ignorance fueled statement. Very sleek plane, beautiful, and now it's on my short list. Tho I would prefer 2 seats, most of my 462 hrs have been just me. Something very zen about flying alone, knowing I can put it down about anywhere if I necessary. THAT'S fun, safe flying !

I gotta ask too. Why would you say that? What seems dangerous about this tested and proven aircraft, to you? Thanks