The Steen Skybolt is an American homebuiltaerobaticbiplane. Designed by teacher Lamar Steen as a high school engineering project, the prototype first flew in October 1970.[1][2]
The aircraft has a classic structure consisting of a welded tube fuselage and wooden wings, all fabric covered. It is a tandem open-cockpit two-seat biplane and is stressed for normal aerobatics. The cockpits are frequently constructed as a single tandem cabin with an enclosing bubble canopy. Some aerobatic competition aircraft are built as single seaters with the front cockpit closed off.
The original Skybolt had a 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming HO-360-B1B engine, but powerplants of 150 to 260 hp (112 to 194 kW) can be installed.[3]
The Skybolt has become popular as an amateur-built sporting biplane, with over 400 aircraft having been completed from construction plans sold in over 29 countries.[3] A Skybolt won the Reserve Grand Champion Custom Built for 1979 at the Experimental Aircraft Association airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin.[4] Sixteen examples were registered in the United Kingdom in January 2009.[5]
The standard Skybolt as originally released for home-building[1][6]
Skybolt (D)
A revised structure and capability to have engines from 180 to 350 hp (134 to 261 kW) fitted.[6]
Skybolt (R)
A radial engined derivative, with revised fuselage plus the improved structure of the (D), fitted with either a 360 hp (268 kW) Vedeneyev M14P or a 400 hp (298 kW) Vedeneyev M14PF nine-cylinder radial.[6]
Skybolt 300
A derivative of the Skybolt fitted with a 300 hp (224 kW) engine.[6]
Super Skybolt
A two seater version created by John Shipler by amalgamating a Pitts S-2 with a Skybolt, the prototype of which is named Storm Warning.[6]
A development of the Skybolt with a 300 hp (224 kW) Lycoming IO-540 powerplant that gives a cruise speed of 202 mph (325 km/h) and an initial climb rate of 4,000 ft/min (20 m/s).[7][8]