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SKYBOLT N360 HP
The airplane is an experimental category biplane with the N number N360HP and was completed in 1986 and was named and titled as an Ebershoff/Steen Skybolt. (YES!... The N # is the horse power.) This is the airplane that is featured in our video.
The airplane was designed originally by Lamar Steen and was built from a set of Steen Aero Labs plans. Dave then did some redesign of the fuselage with the help of an aeronautical engineer, taking weight out of it for high performance flying and changing the geometry so that it would fit his 6'8" frame. The airplane is powered by a Lycoming 540-K1A5 Highly modified opposed cylinders certified aircraft engine, and built by Monte Barrett of Barrett performance Aircraft. The propeller is a certified experimental propeller manufactured by MT propeller in Germany and is a constant speed propeller. The airplane has a full IFR panel and is Mode: C equipped and also is equipped with a Garmin GPS. Historically, for Colorado history, the airplane is one of two airplanes designed, built and flown in Colorado, the other being the Alexander Eagle Rock. The first Skybolt was built in an industrial arts class in 1970 by minority students at Manual High School in Denver.
Total cost of building the airplane and maintaining the airplane is over $250,000. The airplane was built and flown nationally in air shows by David L. Ebershoff of Denver, Colorado, under the name of Rocky Mountain Thunder, Airshows. Dave has over 5000 hours of flying time and has a Single Engine Land pilots license with a commercial instrument rating and glider rating and Low level ground ratings for air show performances. The airplane was flown in over 100 air shows and 30 International aerobatics club contests for precision flying. The airplane has many performance modifications to improve performance. At various times the airplane was sponsored by various vendors including Coors Beer and Total petroleum. The airplane was nicknamed "Totally Awesome."
Dave was an ACE (air show creditation evaluator) for the ICAS organization for 8 years, participating in the evaluation of pilot skills for low level air show performances. Dave has probably flown more air shows than any other pilot in Colorado history.
"Meeting Lamar in the mid seventies and then being able to work with him, and enhance his vision of a quality, high performance Steen Skybolt, was a life changing event for me," Dave said. "Lamar was a real inspiration, and then Hale Wallace, carried on in his tradition, with class, after Lamar went west. Hale then departed our planet and the design was taken on by the present owners, Steen Aero Labs, and are doing a SENSATIONAL job with the airplane, that truly has made it the best looking and best performing biplane in the country. They are the consummate professionals in every way," said Dave with much conviction.
N360HP has received numerous awards for showmanship and is the finest example of a Skybolt flying in the Nation today. Amongst the awards are:
National Biplane Grand Champion, concouers 'de elegance in Oklahoma.
Oshkosh, reserve Grand Champion Charles Lindbergh award in 1982 and 1986.
Colorado Grand Champion for several years.
The prestigious Wright Brothers award at the Dayton air show for best plans homebuilt airplane nationally.
Approximately a dozen additional awards for showmanship and workmanship.
The aircraft has approximately 250 hours on a highly modified IO 540-K1A5 Lycoming with the heavy duty crank. Engine is in excellent condition. The aircraft is also equipped with Mode: C encoding altimeter. Other instrumentation is an electric turn and bank, intercom, and two way vhf transceiver, VOR, GPS Garmin transceiver and GPS combo, 3 Dave Clarke Headsets, Parachute, seat belts front and aft, new tires, M&T composite 3 blade propeller, Highly modified ailerons with amazing roll rate, standard engine and performance instrumentation, 6 cylinder egt. The airframe has approximately 2,000 hours on it. This is a spectacular airplane, the finest of its kind. Dave's e-mail is: ebershoff@aol.com.
Sales Price, USD $115,000 OBO
"A once in a lifetime opportunity."
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We couldn't be more pleased about all the acro bipes that scored big at AirVenture 2007!
Plans-Built Outstanding Workmanship Plaques went to: - Michael Marrin, 2006 Skybolt N348MM (St. Petersburg, FL - This plane was in our display tent at Sun 'N Fun 2007)
- David Lucas, 2006 Acrosport II, N114KT (Chesterfield, MO)
Plans-Built Champion - Bronze Lindy Awards went to: - James Woolworth, 2007 Skybolt, N911JW (Milford, MI)
- Christopher May, 2007 Wheeler Firebolt, N4GW (Owensboro, KY)
- Duayne Muhle, 1996 Fleet Edward S1-S, N9173R (Duncan, NE)
- James Kilroy, 2005 Pitts Model 12, N133GT (Berkeley, CA)
And then came the one everyone was waiting for... the Grand Champion Plans-Built (Gold Lindy) went to: - Paul Muhle, 2007 Pitts S1-SS, N557PM (Columbus, NE) (Note, this was incorrectly listed as an S1-S in the initial release of the awards listings)
The Paul Poberezny Founders Award for the best Classic Custom Built Aircraft went to: - Lary Carlston, Acroduster II, N26RB (Minneapolis, MN)
A hearty CONGRATULATIONS goes out to all the winners... you can't do much better than to win something at Oshkosh!
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