Melmoth 2: A Personal Airplane

FLYING Staff

Friday, August 01, 2003 at 08:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Melmoth 2 was a two-decade-long personal aircraft project, taking 21 years to achieve its "first real flight" in 2002, significantly longer than the builder initially expected despite using composite construction.
Designed as an evolution of the author's previous metal aircraft, Melmoth 2 incorporates composite materials, a high-aspect-ratio wing, and a fixed T-tail, leading to improved climb performance and similar cruise speeds.
The project faced numerous challenges, including the unforeseen difficulty of composite construction for a complex aircraft and initial in-flight issues like landing gear retraction, which were resolved with modifications and significant assistance from test pilot Mike Melvill.

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In February’s Flying I described the first flight of Melmoth 2 on November 1, 2002. To tell the truth, however, that wasn’t really the first flight. It was the first up-and-away flight. The airplane had actually lifted off the ground for the first time the day before.

Blustery winds blew through Mojave for three days after the FAA signed off my certificate of airworthiness, but it was quiet on Halloween morning. I taxied out to Runway 30, where I had done many fast taxi runs before.