We hope that we can answer most of the questions you may have about our engine and airframe parts.
Please call, write, fax, or e-mail us if you have any questions about our products or services.
We aim to please!
OUR HISTORY.
Since 1982, Great Plains VW conversions have been successfully powering homebuilt aircraft. Great Plains Aircraft President, Steve Bennett, has 22 years of experience and in excess of 1800 hours of flight time behind VW power plants. In our continuing goal of "Providing quality aviation products at affordable prices," Great Plains Aircraft has clearly set the standards that others attempt to follow. Simply compare our products with those offered by others. Your checkbook balance and confidence level will show you the difference!
Great Plains Aircraft Supply Co. Inc. is a registered and licensed Corporation in the state of Illinois. Founded in 1981, by Steve Bennett, the company has continued to grow yearly. Several items make Great Plains distinct from other companies
marketing VW conversions.
We realized we couldn't do it all. Great Plains targets a specific product line for a highly specific market. We realized that by not making all of our products "In House," they may cost more per unit. The benefit, however, is in product quality. By not manufacturing the products ourselves, we can easily reject products that may not be up to Great Plains high quality standards. The temptation is not there to sell "less than perfect parts" because of the investment in materials, tooling and labor.
COMPETITORS.
One reasons why many of our competitors have vanished over the years was of their high overhead. Great Plains is 100% mail order and does not operate a store front. We have very modest facilities that require very low overhead. This husband/wife team do it all, with help from many specialized shops. By paying close attention to operational details, we can maintain a modest operational budget. This results in lower cost products to our customers.
We at Great Plains, develop products at own pace. As resources allow, we develop and test new products. Eventually many of our new, proven products are ready to market. By developing and testing the products in our own time, at our own pace, and in house, we gain a thorough understanding of that product and it's applicable uses. We do not purchase technology as other VW conversion companies have done and then try to understand its applications, workings and weaknesses. This "do it yourself" approach would not work in all markets, but has proven highly successful for Great Plains Aircraft.
COMMITMENT.
It is our commitment to quality product development, product availability, reasonable prices and customer service that has helped us earn and maintain our excellent reputation among homebuilders. But it has been our personal knowledge of VW power plants, their applications, their strengths and weaknesses that we freely share that is, perhaps, most appreciated by our customers.
In 1983, we developed the popular Type 1-2.2L VW aero conversion the most widely imitated engine in the marketplace. Whatever your VW based power plant needs are, Great Plains can supply you with an engine kit, individual parts, or fully assembled and test run engine for your needs.
In 1989, we added the Sonerai sport aircraft to our product line. (NOTE: The rights to the plans remain with the Monnets.) We supply plans and manufacture parts for the Sonerai series of homebuilt aircraft. The Sonerai's are available as single place or two place tandem aircraft. They feature a 4130 steel tube fuselage and all aluminum (folding) wings with modest cruise, stall and landing speeds. The complete Sonerai Information Pack is only $4.00 U.S./Canada or $8.00 overseas and can also be viewed on our web site. The Sonerai Video (15 minutes) is available for $6.95 - VHS or PAL (plus $4.00 U.S./Canada and $10 overseas). Send for your copy today!
REAR DRIVE & HYDRAULIC BRAKES.
Late in 1998, we completed development and testing of a new Rear Drive System. The Rear Drive System opens up an entire new envelope for the use of VW engines. The engine itself is less expensive, provides the option for "other than wood" props, 40+ amps of DC power, etc... Also, our Hydraulic Brakes were introduced and provide an easy, economical way to replace older drum style brakes on Azusa 5" and 6" wheels.
REDUCTION DRIVE & SPARK PLUG ADAPTERS.
In 1999, in association with Valley Engineering, LLC, we have added Reduction Drives in 2:1, 1.6:1 and 1.29:1 ratios. These drives for the Type 1 VW only. You can achieve truly outstanding take off and rate of climb performance. Also introduced were our Spark Plug Adapters. These innovative Adapters connect to the standard Slick M2266 Shielded Spark Plug Harness enabling the use of a standard VW automotive spark plug. They feature full noise suppression are easy to install.
To place an order: Call us at 1-800-922-6507 (US Only)
1-402-493-6507
or Fax us at 402-493-3846
Inquiries can also be directed to:
gpasc@earthlink.net
Great Plains Aircraft Supply Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 545
Boys Town, NE 68010
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TO FIND A SPECIFIC ITEM OR PRODUCT . . .
i.e. Carb, 1/2 VW, landing gear, secondary ignition, exhaust systems,
Go to the Great Plains On-Line Catalog here!