"Sorta Cirrus" N1845N

(Formerly C-FSNZ)

Currently Owned by:

E. Gregory Keating and
Willie Werner

STATUS: In Service

LOCATION: New Woodstock, NY
 
 
 

The "Sorta Cirrus", formally named the KW-45, was built by Willie Krug of Canada. The fuselage and empennage were designed and built by Krug, and the wings are factory-supplied Cirrus wings.

Krug’s original intention was to build a glider using Nimbus 2 wings. Construction began in Toronto using a balsa wood sandwiched construction. The vertical stabilizer was built from solid glassfibre using a male mold. Rudder and all flying elevator were made of balsa sandwich construction. After four years of work, the price of Nimbus wings had zoomed to $12,000 (from $6,000), so Krug compromised by buying Cirrus wings (for $7,200). One more year’s work resulted in a completed ship, with trailer, for $10,500. Unfortunately, no drawings remain and no pictures were taken during construction. The ship first flew in the spring of 1974. The calculated L/D was 45, so it was designated the KW-45.

Krug relocated to Calgary in 1974 and flew with the Cu-Nim club. He won second in the 1977 May Meet, third in the 1978 May Meet, and third in the 1978 Western Regionals.

Krug flew the ship until 1980, putting about 330 hours on it. He then sold it to Wernfried Wollrad of Edmonton, Alberta, an instructor in the Edmonton Soaring Club, who put about 200 hours on the plane until his last flight in 1995.

The current owners purchased it in 1998. They confirm that it flies much like the Cirrus, with an L/D of something around 40, and no bad habits. The cockpit is a bit more cramped than the Cirrus, but is comfortable enough.