Got these pics in an email from my brother, the retired (Sidewinder) Rokit Scientist. The scene is at Inyokern Airport, near Hwy. 395, West of Death Valley. I thought y'all would like to see it, unfinished tho it may be. Also, the Stearman behind in the one pic is the one being ferried to Santa Paula for it's annual inspection. The Stearman is owned by "George", who often flew the Pawnee towplane for the local glider fliers...and a CL sport flier.
Steve-
Late this AM, this critter arrived from Santa Paula bringing in a pilot to fly the Stearman out of here back to S. Paula. It is a takeoff of the Mr Mulligan by Ben Howard of Howard "Ike" fame. Really a superb piece of homebuilding, by a semi-retired avocado farmer in the Bakersfield area, it carries his own name on the cowl, "Mister Dickenson".
It has an enlarged wingspan, and additional vertical fin/rudder height with a fin trim jackscrew to make it fly hands off at high speed, about 200MPH. He plans to paint it in period colors, cream and maroon. So far it has ~60 hours on it. You can find the registration for it under "N273MD". He said he has much flight time in other original Howard designs, and that this one flys the nicest. The wings have the kind of surface smoothness seen on high performance sailplanes. Interior not complete. Nine years in construction. hh