I have a friend who I helped occasionally in building a
Zenith 601...
one day, watching him drinking beer and riveting his flaps up "so they wouldnt accidentally come down" I asked, "Can you do that?"?
His reply, Jim, this is an experimental aircraft, I can do whatever I want! Right there I knew I would never take a ride in that plane...
He went on to nose it into a corn field in Illinois after the engine quit on take off, plane was crumpled as was he too but he only with minor injuries... lucky it was a nice soft muddy Illinois cornfield...
And no, he said he would have never had time to lower the flaps...
I also happen to know he was not only in violation of Rule #6, but #8 as well!
Slow
Red and Green