Pulse #347

Judy Johnson with her 1990 Pulse #347

#347 with the F4U Corsair at the 2012 International Pulse Rally

Below is the Pulse #347 with Ray Johnson's 1947 Aeronca Chief and his 1956 Ford F-100

Below, Margie gives a thumbs-up.

Judy giving Dave a ride

History of Pulse #347

Ken Haughton had a transportation service for Owosso Motor Car Company and delivered Pulses all over the country.

Ken & Donna Haughton's kids take their Pulse out for a ride in 1987.

Above, Brian in yellow Pulse and Ed Butcher in white Pulse at the Owosso Curwood Parade in 1987

Pulse #27 was given to Ken Haughton as part payment for services rendered by Ken for Owosso Motor Car Co.

Ken took this Pulse back to Owosso Motor Car Co. for updates, however, parts of this Pulse were used to complete others Pulses and after quite a while, Ken went back to the Butcher farm and picked up the pieces and took them home in hopes of someday re-assembling the Pulse.

Ken had purchased the 1982 GL-1100 Honda engine to be installed in it. About 10 years later, the storage shed/barn fell down around the machine. Needless to say it needed a lot of work to be completed.

More pictures of Ken Haughton and his recollections of the Pulse and Owosso Motor Car Co.

Bill Senter purchased this Pulse in pieces from Ken. Here it is under restoration.

Bill Senter had contacted Ed Butcher, President of the Owosso Motor Car Company about buying a Pulse. Ed Butcher gave Bill the lead that eventually lead to the purchase of the Pulse on June 22, 1999. Bill lived in Chippewa Falls.

A complete restoration was finished including the addition of the tail section. (An original $2,100 option) On 9/15/2000 the painting was completed. (Yellow with black trim). On 10/1/2000 it was ready for inspection by the Wisconsin state hiway patrol and a new title and VIN number were issued.

The first Pulse Rally Bill took Pulse to was in Fort Worth, Texas for the BD-5 rally and airshow where Jim Bede (Aviation designer & inventor of the Pulse design) was in attendance. Jim Bede looked at the Pulse and told Bill Senter that he messed up his airflow design with the addition of the tail section.

In June of 2001 Bill Senter makes a 1,100 mile round trip to the Litestar/Pulse Rally at Owosso, Michigan. Bill records 55 M.P.G. average gas mileage. In 2002, Bill took this Pulse to Arizona and traveled around.

Below is Pulse #347 at the 2nd Annual National Pulse Rally which was held in conjunction with the BD-5 Convention in Texas in Oct. of 2000.

Below, Bill Senter on the ramp at the 2001 Pulse Rally at Owosso, Michigan. He got alot of attention when he told the gawkers that he had just landed.

Ray & Judy Johnson bought the Pulse from Bill Senter at the 2003 Litestar Pulse Rally at Marion, IN.

Below, Ray Johnson, just after taking the keys to his new Pulse.

Here is Judy with Chuck Furgason, Pulse Instructor, before he signed her off to "Solo".

The Pulse has a new 12 gallon fuel tank and it sports the Fly-In Cruise-In webpage address on it's side.

PULSE Versus HORSE and MULE

by Judy Johnson

Saturday May 16, 2008

Ray and I were invited to a surprise 50th birthday party of a flying friend of ours about a hour drive from Marion. Due to the poor flying weather we decided to drive the Pulse instead of taking the Aeronca Chief.

We were just 6 miles east of Sheridan, Indiana on Indiana State Road #47. Ray was driving about 50 mph when all of sudden, the car in front of us slammed on the brakes and we wondered why.

Then, we saw a herd of horses running at full speed across the road. There were 6 of them and one mule. The horses had gotten out earlier and the owner was attempting to round them up.

The car in front of us somehow managed to miss the herd and never stopped. The horses then seemed to the turn and run straight at us. At least one horse and the mule hit our Pulse. Ray recalls that he actually locked up both wheels and skidded slightly to the right as he tried to maneuver between them. We were probably down to 40 to 45 mph on impact. Ray saw a hoof including the nails on the shoe coming right towards his face. I believe the roll bar deflected the animals leg before it hit him.

We later learned it was a Tennessee Walker, a large horse, who hit the Pulse in the front shattered the windshield and his hoof that came within 3" of Ray's face. Another witness said that a mule also hit the Pulse and flipped over the top of us.

Restoration by Mike Grindle

Below, the twin headlight configuration can be seen.
This was a factory modification to a single flip-up type headlight.

The Pulse mechanically is better off than you would expect, the other hand, the body is in need of extensive work. One of the tail wings were taken out and the turn signal lights were knocked off. We believe Ed Butcher would be pleased to know that even though this is a compact car, it is safer than a motorcycle when something like this occurs and the rollbar did its job.

Son-in-law Brad came with his big truck and trailer and we chained down the Pulse and delivered it to the body shop for repairs.

We're sad, but very thankful that we are alive, much less hurt! The Lord certainly looked out for us today.

Love,
Judy

Litestar Pulse Webpage