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Blistex posted:He was saying that the frame looks warped due to the camera lens and everything is in fact straight. Yeah, right. 
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Feb 23, 2014 11:02
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MrYenko posted:That thing looks like what you'd get if you asked a scale modeler with zero engineering knowledge to build an airplane. I read this as if you were talking about someone who builds flying model planes. Instead of scale models that sit in dioramas. The first interpretation borders on insulting. :-) A lot of r/c people don't understand engineering, but somehow do grasp "what seems right" and they make planes that fly very well.
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Feb 26, 2014 17:38
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Nerobro posted:I read this as if you were talking about someone who builds flying model planes. Instead of scale models that sit in dioramas. The first interpretation borders on insulting. :-) Plot of "Last flight of the Phoenix" right here. Anyway, regarding the BF-109 vapourware guy, apparently the old guy (his dad) that you occasionally see in pictures actually designed, built and fly a few planes, and has worked with a kitbuilder/designer who was pretty famous in the homebuilt community. Can't seem to find the thread all of this was posted in before, but it is worth reading as this guy gets seriously butthurt and storms off.
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Feb 26, 2014 19:16
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Blistex posted:Can't seem to find the thread all of this was posted in before, but it is worth reading as this guy gets seriously butthurt and storms off. Here: http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/warbirds-warbird-replicas/7523-all-new-full-size-replica-messerschmitt-bf-109-g-6-a.html
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Feb 27, 2014 08:02
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HIGH QUALITY PINE.
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Feb 27, 2014 15:11
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MrYenko posted:HIGH QUALITY PINE. 
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Feb 27, 2014 17:51
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well.. I'm sure there's a lot of good wood there. "aircraft quality" wood is a matter of selection, more than "as delivered" state. But geeze, that pile doesn't look good. I love how he thinks his 1/10 model which was 800g, will be 750kg once scaled up.
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Feb 27, 2014 18:47
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I think the point he was trying to make (but everyone in the homebuilt forums kept missing) was that the wood was in no way meant to be the source of the structural integrity of the aircraft, but rather to be a mold for the composite sandwich. The quality of the wood shouldn't really matter as long as it made the appropriate shape for the composite layers. Although he did also mention that the wood was in fact structurally sound. Also, there was no way in hell he was walking away with a fuselage weighing what he said it would. Maybe if he did the sandwich without the majority of the wood or with a true fuselage mold it could happen, but taking a wooden and foam model at scale and increasing it by a few orders of magnitude doesn't work the same as scaling up an entirely metal or composite model.
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Feb 27, 2014 21:17
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The fact that he was looking for investors without having a finished product looks pretty shady. Failed revolutionary new aircraft design has lined a few peoples pockets over the years. Got snowed in again today so I bucked rivets on a T18. Still cant get to my Lazair.
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Feb 28, 2014 00:02
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helno posted:The fact that he was looking for investors without having a finished product looks pretty shady. Oh, if you take a look at his website, he's still looking for investors. Not really for the aircraft but for the engine. All you have to do is help him out building a 350-700Hp-ish Mazda rotary to haul his lumber and foam around.
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Feb 28, 2014 07:34
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Well the 172 I rent finnaly sold just as the weather has started to improve. Time to join the flying club in the next town over. Remember the Challenger I wired? It is getting amphibious floats, they arrived today. Got a bit of work done on my brake upgrade. Caliper supports are installed now just getting some more of the details worked out.
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Mar 29, 2014 04:23
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Sounds like you've managed to get a bit done over the winter. Shame about the 172 getting sold, are there any plans to replace it?
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Mar 30, 2014 01:09
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hayden. posted:In the Portland, OR area. Do you drive a red subaru with a big grenade sticker on the back, parked outside of a bank right now? You guys mentioned cost savings of building a regular kit plane over an ultralight, how much are those savings? I have nothing but free time right now so if flight lessons save me money in the long run, it seems like that would be a much better way to go.
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Mar 31, 2014 05:45
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I honestly cant see any savings in building a larger plane over building an ultralight. Buying an old certified or experimental would be cheaper than buying any new light sport aircraft. Down in the states there is a big difference between an ultralight and a light sport aircraft. Up here in Canada we don't have the two categories so ultralights can be very cheap. Buying used tends to be much cheaper regardless of type.
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Apr 1, 2014 00:38
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Well I finally finished the brake install on the Lazair. Just need to wait for some calm winds to test them out and get them adjusted. Had a bit of a delay finding a nicopress crimper for the cables but got one yesterday.  We had an open house at the airport on easter weekend and I had the Lazair setup for that. I was able to get out for a few circuits last monday. Here is the footage from that flight it was very cold. I think I cleared up quite a few misconceptions about ultralights from the general public as well as from other pilots.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3aZnsJVvFY Got some time in with my flight instructor this morning. 2.8 hour flight with 2.6 under simulated instrument conditions. The artificial horizon in this plane is tilted slightly so it took a bit of getting used to but I did pretty well. I think the worst I did was when I was given it back after doing a bunch of partial panel work. Hopefully I will be able to finish the last 2.1 hours before I have to drive 45 minutes to get to the plane.
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May 11, 2014 03:37
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Looks great, are the brakes to help with ground handling or landing distance? I'm a bit out of practice in IFR flying and need to get myself back up to speed. I've been doing a lot of vfr and general handling recently especially with the chipmunk. I popped into IMC for a short period the other day and felt like it was a big workload again.
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May 14, 2014 01:05
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Just for ground handling. Landing on hard surface runways is pretty dicey if there is the tiniest crosswind component. I am glad we have to do a bit of instrument flying to get a night endorsement. It takes a lot of effort for a low time local pilot like myself.
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May 14, 2014 01:28
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Been a while since I posted anything. My Lazair is back down at the grass runway and I still havent got the brakes done, I am waiting for some new pads. Sandy's challenger is now on amphibious floats.  I finished the instrument hours needed for the night rating and am one quick flight away from that rating. My wife and I went to Ottawa and I did 2 hours in a simulator doing ILS approaches and VOR intercepts. After the simulator time I did a quick aerobatic flight in a Grob 115c with some simple things like rolls and wingovers.
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Jun 15, 2014 03:36
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That's awesome. A Challenger on floats looks great.
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Jun 19, 2014 01:28
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There are a few in the area despite our lack of lakes (We only have one and it is a big one.) I looked back at the beginning of this thread and remembered the questions about single engine performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtbKCb_LdBM My friend Pete suffered a partial engine failure, it wouldn't go much above idle. Pete was only a couple of hundred feet up when it happened and he flew SEVEN MILES on one engine. Landing was uneventful. Looks like he blew a rear crank seal and the fuel/oil messed with his ignition. In Other news I might be buying a Davis DA-2A, the price is right and I am just waiting to hear back what the empty weight is. I need at least 450lbs of useful load for it to be much good for me. If this goes through the Lazair will be for sale. If not I'll keep saving for something more boring like a 150 or a Cherokee.
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Jun 26, 2014 03:49
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helno posted:There are a few in the area despite our lack of lakes (We only have one and it is a big one.) Where are you located (roughly) and how much would you be asking for the Lazair?
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Jul 14, 2014 00:09
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I am in Kincardine Ontario. I would be selling the Lazair with it's trailer I would hope to get around $4500 for them both. Here is a list of the work I have done in the last three years. Mejeslik carbon fibre props MGL asi/alt UV resistant tape applied to wings and tail New tires Bicycle disk brakes New fuel tank and lines LED Strobe light Trailer New axle New tires New flooring I was out looking at the Davis yesterday and I am pretty confident it is the plane for me. Small fast simple which is right up my alley. The owner needs to complete a few repairs to make it airworthy. Sounds like he got some bad advice at changed brake fluids which hosed up all the seals so he in the process of replacing them.  Here we are at 8500 feet in a 172 north of Toronto. Took a while to get up there but I made use of my glider skills and hopped from cloud to cloud so I was getting about 900-1100 fpm until we hit the cloud bases and then is was a long slog to get up to 8500. 
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Jul 14, 2014 02:26
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You need to buy that thing just to fix everything that's wrong with it. :-) What's it's useful load?
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Jul 14, 2014 06:40
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helno posted:I am in Kincardine Ontario. I would be selling the Lazair with it's trailer I would hope to get around $4500 for them both. I'm fantasizing about it. Probably wouldn't be prudent. I wonder if it would fit in the hangar with my 172.... That said, what you said earlier about landing being hairy with the slightest crosswind is turning me off a bit. There's almost always a crosswind at my airport and we have an asphalt runway. There are a couple of long grass "taxiways" that they may also allow for use in landing, but the crosswind on those would usually be worse. What's the recommended way to get into flying something like a Lazair when there is no possibility of dual instruction? I guess it's trial by fire.
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Jul 14, 2014 10:20
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There are a few two-seat trainers out there. Good luck finding someone who has one to teach you for less than $∞
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Jul 14, 2014 10:25
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I basically did trial by fire. Once it is off the ground it is an airplane that handles like any other except with a bit more adverse yaw. Where you really need to watch out is on the ground. It has some very bad tail dragger tendencies and has a few oddities that you have to watch out for. What I did is spent about an hour in a cub to get a feel for flying with a stick again and spent about 1.5 hours taxiing at various speeds up and down the runway. Deceleration is far more difficult than getting going, with the motors at idle you have quite a delay in adding power. Paved surfaces are an adventure because the tail wheels castor. I tend to use the grass if there is any crosswind. Once you get used to it a 5 mph crosswind is fine on grass. The thing to remember is that the typical times you fly a plane like this are that last calm hour before sunset so winds are not much of a problem. It will fit in nicely with a 172 in a square hanger it is very wide but very short. Hanging it from the ceiling is also a common option. As for the Davis I am thinking more and more that it is a good option. Dick seems keen even going so far as to ask his exwife banker what the best option for a joint account is.
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Jul 15, 2014 00:34
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I've never seen the davis before, looks like a fun possibility. If you end up going down the cofa route things get heavy and thirsty fast although the utility goes through the roof. There's a beautiful 180 that's been completely redone one justplanetrading I keep gazing at. But I definitely can't afford another aircraft!
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Jul 22, 2014 00:02
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The Da-2a is not terribly thirsty despite having an actual designed for aircraft engine (C90). All that is left is for me to test fly it and that will probably happen this weekend. If the test flight goes well I hand over the check and fly it home. Should be an interesting time.
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Jul 22, 2014 02:39
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Did you get the aircraft? In other homebuilt news I helped a friend out today adjusting the prop on his rv8. The fine pitch stops were set way too fine and was giving him landing / handling difficulties. He reports the adjustments transformed the handling. We also adjusted the governer to bring the max rpm back up to 2700 and then went out to test and do some aeros. Towards the end we bounced a friend in his c42 microlight and flew formation with him for a bit, it's incredible that an aircraft that can cruise at 160 knots comfortable, dive at 200 can also formation fly at about 70.
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Oct 13, 2014 01:35
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Unfortunately the deal fell apart. The seller change the oil and tossed the filter immediately after we left and didn't seem to understand why that was suspicious. Things never really improved from there. Dick ran his T18 for the first time this weekend. Ran nicely after sitting for 4 years. I was finnaly able to complete my night rating. The only other news is that I found a way to keep my Lazair and have it stored better. A guy in my flying club has an 1100 foot strip with a hangar. He has a Lazair that needs recovering so I am going to sell him a share of mine and help him get his recovered.
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Oct 13, 2014 14:51
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Got the Lazair relocated today. Great day for flying but the wind chill is pretty harsh at 40 mph. http://youtu.be/N9JEDJR1JDg http://youtu.be/yfqqad8eTug Here is the video of Dicks T18 running. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebtmMV6AV6Q helno fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Oct 27, 2014 |
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Oct 20, 2014 03:57
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How close were you to those trees @ around 19:52? I've always wanted an ultralight, but I've wanted a small regular aircraft as well. A buddy of mine built a beautiful Zenith (photo below taken from my DJI Phantom a couple weeks back) and I would love that airplane but the whole idea of hangaring and the monthly commitment scares me a bit and makes an ultralight you can maybe even take apart that much more appealing. What does insurance cost on an ultralight? Can you give me an idea for the licensing requirements for Canada?  e: What are the thoughts on autogyros? slidebite fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Oct 20, 2014 |
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Oct 20, 2014 17:51
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Autogyro's are considered helicopters in Canada. If that Zenith is a 701 it can be registered as an ultralight in Canada. I was about 50 feet above that one tall tree and as a result came in a bit high. There are not many folding wing ultralights out there but if you want something more storage friendly take a look at powered paragliders and trikes. They come apart much easier and both count as ultralights. The process to get licensed is similar to a Private pilots license but the hours are lower and the aircraft are generally cheaper to get time in. You start by taking ground school write a test and then you fly till you meet the requirements.
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Oct 20, 2014 22:45
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Try to get an idea of what sort of flying you want to do. Going places or just going up and enjoying the fun of flying around. There are microlights that will do both, but ones that go further tend to be quite expensive but their running costs tend to be low. Regular certified planes sometimes don't cost too much, but maintenance and ongoing costs can be unpleasant. If you can find a way to manage the cost it's one of the most satisfying things that you can do. There are quite a few auto gyros based at my airfield and they don't hold much attraction to me, they seem to be very expensive and have ok performance, I understand the view is terrific.
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Oct 21, 2014 00:05
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One thing to keep in mind is that if you get an ultralight pilot permit in Canada, you can fly any aircraft that meets the definition of an ultralight. There are plenty of small certified aircraft that ultralight pilots can fly and you can always move up to a full PPL at your leisure.
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Oct 21, 2014 00:32
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Dick is trying his hardest to piss off his neighbors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEmCDR_4zKE He shot a bit of footage of me starting the engines and taking off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi8SEH9HSFY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDJamaPI-dA
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Oct 27, 2014 02:53
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So in a bit of homebuilt news. I flew down with a friend in his RV8 to southern Germany. They're a fantastic machine, unfortunately he had a failure of the starter relay and it took out the starter on a friday. We managed to get parts shipped from Aircraft spruce over the weekend and had it back together the day they arrived. I think if I had the time I'd definitely think about building an rv8, the speed for the fuel burn is very impressive.
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Nov 7, 2014 20:52
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Not only do they have excellent speed/fuel ratios but they have a very wide range of speed. Very low stall speed but also a very high top speed. I'd love a -4 or -6 but that is going to take some saving. Might get into a partnership on a Cherokee 180. The flying club I am a member of sent the plane off for paint. It is stripped and just waiting on an acid wash and new plastic bits.
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Dec 4, 2014 02:14
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This might seem like a dumb question, but are there any fixed-wing aircraft that have 2-axis controls--like a powered parachute? I used to see cheapo RC airplanes that only had a 2-axis controller and wonder how they worked, since I'd never had one and all the 'normal' airplane references tell you that you need to have 3 axis control, plus the throttle. Some years back when powered parachutes began to be sold in the US, it was claimed that they were so easy to fly that you didn't even need lessons for that. You could not stall it or spin it, and the maximum attainable speed was inherently limited by the design. A lot of light-aircraft pilots that have tried them note that (compared to just about any other fixed-wing aircraft) powered parachutes are very slow and very noisy. That seems like it would be due to the things needing huge engines + props--because of being open-cockpit and using a parachute instead of a fixed wing. Seems to me that if you built a canard high-wing version of the same thing you would avoid several major issues with conventional-control aircraft: you couldn't stall or spin, or pull high-G maneuvers at all. It would still be easy to fly, because the only controls would be the throttle and the rudder. It would be basically a fixed-speed design, but if you could trim the canard in flight there might be some cruising speed adjustment available. Has anyone done this?
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Dec 19, 2014 01:06
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The original Ercoupe used a rudder interconnect to the roll axis of the yoke for turn coordination. Along with a limited-deflection elevator, it was billed as "inherently spin proof."
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Dec 19, 2014 01:50
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