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I was playing around with the time lapse function on the Gopro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlsudSHPWRw The weather is getting pretty spotty so soon it will be time to take the plane apart for the winter. I'll try to get some good pictures or video of it.
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Sep 22, 2012 21:39
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The only thing stopping me from flying in the winter is that my hanger space is not mine for the winter. The winter winds off of the lake are pretty brutal and keeping it outdoors would probably result in a mangled plane. Pete who is only 25 miles away has a pair of ski's and flys in the winter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLsMQD_Hbfg In other news the rearmost wing gap cover fell off during that time lapse video. I'll have to make a new one for next year. Taking it apart shouldn't take more than a couple hours or so. You start by removing the engine nacelles, then the wings and finally the tail fins.
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Sep 23, 2012 20:03
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What plane are you installing the instruments in? Flying in the winter would be pretty loving cold as Pete has an enclosure and I have just an open cockpit. Maybe in a few years there will be winter storage space for me and I can give it a try. I fogged the motors and took the plane apart today. I could have waited a bit longer but I am busy pretty much every weekend for the next month. Fogging the motors was fun, a pretty massive smoke show for such small engines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEfBl4G30go Right as I finished Rick came over to take the cub out for spin and Heather wasn't interested so I went up with him for a bit. I'll have to take some pictures of the various projects on the go in town. I did the electrical system in a Challenger there is a RV-6 and T18 in progress. The guy who owns the cub has a Skybolt but progress on that hasn't moved in a long time sadly.
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Oct 1, 2012 02:45
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Only the engine mount bolts are lockwired. There are a few on the control system but they never get undone. Everything else is done using AN bolts and nylock nuts that you replace every few times they are used. Flying is quite alive and well in the area. Lots of people flying despite the local instructor/airport manager charging just under $200/hr for a beat up 172. There have been 4 new hangers built at the airport in the last 3 years. In the cub yesterday I was shown a few other small airstrips that I hadn't noticed. Apparently there are a few ultralight guys out there but they tend to stick to themselves. What sort of camera rig are you running on the Husky? seems like if you are adding a rear panel this is pretty serious business.
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Oct 1, 2012 22:05
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I guess I should try to keep this thread alive over the winter. Flew to Ottawa last weekend in a Comanche to pick up a VW bus so I can now go on camping tours with the ultralight. Getting the gopro camera has officially paid for itself. I entered a pretty dull video in a contest but apparently the competition isnt that great because I got the most votes. http://www.urthecast.com/urtheview/vote So far the prize for most votes by November 15th was an ARdrone which I am going to sell to fund a much more capable quadcopter I have been designing.
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Nov 26, 2012 04:36
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It should be fun crossing the border in a 77 hippie van with my crazy haired old man and the Lazair in tow. I got the idea from this guy. http://jgwalkaboutusa.blogspot.com.au/ Amazing pictures and quite the story of this guys flying vacation. Should be lots of fun getting the tundra tires on that Husky. The flying club the next town over is keeping there 172 in Kincardine this winter so I will probably be joining up and working on my night rating. helno fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Dec 7, 2012 |
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Dec 7, 2012 03:29
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The other question is what kind of license/experience have you got? You would hate to start building something only to figure out that you don't really have the desire to fly it that much. I remember back when I was a Cadet helping a guy install the wings on his Air Camper. Seems like a great open cockpit plane.
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Dec 30, 2012 22:39
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Pham Nuwen posted:
Yeah it really is some of the best flying. I do like going fast at times as well but if I want to go flying just for the hell of it nothing beats the Lazair or Cub. I could never build a plane because I just cant keep my mind on projects for that long of a term and there is really nothing out there that I could build that would be cheaper than buying used. Definitely get a few lessons first. Make sure you can get a medical before you buy anything big.
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Dec 31, 2012 03:49
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I figure it is time for a winter update to keep this thread out of the archives. Haven't been up to much. Doing a bit of flying in this old 172.  Only work I have done to the Lazair is to replace the old and cracked wheelbarrow tires. In the works are replacing the fuel tubing with something that wont get so hard. I also am going to build a better mount for the throttle cables to make them more even from motor to motor. For Christmas I asked for a bike horn for the plane and got one of these. http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Airzound-Bike-Horn/dp/B000ACAMJC Should be audible from a few hundred feet up.
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Feb 14, 2013 21:56
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It looks clean on the outside. It got a paintjob last year to sell it. Has just over 9700 hours on the airframe and 2500 on the motor. Back when it was towing banners the paint looked pretty rough. It is at the municipal airport so it gets flown off tarmac. No grass fields are open around here this time of year. There are a few guys with ski's but the winters have been pretty hit or miss lately.
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Feb 20, 2013 15:43
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helno posted:Getting the gopro camera has officially paid for itself. I entered a pretty dull video in a contest but apparently the competition isnt that great because I got the most votes. Digging this back up because I just won $1000 from that contest. Edit: http://www.urthecast.com/blog/updates/urtheview-competition-announces-its-first-grand-prize-winner-video/ I have a feeling they wanted to forget it even happened due to the lack of submissions. I emailed them a few weeks ago asking who won the grand prizes and they replied yesterday that it was me. Hopefully with the weather improving i'll be able to get the Lazair back together. The 172 is missing a turn coordinator right now so I haven't started on the night rating yet. helno fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Apr 11, 2013 |
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Mar 29, 2013 03:08
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I would say that if you are getting licensed anyways build one of the larger planes that can use a 4 stroke engine. You just give up way to much airframe to get a 4 stroke engine under FAR 103. Hell you can get an Ercoupe for <$20000 and that can fit in as an LSA and has a GENUINE AIRCRAFT ENGINE. I'm hoping in 5-10 years i'll be able to split an RV-6 for a decent price.
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Apr 11, 2013 02:01
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As far as ultralights and homebuilts go Canada has some pretty kick rear end laws. Our ultralights do not have the same ridiculous weight limit but in exchange we need to get a basic license. Oh and we can fly into the states and the only restriction is no passengers and you have to have an ultralight instructor rating or a rec/PPl. On the homebiult side of things I recently learned that we are not as restricted as you guys are. When someone builds a plane in the states they can do any maintenance needed. Once that plane is sold the new owner does not get this same privilege. In Canada this is not the case. You do not need to be the original builder to sign off the maintenance release. The more I keep looking the more I am leaning towards a used homebuilt over an inexpensive certified plane. The Lazair is great for what I currently use it for (ultracheap flying but only in great weather and very little cross country) but I really would like a second seat and the ability to go places faster than driving. Used certified planes are quite cheap but the cost of the annual maintenance kills the hourly rate with a single owner. An Ercoupe or a C150 can both be had for less than $20k but unless I fly 75+ hours a year it is cheaper to rent. An RV-6 costs more up front but split 2-3 ways cuts this down quite a bit and you get far more plane for the money with a lower hourly cost without needing to fly 75+ per year.
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Apr 12, 2013 22:35
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Got the Lazair mostly together last night. Everything is on but the engines. No video this time my gopro was dead. I have started flying with an instructor in the 172 to get my night rating but it looks like a buyer might have turned up so it is hard to say if I will finish that rating this season.
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May 10, 2013 01:23
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Finally got the first flight of the year in the Lazair tonight. A 5 mph direct crosswind is the best weather I am going to see for a while. I did a few circuits and lost the display on my airspeed/altimeter. Didn't really miss it but was probably climbing out way faster than best rate because of it.
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May 28, 2013 03:31
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Colonel K posted:Glad to hear you've got it ready for the year again. Did you do much maintenance over winter or just reassemble? I fixed up a few things. I installed a new fuel tank and got better lines, the old ones were hard as a rock after one season. New tubes and tires not much else other than chasing the threads on the odd nut/bolt. As for building $1500 for a two seater seems crazy cheap even without an engine/avionics. With the market the way it is currently you can buy for cheaper than building in alot of cases. Find a partner if you can and the cost will go way down.
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May 29, 2013 03:40
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Did some work with Sandy and Addie on Sandy's Challenger. Finished up a few electrical things and found/fixed all the leaks in the fuel system.   This storm put a bit of a damper on things. 
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Jun 1, 2013 03:09
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Blistex posted:So why the reduction gear? Is it using a Mazda rotary engine? As was previously stated it is a Rotax 582 that wants to turn very fast. Pretty common engine. I honestly have never seen a Rotary powered plane. I remember reading articles about them but they seem to have fallen out of favour. Did my first night solo last night.
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Jun 6, 2013 01:27
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That was pretty awesome. That guy was flying the poo poo out of that little plane. Doing a touch and go off the top of the airliner was pretty ballsy. Edit: Here is a bit of footage shot this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asUmW8XKcWE helno fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 22:56
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I'll take a Subsonex if anyone is taking requests. Oshkosh tickets are purchased. If all goes to plan I am trailering the Lazair down and camping at the private campground adjacent to the ultralight area.
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Jul 13, 2013 03:49
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That is an engine family I had not even thought of. One part of that thread that really stood out to me is that BMW makes 250 of those motors per DAY. Seems like a pretty good option in the 100-115 hp range. Weight is listed at 75-85 kg installed weight which is right about the mass of a 912/914 once you fill up the radiator.
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Jul 15, 2013 02:28
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Technically the Lazair fits in under Far 103 but I will be using an SFOC that allows Canadian ultralights to fly into the states. http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/ultralights/sfa/media/ultra.pdf
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Jul 15, 2013 14:21
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There is a separate runway for ultralights in the southwest corner of the field and they have designated times for the various types of ultralights.
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Jul 15, 2013 19:00
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Did something a little different last night. A buddy of mine who is restoring a Thorp T18 also owns a homebuilt glider. He hasn't flown the glider in a few years and is thinking of selling it so we did a little photo op last night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crifjztsi24 Nice looking plane with incredible craftsmanship. http://s1175.photobucket.com/user/Helno/library/Flying/Gliders 
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Jul 22, 2013 21:44
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Perhaps it is more to do with a dwindling supply of donor cars. That BMW conversion looks like a much better option than the VW conversions but it is quite a bit heavier. There is a guy up here with a 1/4 scale hurcules and it is powered by 4 VW engines.
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Jul 23, 2013 00:40
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Posting from Oshkosh, Lazair is setup in the the ultralight area. I am on the east side of the north south road directly in line with the ultralight runway hiding behind a quicksilver. Here is a video from a month ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKMdZgV2IbA
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Aug 2, 2013 00:47
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Here is a bit of footage from my flights at Oshkosh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uE1If8ekBo I'll do a write up on what is involved later.
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Aug 7, 2013 12:24
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I was there from Wednesday evening till Sunday morning. The Lazair was packed up on Saturday night for the drive home. Round trip was 2000 km. Met a lot of Lazair owners and got a lot of questions from the public. Unfortunately because of my late arrival I was placed slightly outside of the ultralight area so you would have had to be headed to the amphibian parking to see my plane.
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Aug 7, 2013 21:41
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Oshkosh was great. Flying there was very interesting. You can't see it in my videos but there were a ton of planes and helicopters moving around the area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVm6TMu2j2o That was from the second time I got to fly. I flew for just under an hour so I cut out quite a bit of the flight to keep it from being to monotonous. Getting down there was a very long drive. Had everything packed up the night before and was on the road at 5 am. The border crossing was far easier than I expected, just a simple whats in the trailer and where are you going. We drove the southern route which took us through Chicago and driving in traffic with a 20 foot trailer was interesting. The new axle and modified ride height really made the trailer to easily but we couldn't go much faster than about 105 km/hr before every passing truck would cause it to swing. Setup on Wednesday night was easy with lots of helpers. Finished getting the motors on Thursday morning after the long briefing. Met this guy Eric during the briefing he is a demo pilot for a powered parachute company. He has some good videos on youtube http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOFpNj8nH7WIJMdPRZj_1xQ . I had to be up bright and early every morning to attend a briefing so I could fly if the weather permitted. My old man got to sleep in and he did his own thing most days but we met up to go to the museum and float plane base together. The last time I was at Oshkosh was when I was a teenager in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and I ran into a group of them who were on the same exchange that I had done back in 1999. My old man took some pictures of me flying but I am still waiting for them. Here are the photos I took while I was down there. http://s1175.photobucket.com/user/Helno/library/Flying/ Edit: here are the pictures my Dad took.       Packing up went very quick with lots of help. We stuck around a bit on Sunday morning and hit the border around 7 pm, the border guard asked me what this Oshkosh thing is that everyone had been to and he seemed quite excited to go next year. Overall the experience was great, I am glad I went midweek and would have liked to stay longer if only to do more flying. It is nice to see new things despite the fact that I can't afford most of what is there unless I win a lottery. helno fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Aug 26, 2013 |
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Aug 22, 2013 22:51
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Did a bit of loose formation flying today. 
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Sep 23, 2013 20:10
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It is much more interesting with planes that can maintain the same airspeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njlz5tfLzqs&t=741s This is the view from the other plane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9x85f7-3ts Sandy hasn't put to many hours on his Challenger yet and is hesitant to fly close to the stall speed so he stuck to around 60 mph which is my redline.
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Sep 24, 2013 00:41
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A chipmunk would be a great plane to have. They were used as military flight trainers up here so it is considered a poor mans warbird. What engine has it got? I always preferred the inline engine it just looked better on that airframe.  The weather around here has turned to poo poo so the Lazair has been taken apart for the winter. I'll have to get to work on the brakes. The 172 nearly broke free from its moorings in the strong winds we had the other day. It has been moved from a grass parking area to the apron but the tiedowns are about two feet back from the paved surface. The plane was chocked on the tarmac with the wing ropes leaning back to the tiedowns. The tail is tied down via a tow hook. The wind was blowing from behind and pushed the tail into the ground which unhooked the towhook and then the tail swung around. No damage but it couldn't stay like that so today the owner and I did a bit of paving so it could be tied down properly.
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Nov 3, 2013 04:03
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Colonel K posted:The weather has dropped off a bit here too, I've not had a chance to fly and fuel up the husky as my free time hasn't matched up with any decent flying days. Will you be flying the 172 much over the winter? Not sure how much flying I will get in this winter. I have at least 5 hours of dual time to finish my night rating. It is tough to get a dairy farmer/flight instructors schedule to line up with mine.
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Nov 3, 2013 15:53
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Thanks. I don't have the skills to produce the finely polished videos so I prefer to keep them simple and just show the experience how it looked and sounded to me. Where are you doing your PPL? It can be hard to find ultralight guys as they tend to be more private about it.
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Nov 6, 2013 03:42
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hayden. posted:I guess most people don't launch them from actual runways? Depends on your definition of actual runway. I fly from a really nice grass runway at a registered aerodrome. Most people think hard surface runway is the only way to go. I much prefer to fly off grass the extra rolling resistance makes for much better directional control. Have you had any progress in your flight training? I am still at basically the same place. The weather has been pretty nasty for the last two months so I have only gotten an hour in the last while. I helped Sandy winterize his challenger for the winter, not much to do there. My winter project for the Lazair is going to be brakes. I need to space the disc's out further to allow clearance for the bicycle brakes but I think I will be able to just use aluminum spacers rather than the large spacer discs that I had originally envisioned.
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Dec 12, 2013 04:27
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There are quite a few out there as they made a ton but no more kits since the early 80's. I met Gene the guy behind this project this summer. He is working on producing an updated version. http://newlazair.blogspot.ca/ Other similar aircraft are available as kits. http://www.kolbaircraft.com/ http://www.beliteaircraft.com/ http://www.quicksilveraircraft.com/ http://www.teammini-max.com/ If you like working with wood these guys make great kits. (my Uncle makes fiberglass parts for them) http://www.fisherflying.com/
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Jan 16, 2014 04:12
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That is pretty ironic about FFP. I guess that means you need to be not only a good carpenter but also good at sourcing materials. Where are you located? You can always join the two lazair yahoo groups and ask about ones for sale. As a side benefit you can watch as a few guys get butthurt about various subjects (this is why there are two groups).
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Jan 16, 2014 16:48
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I'm still waiting for a DA-2A So I haven't gotten much done on my brake project. Winter is kind of happening around here. A few weeks ago I got my spacers for the disks and got them assembled.   I went out to install the wheels and make a template for the caliper mounts and was greeted by this.     Got the wheels mounted made a nice cardboard template got the parts cut out of some aluminum and filed them to shape. Winter happened a bit more and we had four snow days from work. Helped out another guy mount the center section of his T18 wing and got some electronics work done. Went out yesterday to test fit the parts and found this.  The door I need is on the left. Don't think I'll be getting in there anytime soon.
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Feb 5, 2014 02:37
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Trying to make a car engine produce 200+ direct drive at the rpms required of a propellor is a recipe for disaster. Speaking of Subaru engine my soon to begin project is to put one into my 77' VW bus. I'll have to make a thread in AI.
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Feb 19, 2014 04:23
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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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