Ligetti Stratos on Sixty minutes

[mechfx]

Just found this footage on youtube of the Stratos prototype flying and the sixty minutes story...

 

Wow....

 

Art

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

I still remember when it was on Sixty minutes.I was a Kid back then.Its been great to turn back time.Thank you

 

 

[Galpin]

I had the privilege of looking over this aircraft on the 25th September at Holbrook. It is truly a magnificent looking aircraft. It is hoped that someone will take up the challenge of revisiting and building a new version.

 

 

[Guest Wigg]

We have pics of it taken at NATFLY this year

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Here's a picture I took at the John Duigan day at Yarrawonga. When I first saw it I wondered where the tail had gone. A really interesting design.

 

 

It is among the John Duigan day photos at the location linked below my signature.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I too was awestruck by this innovative craft and would love to know more about it's performance and limitations. Perhaps it's short length was dictated by the necessity for road trailering rather than ideal aerodynamics. I'd love to see the design developed further.

 

Lyle

 

 

[Chird65]

They tried to start it as an Open Source project but it has since slowed to nothing. Ligeti Stratos: World's first open source aircraft The designers son was a member here.

 

 

[Chird65]

Hey was that 60 Minutes or beyond 2000? I don't remember the presenter being at 60 Minutes.

 

 

[Guest Baphomet]

The joined wing is inovative, and has been around a long time. I remember seeing a photo of a German prototype produced during the war years. Here are a couple of links for the interested.

 

Closed wing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Advanced joined-wing designs, page 1

 

Baph

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hey was that 60 Minutes or beyond 2000? I don't remember the presenter being at 60 Minutes.

It could have been Beyond 2000, now that you mentioned it.It was a long time ago.

 

 

[dazza 38]

What was particularly sad was that Charles died test flying a modified version and from there the project just seemed to stop. A similar sad story with the young Winton lad who also designed an innovative aircraft and also died in a mid air break up of the structure from memory over his parents' Central Coast property (back in the 80s I think) and again the design was not continued.Are there any fundamental problems with the design of the Stratos that anyone knows? It seems a terrible shame that such an innovative aircarft design could not be improved and produced.

 

David

Hi David, Scott Winton crashed the Facet Opal, just after flying over his brother Dean's shed in NSW. I remember the accident, i was a young fella then.I used to go over to Col Wintons (Scotts Father) house, occasionaly at Coomera Gold Coast.They where both great innovators, with Col designing the Sportman, gold coaster, grass hopper aircraft.Scott designing the Sapphire, Ultrabat, and the Facet opal. This is off the top of my head, they probably designed other a/c that i dont remember ATM.His brother Dean worked at the sapphire factory from memory in NSW.

 

 

[ronsky]

Your right dazza 38, it was beyond 2000. around the start of 1987

 

The fundamental problems arose in the aerodynamics of the second Stratos, the one in holbrook is a plug of the second Stratos

 

The original Stratos - the one you see flying in the video still exists in storage

 

If anyone is interested a new website for the Stratos is at www.lgtaerospace.com

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi David, the crash happened on the Central Coast of NSW.Thats where his Brother Dean Lived.I think he left from Tyagarah Just Nth Of Byron Bay.This is from memory, could be incorrect.His Parents live on the Gold Coast as you have mentioned above.Well they where, the last time i saw them which was a long time ago.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I will find out Stand BY.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Dazz, thanks for the clarification. Do you remember the year of that accident, it was the early eighties from memory.David

Hi David, Scott Passed away Mothers Day 1989.You are Correct, Scotts parents moved from the Gold Coast to Lake Munmorah.Apparently he was going to drive to his parents house but had car problems, so he decided to fly instead.His Brother Lived at Doyalson, where he unfortunatley Crashed. I dont know but i think he was going to his brothers on the way to his parents.Crash was caused by rear spar failure.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I have some mate. Col had the moulds.There was another one in the progress being built when Scott Died.The a/c was repairable the one he crashed in.In the development stage, it was originally fitted with a 503.It was unstable or something like that.Scott then fitted a 477. It was a amazing a/c.It was biult in 1985 at a price of around $120 000. The spar failed because the rear spar was modified for something.Cant remember why.The spar failed from a crack starting from a hole drilled into the spar.I think.As aircraft goes, it broke alot of records. I think Arthur (Pylon 500), knows a fair bit about it. John Heard and Howie Huges helped Scott alot as well as his father Col.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Wow David That brings back some memories.The airfield is Tyagarah in the flilm.I forget to Mention Chris Conroy.The Gent in the Video. He use to have a TV show on the Coast.About Boats and Ultralights. He is still around.Lives at Ormeau I think. He makes the Sparrow Ultralight.I saw that Video back on TV when it was made. Maybe a new thread is in order.Cheers mate for Sharing.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

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[Mike Trike]

I miss Charles Ligetti! He had personality with a capital P.

 

He used to fly the Stratos a lot round Riddells Creek and Penfield Sunbury.

 

We had a lot in common. I was flying a very early 2 seat trike, the 2nd or 3rd made by Ricky Duncan of Airborne Windsports.

 

It came over the fence at maybe 30 knots.

 

And Charles had one of the quickest, if not THE quickest ultralights around.

 

Both were white!

 

His death was a massive loss to Australia.

 

My only recall of the incident was a prototype with less dihedral - a bit quicker - testing the stall or stalling at a level too low for recovery.

 

We tended to blame the department for such incidents because of the ridiculous regulations we had to fly with (or ignore) at the time - including height.

 

(Not the fault of the real working people at DoA - just their dickhead masters)

 

My apologies if I got the incident wrong.

 

There was a lot of gossip about the safety of the aircraft, but, it flew fine on all the days and weeks we flew together.

 

It's 2011 and I did a search for Charles Ligetti.

 

Take that as a complement Charles!

 

I'm sure you would have been popping ultralights into orbit by now, had your (and our) luck held.

 

 

[ronsky]

Wow, they are some really nice words Mike.

 

I reckon he would have appreciated what you said.

 

You pretty much summed it up right, there is more to the story - but its technicalities and setting the scene as to why he believed he had to take certain risks.

 

He did tweak the second aircraft with the elevator sizing and the channel wing (experimental high lift devise), anyway it caused the second aircraft to stall like a conventional aircraft. Charles didn't expect it because the original Stratos didn't have a pronounced stall.

 

If he was testing at 3000ft i imagine things would be alot different today.