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Posted

Just Contemplating a build (long term thing)

 

Looking at the Minimax Range

 

http://www.teammini-max.com/

 

Free plans ????

 

Wondering if theirs can be scratch built in Australia (not interested in a Kit) (material availability etc)

 

Which of there aircraft's can be registered here as what?

 

Complete newbie as you may be able to tell

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

I'm pretty certain that all of them will fit into our CAO 95:10 issue 5 category for single seat ultralights with MTOW 300kg and wing loading less than 10kg/sq m. My favourite is the Himax and I've heard many reports from people who have built them, according to them they are simple to build and fly without any nasty vices.

 

 

Posted

Been around a long time. Not quick. Get one with a bit of give in the U/C. some have no movement but the tyre. Usually a "global" motor (2 Cyl VW based).Nev

 

 

Posted

A friend of mine owned a Himax and was building a second one, requires a level of wood working skill and build accuracy. A reasonable selection of wood work tools required including probably a thicknesser etc if sourcing your own timber and need to cut down to the very small section timber required, and a nice dry workshop or garage.

 

Total cost with all new materials, instruments, engine and hand held radio about $20k, cost dependant on sourcing timber and misc items such as wheels etc which would make it cheaper. Trouble is a near $20 k cost to build an aircraft that is likely worth about $10k to sell with a couple of years use.

 

The owner described the Highmax flight characteristics as "lively" and no doubt needs good tail wheel skills if the breeze gets up.

 

The blue AeroMax does look cool and fun for a summer day

 

 

Posted

Hi Nev, I scratch built my 1600R over 20 years ago and it stills flys like a new aircraft today. Cost me about 14K back in 1994, everything new. My suspension as mentioned is ONly the tyres but with over 690 landings to date its only a matter of arriving gently. Sourcing all the timber and plywood was the test but I was very lucky. If you want to have a look send me a PM. Its now living at Lethbridge. Make sure you get the newest set of plans. I bought S/H ones and they changed the width a of the Fuse: 24"wide where mine is only 22"wide. But then Im only a little bloke anyway.

 

 

Posted

As you can see, its pretty compact with a short wheel base. I fly the aircraft onto the ground, over the fence at about 55 Kts, level out and wash off some speed. Land on the mains and then wait until the tail stalls and the tailwheel gently kisses mother earth and is controllable. BEWARE>>>> If you put the tail on the ground too quickly you have one fantastically expensive Go-Kart that WILL ground loop you as quick as look at you. After 20 Years I havent worked up the courage to be able to 3 point it. It stall at 28 MPH and I cant wait that long to get back to the ground.

 

 

  • Like 3
Posted

I got a few of their free plans recently, they look quite neat, I've got a few things on the go so it'll be a while before I get to one , I haven't got the types in front of me but there's one that'll take an 80 HP rotax,,,that would be nice I think, I've never had anything to do with the 2strokes so I'd go for a four stroke more for my comfort ,

 

Wokbat, do you get around to any of the local flying ,I like to have a look at your rocket?

 

 

Posted

Unfortunately MM2 I havent been able to get to it for quite some months. Life has just got in the way again. The latest AD about my control cables ( over 15 years old) has me searching for the morse cables necessary and I have been updating the Dash with a multi digital instrument pack. Nearly all done, but I havent flown away for over 5 years. Last time was the Moth fly-in at Mt Beauty ( when the Wocket was hangared at Mang). Add to that , I am presently building a Morgan Aeroworks Sierra with my Son Toby and we have finished the build almost ready for Engine and paint.

 

As you can see, I dont have a lot of time at present but I really ha heyve to get back to my Max as it is the best little aircraft ever to fly. Maybe next weekend hey!!

 

 

  • Like 2
Posted
Unfortunately MM2 I havent been able to get to it for quite some months. Life has just got in the way again. The latest AD about my control cables ( over 15 years old) has me searching for the morse cables necessary and I have been updating the Dash with a multi digital instrument pack. Nearly all done, but I havent flown away for over 5 years. Last time was the Moth fly-in at Mt Beauty ( when the Wocket was hangared at Mang). Add to that , I am presently building a Morgan Aeroworks Sierra with my Son Toby and we have finished the build almost ready for Engine and paint.As you can see, I dont have a lot of time at present but I really ha heyve to get back to my Max as it is the best little aircraft ever to fly. Maybe next weekend hey!!

A Morgan Sierra, well done. 012_thumb_up.gif.cb3bc51429685855e5e23c55d661406e.gif. Are you going to paint it in the same colour scheme as your Minimax? They would look really good together especially flying in formation.037_yikes.gif.f44636559f7f2c4c52637b7ff2322907.gif

 

Alan.

 

 

Posted

Hi Al, The Wocket was my project back in 1992-94. The Morgan Sierra is my son Toby's aircraft. At the moment Toby resides in Germany and we can only work on the Sierra when he comes home for 1 month a year. He is a graphic designer so HE has designed the paint for Sierra and I dont know what is planned. Im sure it will be something very wild and unique, definitley not a copy of Dads little plane. He did the design for Tim Morgans Twister which does look pretty radical and soon there may be another Sierra with his design scheme. I cant wait to get our Sierra ready just to see what he has planned.

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted
Just Contemplating a build (long term thing)Looking at the Minimax Range

http://www.teammini-max.com/

 

Free plans ????

 

Wondering if theirs can be scratch built in Australia (not interested in a Kit) (material availability etc)

 

Which of there aircraft's can be registered here as what?

 

Complete newbie as you may be able to tell

Hiya Nev,

 

I've flown a Rotax 447 ( Aircooled ) powered Minimax, very nice to fly, although that example had no adjustable pitch trim and it required holding a bit of forward pressure on the stick at full takeoff power to maintain airspeed. It flew very nicely in all other respects, ie, very benign handling, but very responsive in roll. Being a dyed in the wool tailwheel pilot, I'd have to say that if you only flew nose draggers before, you'd never notice the difference, ie, no noticable swing on takeoff or landings, even in a crosswind.

 

We have one which has just been completed at our site now, this one has a Rotax 503 also air cooled, and the owner says it flies beautifully, with no apparent vices.

 

I am not over happy with regard to the undercarriage though, as a heavy landing could well result in structural deformation of both attachment points on the wings, as there is no variable suspension, not even bungees. I don't know if the HIMAX aircraft discussed earlier here has any improvement on this situation.

 

Anyway, if you like building model aircraft the OLD way,. . . . with plenty of ribs, blocks and bits to make, and you have plenty of spare time. . . . then you could well enjoy the project.

 

 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Might be a shot out of the blue but the Volksplane VP-1 is a very similar plane that could be built from plans only and is designed to use only basic materials. It isn't the fastest, or the best looking, or the lightest... but then again nothing at this end of the scale is fantastically any of those things.

 

Just a thought - boingk

 

 

Posted
Might be a shot out of the blue but the Volksplane VP-1 is a very similar plane that could be built from plans only and is designed to use only basic materials. It isn't the fastest, or the best looking, or the lightest... but then again nothing at this end of the scale is fantastically any of those things.Just a thought - boingk

Agree entirely Boingk, have flown 3 of these, they are very simple & basic but benign and the only complaint I had was that the windscreen only kept the bits below my navel dry ! They pop up for sale now and then, usually with a price tag circa £2500 - 3000, not sure what that equates to in current Ausbux, but it's quite cheap for a nice little flying machine here.

 

Phil

 

 

Posted

Cheers Phil - I've never flown one but only heard good things, especially from a building-it-yourself point of view. Your amount is around $4~5k Aussie, but they seem to go for anywhere between $5k and $10k here depending on condition and specification. Definitely a steal for a flying machine and I'm sure you could build one yourself very cheaply indeed - the airframe is simple plywood and that only leaves you with the covering, controls, control pivots and engine to worry about. Plans are still being sold on evansair.com and the site alone is worth a look.

 

Cheers - boingk

 

 

Posted
Cheers Phil - I've never flown one but only heard good things, especially from a building-it-yourself point of view. Your amount is around $4~5k Aussie, but they seem to go for anywhere between $5k and $10k here depending on condition and specification. Definitely a steal for a flying machine and I'm sure you could build one yourself very cheaply indeed - the airframe is simple plywood and that only leaves you with the covering, controls, control pivots and engine to worry about. Plans are still being sold on evansair.com and the site alone is worth a look.Cheers - boingk

One of my business interests is a small Sign and graphics workshop, and we supply registration letters to owners of all sorts of aircraft, when they are either new-build, or refurbs. This means that I get the chance to blag rides in some quite interesting types ( ! ) sometimes with a bit of bullying and persuasion. . . and This is how I got my VP flights !!!

 

Regrettably, these aircraft cannot be flown on a basic UK Microlight licence, ( 450 Kgs MTOW, and no less than 25 Kg / Sq M wing loading. . . .Stalling speed no more than 35 Kt, ) but they can be if the pilot has, or upgrades to the new NPPL ( National Private Pilot licence) which allows the holder to fly aircraft with MTOW up to 2,000 Kg. which of course includes most of the light Cessna and Piper types ( Single Engine ) and can be operated in the a LAA "permit to fly" regime. I was lucky in that, since I dumped the commercial regime, I have an old J.A.R. PPL, which enables me to fly anything up to 5700 Kg, and this can be quite useful also at times. ( I still have twin, IMC and complex systems ratings, don't want to lose that ! )

 

Everything is currently in flux over here though, with the new European E.A.S.A. rules about to come in to force, where NEW licences will be issued to everybody who wishes to fly an EASA approved type. . . .

 

Damn regulation change again ! ! I've signed up to the "Get us out of Europe" campaign, but I dunno if we'll ever get the promised referendum in my lifetime ! ! ! Anyway, if a VP-1 appears for sale around here, I'll grab it and syndicate the bugger to my flying club so that we can all have a go !!

 

Phil

 

 

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