My extraordinary plane build ...

[bexrbetter]

Well after an unexpected couple of very frustrating years of delay, finally I am freeing up and able to now move forward to new horizons.

 

I won't make my intentions completely clear with this project yet until cleared with Admin, but I'm sure you can imagine where it's going, although this is very much "Pre" stage.

 

I am quietly excited to be starting on a new 2 seat, low wing, aluminium plane build that will explore ideas not seen before to enable unparalleled reductions of time and cost to build a plane. I have dropped other things I am involved in and given myself a window of 6 months full time starting from this week at which time I will assess where I will go from there with it. I hope to have a finished plane at that stage, but that isn't actually the primary goal, the primary goal is to develop and optimise the new build system that might be the foundation of the world's fastest and easiest to build, cheapest aluminium kit plane ever. Time will tell.

 

So last week I grabbed a little factory for this project last week, threw a painter at it on the weekend, got to get some new glass and other fittings this week, and yesterday arvo ordered some 4 x 1.2 build benches which to my delight, I received a picture message at 9am this morning on my phone (see attached picture). Not bad for $150 each, add some wood tops later.

 

I have ordered and paid for my aluminium which 3/4's of it has arrived at the source and waiting for the other 1/4 on it's way. Some other metal items are already built (ok, ok, I started last week!) while other items will be sourced along the way.

 

Going to be a fun 6 months, so onward and upward!

 

 

 

 

[rgmwa]

What's happening with the engine while you're working on this project?

 

rgmwa

 

 

[Soleair]

Does this mean the engine project is now dormant?

 

 

[bexrbetter]

The engine is reigniting as well but it will be considerably longer in time.

 

I mentioned previously that there is also 2 other engines well underway (not mine but one from a close Mate who is well know Oz engine designer/builder) and I'm hoping that a prototype will be finished for me near when I am ready for it in about 4 - 5 months.

 

Again I mention that the engine front is looking very good by 2016's end for you guys.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Oh, and one important thing I should mention, this build will be based on being completely done using only hand and electric tools, along with the "Weekend Handyman" skillz levels typically found in anyone's normal garage, that is part of the point.

 

No special tools, no outsourcing, no special skillz required.

 

(Wish I could edit my posts just a few hours later ...)

 

 

[flyerme]

Here's to the future mate, Your ingenuity is set to revolutionise the home build world in amazingly simple way.

 

Far to many home builds and kit planes go unfinished due to a few common hurdles. Ie.. Build time to long and builders loose enthusiasm , build to complex and again enthusiasm is lost. Also the hidden costs of specialised tools can become very expensive and off putting. So to be able to build quickly, easily and with common tools well,............,.

 

Think you hit the nail on the head Bex.

 

Well done mate.

 

 

[aj_richo]

A flying bench?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Doesn't look very aerodynamic

 

 

 

[turboplanner]

Just two things Bex;

 

The instructions must be in English, not Mandarish.

 

Where the instructions and design requires, say twelve 25 mm bolts, we don't want ten 25 mm bolts and two 19 mm bolts.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

KISS mate, and you'll sell one before Icon find a buyer stupid enough to agree to their sales agreement.

 

 

[DGL Fox]

Well Bex I hope you can get it up and running in 6 months, I don't know what you are building Bex but I would like to see a factory version of an LSA so it could be RAA registered here as a 24 and be used for training. Yesterday we were doing a 100hr service on the Sportstar and with all the cowls off I look at the Rotax 912 and I still can't see 25k approx in this engine and then you look at the overall aircraft and I can't see $100k plus when new to buy a Sportstar or really any other LSA for that matter..

 

We were just talking about this the other day as to why someone couldn't come up with a much simpler and cheaper way to build a LSA and an engine so it was reliable in both the engine and airframe..

 

So good luck you Bex I for one will be looking with interest at what you come up with ..

 

David

 

 

[Guernsey]

Here's to the future mate, Your ingenuity is set to revolutionise the home build world in amazingly simple way. Think you hit the nail on the head Bex.

 

Well done mate.

Count me in for a kit, I am very good with a hammer and nails. .

 

Alan.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Where the instructions and design requires, say twelve 25 mm bolts, we don't want ten 25 mm bolts and two 19 mm bolts.

I see what you did there

 

So to be able to build quickly, easily and with common tools well,......Think you hit the nail on the head Bex.

There was no pun there folks, not a drop of wood to be seen, all aluminium with a dash of fiberglass.

 

Doesn't look very aerodynamic

That's why there's space between the bars, to let the air through.

 

 

[Marty_d]

All the best mate and I look forward to seeing lots of pics!

 

And re the bench - it's at least as aerodynamic as an F-35.

 

 

[Oscar]

Aircraft spec. bolts are in inch sizes....

 

 

[kasper]

Aircraft spec. bolts are in inch sizes....

Unless you buy a European built aircraft where you might find metric creeping in ... Lots of fun working in a UK microlight factory with hardware in the stores in both metric and imperial and there being mixed use on single airframes

And do not get me started on ali tube in SWG guage and metric on the same airframe ... it 'aint just genetics and time - I earned some of these grey hairs

 

 

[Oscar]

Well, it won't really be an issue when everybody is attending the Bunning's Saturday Afternoon 'Build Your Own Aircraft' workshop and sausage sizzle... If it'll fit in the hole, that'll be beaut. Tighten it down and Bob's yer uncle. A revolution in aircraft building, it will indeed be!.

 

 

[Oscar]

And here's the perfect interim engine for it: (and Aussie, to boot): http://www.coaxe.com.au/video

 

As you can see, they already have a prototype running (well, turning, with the input of a small electric engine), and powering a pair of automobile fans almost properly located on the shafts!

 

Disclaimer: the Director of this company approached me one day in the local Aldi carpark at Mittagong, and I'd have a job right now helping with the build if I could invest, oh, $100K or more and pay my own wages. Sadly, I'd left my chequebook in my other pants and missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

I had a busy morning doing other stuff which will also kill Thursday and Friday for me, but that's ok as my other 1/4 of the aluminium order hasn't arrived yet.

 

I did manage to draw up and order some wall racks for the aluminium, noticed my 2nd bench almost finished and found and hour to nick around the corner and get some cheap 600 x 600 floor tiles 'left over from a job' for the benches and silastic them down onto bench number 1 ...

 

 

 

 

Sadly, I'd left my chequebook in my other pants and missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Way it always happens damn it.

 

 

[Russ]

Oh well...."that engine" ......yea, that one, sort of shrivelled up....Gawn.

 

New project.......I'm hanging by me finger nails here.....yea, right.

 

 

[Robbo]

This is like playing guess the aircraft.... Need more clues !

 

 

[bexrbetter]

This is like playing guess the aircraft.... Need more clues !

I thought I was clear in the OP; Low wing 2 seat, predominantly aluminium (fiberglass nose and other bits as per standard), bigger than a Sonex, smaller than a Vans. Nothing particularly special or radical about it other than the build system and cost.

 

It's the build system and cost that's being tested and optimised here, the plane is almost secondary to that.

 

Adjustable width, if required, for 'larger' gentleman might be considered a special feature I guess.

 

 

[reggie]

Maybe a Morgan

 

 

[bexrbetter]

Maybe a Morgan

unique

 

 

adjective

 

3.

 

limited in occurrence to a given class, situation, orarea:

 

a species unique to Australia.

 

 

Maybe I should call it the orarea!

 

 

 

Nah, I tried unsuccessfully to get an Australian company on board, tried everyone of them.

 

Otherwise, I am in China, what do you think will happen if I released anything that even looked remotely like anything out there now? Yup, instant "copying" claims. I don't steal from others and I happen to like doing my own thing and being able to say it's my own.

 

I assure you I could grab a Vans kit and pump them out at half the price if I was into that.

 

 

[Robbo]

Just don't make a C-NM5 piece of junk. Even the test pilot walked away!