CHEAP DIY ULTRALIGHTS? FAIR DINKUM.

[Charlie Harper]

The only sane way to get hold of an inexpensive airworthy aircraft is to buy an old used one that needs a little bit of TLC. Forget about buying kits and building one yourself from scratch unless you mainly want to get your fun from building. The clue is in the word 'flying'.I've done it twice, both with venerable rag and tube Weedhoppers. The first time was in the UK when I bought the 'scrapped' model that I got my microlight licence in after the owner/instructor nicked its engine and most of its instruments and left it out in bits under a tarp on a trailer and didn't know what to do with it. I rebuilt it and eventually flew it from the UK to France over 2 days when I moved here.Due to unfortunate circumstances it was written off shortly after I arrived but the insurer let me keep the wreck including the engine after paying out. I subsequently bought a damaged French Weedhopper for peanuts which I repaired using parts from my old original machine and its engine. I finished the work 18 months ago but am only now about to get it back into the air due to my health problems of last year.

 

So my advice is - if you want to get hold of a cheap, safe, flyable aircraft buy an older rag and tube machine, preferably with Ultralam (or similar) covers, which last for years even with quite high UV exposure, rather than Dacron. Don't worry if its been damaged (OK, not too badly) so long as parts are available to repair, even if they are used so long as you know their provenance. Repair of rag and tube is usually quite straightforward - that's one of the beauties of these old machines.

 

During the work you will also get to know and love your aircraft which will stand you in good stead for the future as well as saving you money.

 

Just my two pennyworth.

Used to be a weedhopper dealer here 30 or so years ago. I didn't pay them much attention then. I was busy trying to kill my self on motorcycles back then. Weedhoppers got a bad rep here because folks I guess figured preflight was a waste of their time. The Weedhopper is a nice little plane.

[N237F]

If you want cheap, cheerful and reliable then do a Heath parasol or similar design and add a total two stroke. Shop around and $2,500 for a good rotax with redrive will provide plenty of thrust in which to trust. It's all about condition and managing your two stroke.The Texas parasol group is great and is very cheap to build, lots flying and not a huge amount of build hours. as it is built from angle alloy it is cheap. A tube frame in alloy of aircraft grade costs considerably more. The covering is up to you but can be cheap or very expensive eg. Oratex.

The more you can do and make yourself the cheaper, go second hand when possible and enjoy. A used rotax or Kawasaki or Hirth two stroke will be fine and more reliable than a home cobbled motor/ box combo.

 

Resist the temptation of a untried motor and untried air frame, too much to go wrong and you only have one life.

I concur. Parasols are less expensive to build! I have flown and enjoyed PIetenpols aith direct drive high compression FORD A with babbits replaced by shell bearings engine with very peppy performance provided by a very long prop. (Took off faster and climbed better than a 0200 Pietenpol) A simpler form would be to take a big heavy industrial engine to do the same see Bob's article below! While the Piet is a tumbleweed draggy airplane it possess good style with the glide path of a brick but low overall hp requirements so reliability can be had by not asking too much from a big automotive plant. More fun for the dollar than any other. Probably 200 in the US flying on A, 20+ on other industrial chuggers producing about 60hp below 2400 rpm direct drive. Another 650-800 flying on continental 65hp speaks well for our surplus market.. To avoid the re drive you need allot of wing to fly on 65hp or less tolerance for engine weight target 3l+. The Piet with it's easy to position wing is a good choice for rugged cheap flight!

Bob Hoover's Blog: Flying on the Cheap

 

Unfortunate GM retired the engine mentioned recently prior to this you could score a new long block with carb and ignition for $1,800USD.

 

 

Best

 

Matt

 

 

[facthunter]

A direct drive engine needs an adequate thrust bearing in the set up.. A few hundred pounds is not a lot but it has to take it reliably and the bearing near the prop should be equal to the task as well. These days aluminium for the block and head should be seriously considered. The normal flywheel goes of course replaced by the prop . Cubes makes thrust for a low revving direct drive fixed pitch prop or maybe a blower which helps distribute the fuel evenly as well. Low carb position for gravity feed.( Consider.) A long manifold increases carb icing possibility. FOUR cylinder in line motors have extra balance considerations. . Nev

 

 

[N237F]

Agreed! Cold weather operations will make the long intake manifold issue more pronounced. Some added heat is required at lower settings!

 

I see several Cygnets reside in Australia any near you? Have them give me a shout.

 

Matt

 

 

[N237F]

I had almost decided to go with Wings of Freedom's Flit Plane. I like it a lot. They have a kit, and plans available. Then the RW9 resurfaced,and sold me. Do check out Roger Mann's website, Ragwing aircraft. He no longer offers kits, but has plans for about seven airplanes I think. He also has plans for boats. Maybe build yerself a boat plane!

You can't go wrong with the Ed Fisher Designed Flit Plane. An ultralight with aircraft materials and construction classic rag and tube. Ed is one of the best at the minimalist end of the designs. Tubes all selected for load paths results in light strong good flying airplanes. Roger makes accessible designs as well most are all wood a truly great medium. Finding you can only make large fortunes smaller in aviation he has a day job but still manages decent technical support. The Lighter side Part 103 on this side of the pond is a siren. Milholands Legal Eagle Xl is close to the top of my list. We are fortunate Zing and Cloudster designs have been salvaged from the past. Simplex Aeroplanes – Home of the Cloudster and Zing Aircraft Designs

Now I have officially commented more than I have in 20 years on aviation. It is good to be in the game again! This is a great forum.

 

Best

 

Matt

 

 

[Soleair]

I had almost decided to go with Wings of Freedom's Flit Plane. I like it a lot. They have a kit, and plans available.

Charlie, could you post a link to this plane? I can't find one on Google.

Cheers

 

Bruce

 

 

[Marty_d]

Charlie, could you post a link to this plane? I can't find one on Google.Cheers

Bruce

http://www.wingsoffreedomaviation.com/

 

[N237F]

http://www.wingsoffreedomaviation.com/

Flit Plane History! Ed is a very good designer!Ed Fisher's Flit Plane experimental aircraft pictures, Ed Fisher's Flit Plane amateur built aircraft images, Ed Fisher's Flit Plane homebuilt plane photographs, Ultralight News newsmagazine.

 

 

[Soleair]

Thanks to both for the links. Interesting planes.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Charlie Harper]

Charlie, could you post a link to this plane? I can't find one on Google.Cheers

Bruce

Go to Wings of Freedom, Flit plane.I'm doing this from my phone,and not sure how to post a link with this gadget...

 

not for sure, but I think Ed Fisher designed the Flitplane, as well as three other planes, but sold the Flit Plane rights to Mark Klotz of Wings of Freedom. Nice little open air flyer.

 

 

[Soleair]

Thanks, Charlie. It looks Fisheresque - you can see some Airbike genes in it, and, of course, the Demoiselle.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Charlie Harper]

Yea, it was a tough decision to go with Roger Mann's RW9.

 

I may get the Flitplane plans so for some unforeseen reason they become

 

unavailable, I'll have a set.