Need free ultralight plans, and guidance

Dana,

I do primarily fly from airports with paved runways and taxi ways... and have no problem living without brakes. I have to set the idle pretty slow, and plan way ahead. So I end up having to idle my engine way in advance to allow plenty of time to slow down. It still happens fairly regularly that I have to drive off the runway onto the grass a little, sometimes with just one wheel, to finish slowing down... especially taxiing down wind. I almost never have to kill the engine.

Setting the idle slow like that can have disadvantages. Many U/L engines don't have spark advancing ignitions, staying at full advance all the time. So they run very rough at slow idle, causing a lot of (destructive) vibration. Like many things in U/L design, living without brakes is a compromise. But it's a compromise I enjoy the challenge of mastering.

Living without brakes on a tail dragger would be much harder. You'd need a good tail wheel, that can steer the plane well.

Mark,
How about clamping the nosewheel so it has brakes on at all times. Then for takeoff the nosewheel could be raised with full aft stick. For landing, forward stick to apply the nosewheel pressure on the runway.
BB

Originally Posted by BBerson

Mark,
How about clamping the nosewheel so it has brakes on at all times. Then for takeoff the nosewheel could be raised with full aft stick. For landing, forward stick to apply the nosewheel pressure on the runway.
BB

or a simple hand operated brake for a bicycle wheel on front.

Then for takeoff the nosewheel could be raised with full aft stick.

How do you get enough speed to get elevator authority, with the brakes on?

Originally Posted by BBerson

Mark,
How about clamping the nosewheel so it has brakes on at all times. Then for takeoff the nosewheel could be raised with full aft stick. For landing, forward stick to apply the nosewheel pressure on the runway.
BB

Why not a nose skid in this case. I've watched the Goat ultralight glider fly in San Diego and he has the C.G. right about at the main wheel so he can balance on it and raise and lower the nose in a light breeze with the elevator. He calls this wind dancing or something like that. Lands with aft stick plants the main and then stick forward to drop the nose with its skid onto the grass to stop. Not extremely conducive to taxing but with a single seat ultralight with very low wing loading it could work since you would takeoff in such a short distance. But operating at a paved airport where you need to land and then taxi off the runway wouldn't be very good.

I'm happy without brakes, but for the sake of the discussion... Some tricycle geared planes have the main gear located close enough to the CG that the prop wash is sufficient to lift the nose wheel by gunning the engine. I like having my gear close to the CG like that.

I don't think it would be suitable to have the nose brake always on anyway. Taxiing around, you'd have to use a lot of throttle, and the brakes would tend to overheat and wear out. The plane might handle jerky too, as the nose wheel lifted and touched down at different throttle settings and speeds. It's a good brainstorm though, BB.

I suppose I could get by without brakes, but it'd take much more care and low speeds while taxiing... my field is kinda tight, and more than once I've been "surprised" when taxiing between the hangars to or from my trailer. Also I can't just put my feet down on the ground like one can, say, in a Quicksilver or other ultralight where the pilot is very low to the ground. Having the brakes also lets you do a final runup before takeoff.

YouTube - Kolb UltraStar Flight

YouTube - Kolb UltraStar Flight
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Also as you can see there are other places on the airport where the penalty for not being able to stop would be rather high...

-Dana

Capital punishment: people in the Capitol need to be punished...

Originally Posted by Dana

Also I can't just put my feet down on the ground like one can, say, in a Quicksilver or other ultralight where the pilot is very low to the ground.

-Dana

Whoa!!! Better be careful planting your feet in a Quicksilver. If you have any momentum, you'll find that your leg gets dragged underneath the seat very quickly!

Bruce

Why not throw on a pair of rollerblades and use the heel brakes on those bad boys?

I have a set of affordaplane plans. I have been studying them trying to decide if i want to build one or not. Glad I read this thread never thought about trying to steer a taildragger with wheelbarrow wheels and no brakes. LOL
In the plans it also says not to go over a 503 rotax and specifically says do not attempt to put an engine heavier than a 503 in this plane. I have a couple of questions someone may be able to answer for me. 1 if you lengthen the tail could the airplane handle a heavier engine like a vw, suzuki ect. ? 2 the plans call for aluminum tubing with bolts and gussets, if you welded the aluminum joints would they be strong enough or would it require more supports to reduce fatigue at the welds ?
New to this forum a lot of great information here.

Originally Posted by Cavvietta

2 the plans call for aluminum tubing with bolts and gussets, if you welded the aluminum joints would they be strong enough or would it require more supports to reduce fatigue at the welds ?

If there is only one bolt per joint then it's a truss and you can't weld them because they were designed to move a bit. On the other hand if there are two or more bolts per joint then the joints are designed to form a rigid frame. Trusses don't have gussets

I'm not familiar with the A-plane construction specifically but if you weld a heat treated aluminum alloy it's not heat treated in the weld area any more and thus not as strong.

About the engine weight, it's likely for structural reasons as well as balance.

-Dana

In England, the cops say, 'Halt or I'll say halt again!'