Usable single-seater on 24 hp?

[cluttonfred]

Kicking around various ideas for an inexpensive single-seater, I started looking for ways to fly on a $1,600 Honda GX630 engine. Add an Ace redrive and you are up to about $2,400. The specific GX690RHTDW remote-throttle model I looked at is rated by the factory a 22 hp but displacement/compression/RPM gives me a theoretical rating of 26 hp, so the fan is definitely using some power. Since I'll have a big fan attached to the redrive, I figure I could lose the fan blades, shrouds, etc. and gain some power, call it 2 hp. So, back to my LAA spreadsheet...

• 600 lb gross weight
  • 250 lb pilot + fuel
  • 350 lb empty weight
• 32' span
• 128 sq ft area
• 8.0 aspect ratio
• 1.5 max CL
• 24 hp

• 82 mph max level speed
• 74 mph 75% cruise speed
• 67 mph 55% cruise speed
• 35 mph stall
• 640 fpm climb

Those numbers are at gross weight with parasitic drag as bad as a Volksplane. A very clean, enclosed version might gain 10 mph in top speed and 50 fpm in climb rate; losing weight would help climb even more. This would not meet Part 103 and is not intended to do so; it would essentially be a "fat ultralight".

Does this make sense as a concept? Any thoughts on similar designs or inspirations to study? The production Farman F.451 Moustique certainly comes to mind as a quite similar concept.

Cheers,

Matthew

 

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