Search results

Thank you for that. Sounds like the passengers did not get a safety briefing, did not put on seatbelts correctly, nobody investigated engines that wouldn't start, the pilot didn't do a run up, took off from an intersection, lowered the gear before it was clear they would make the runway, and...

They might have been referring to blowing nitrogen into the magnetos to remove condensate -- a procedure that can only be conducted on the ground.

Understandable, but autonomous vehicles are in the Wright Brothers stage of development. When self-flying airplanes demonstrate a better safety record, passengers will not trust human-operated vehicles. Autonomous cars and planes will most likely be owned by corporations, who will operate them...

Please verify with experts but my understanding is wood wing airplanes should be stored in a hangar. Also, do you have a preliminary 3-view sketch?

Another parameter: How easy is it for low-time pilots to fly and how safe is it?

Don't disagree, but with one aboard the 2-33 is a delightful glider. Not the most nimble aircraft but very pleasant to fly and surprisingly viable in light air if you don't weigh too much and have the fabric (Hindenburg) nose.

Trivial point but the Graf Zeppelin made numerous intercontinental passenger flights in perfect safety. The Hindenburg is the one which suffered the hydrogen fire. There were actually several other Zeppelins (and blimps) before that destroyed by hydrogen fires, but those catastrophes were not...

I agree. I've seen the asking price of homebuilt airplanes just equal to the value of the engine and instruments. The airframe is effectively thrown in for free. I also believe real estate is a good money laundering vehicle. That means sellers enjoy enhanced returns, and buyers who are not slave...

The 50 pound weight UAVGuy calculated would keep cube loading the same. Accounting for Reynolds number is another, separate concern.

I would guess partly because it's untested. People aren't sure how a Sky Kitten would stack up against other designs in the same class. We now have easy instant access to detailed comparisons between similar tested and proven airplanes competing for homebuilders' time, attention and dollars.

Besides an uncomfortable, bumpy ride, what are the problems when wing loading gets too low?

Why would you say that is? Your analysis, please. I have wondered if the seat is like a chair (i.e. your lower legs are almost vertical) then it would be more comfortable -- similar to a captain's chair in a van. Also, if the cabin floor is kept unobstructed, you'd have room to shift your feet...

You're correct. There was not a 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 split. The nose (main) engine alone was just enough to keep limping along if you open the throttle. I believe if a wing-mounted (auxiliary) engine fails, the pilot shuts down the other auxiliary engine, and doesn't have to deal with asymmetric thrust.

Ditto for weather radar, glass panel, or anything that encourages overconfidence.

I believe it is standard practice for the stabilator to be mass balanced, and have an anti-servo tab so the axis of rotation can be moved farther back.

It's possible. Although the lady pilots I saw (of that era) wore pants. My opinion is it was to appeal to automobile owners.

You could use a variable sweep canard. This would also help landing and takeoff.

Right. That's the way it's taught, but that method underestimates the load on the wing.

To keep the load diagram on the conservative side, usually advisable to assume fuselage is not as efficient at producing lift as the wing.

The struts subtend a shallow angle with the wing because the fuselage isn't that deep. The tension load on those struts has got to be enormous.