• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Search results

Find deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Find deals on ebay
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
  1. flyranch

    Poly fittings on ultralight wings?

    Those type fittings are used on many ultralights that use presewn, non-shrunk wing coverings. It does not hurt the fitting to be pop-riveted, but, depending on the spar construction, it may weaken the strength of the spar. I have also seen plain sheet aluminum or stainless steel used to rivet...
  2. flyranch

    Valley Engineering's new ultralight

    They look like good welds to me, too. The only thing about welding aluminum (from what I've heard and read) is that the joint tends to pull 'away' from the weld where in steel it tends to pull 'into' the weld. With a good joint and weld, it would be no problem, but I would be doing a flux...
  3. flyranch

    Why not more UL biplanes?

    The original way (per the construction manual) to prep the leading edges on the wings was to put strapping tape (several strands) down the entire length keeping it very tight, but it doesn't help much (as you can see). I have considered putting some T6 thin aluminum sheeting there instead if I...
  4. flyranch

    Why not more UL biplanes?

    Hi Mark This is the 3/4 scale Jenny UL that Cloud Dancer originally made a kit for and then later disowned (or so it seems). It had spoilers in the original version, but I put ailerons on (the upper wing only (saving weight)) and it rolled about as well as the spoilers, well, almost. The...
  5. flyranch

    Altitude restriction?

    Not sure about LSA, but UL limit is 18,000 (above is controlled airspace and off limits)
  6. flyranch

    Why not more UL biplanes?

    MINE??? Flys like crap, won't roll (except when I stall and the wing drops), but it looks COOL....and that's why I like it
  7. flyranch

    Fabric Thickness

    He is correct that paint is heavy. You can go here ( Flyranch Ultralight News ) and see what I did with uncertified dacron and latex enamel. The dacron on it in this picture is regular weight (not the light stuff) and it has 4 to 7 layers of paint on top (2 coats of black first). I recently...
  8. flyranch

    Top Rudder-You gotta see this

    Ya gotta remember, I fly UL's. It's sort of like driving an underpowered butterfly in a hurricane. I've gotten caught in swirls over the runway before and the "top rudder" routine had been drilled in my head by my "coaches". Getting caught in a vortex on landing still scares the heck out of me.
  9. flyranch

    Top Rudder-You gotta see this

    Now THAT'S cool...
  10. flyranch

    Top Rudder-You gotta see this

    nah.... I've single framed the .wmv and the controls follow what you might expect. I think it is real. Of course, I could be wrong. But think.... It could be done for real if need be 1. Aerobatic aircraft usually have a good power to weight ratio as most can 'hang' on the prop. He probably...
  11. flyranch

    Top Rudder-You gotta see this

    This got emailed to me as a wmv, but I found it on youtube, also. Kinda makes the point of always pushing on the top rudder when in trouble. Be sure to read the comments of the disbelievers below the video... (you gotta go to youtube, what makes a pilot mess his pants)
  12. flyranch

    Nothing to do with airplanes -

    Well........ not exactly. Paper is manmade from natural products that are taken through a lot of changes. Cigarettes are made FROM tobacco but have a lot of extra "stuff" added to them. Arsenic, fire retardent (to keep them from burning too fast), cellulose (to make them stay lit), and up to...
  13. flyranch

    A supersonic homebuilt; why not?

    Could be because the speed limit is Mach 1. You're not supposed to go over it without specific permission (including military).
  14. flyranch

    Accident over Hudson, lawmakers want more regulation.

    After reading the reports: 1. The plane flew into the helicopter, which means he would not have been able to see a rising object directly in front of him due to the engine cowl. 2. The plane hit the helicopter from behind, which means that the helicopter pilot never saw what was coming up...
  15. flyranch

    Beginners epoxy question

    I was scanning the internet trying to look for a replacement for Mr. Fiberglass epoxy when I came across a term that I never heard of: "infusion epoxy". Can someone tell me what infusion epoxy is and what it is primarily used for? I am accustomed only with Aeropoxy and the above mentioned Mr...
  16. flyranch

    New guy interested in Nieuports

    Well, if you insist... (I envy you) One thing you will absolutely NEED to do is to put tail wheel steering on it. The rudder does not have sufficient authority to permit safe ground handling especially at low speeds and it is too short coupled for differential braking to be reliable. Use 1.7...
  17. flyranch

    engines for dummies

    I'm really glad you mentioned taper. Cylinders on auto engines (VW, Corvair, etc.) are straight bore. Certified aircraft engines are taper bored. I assume that it has something to do with preventing seizing in the engine.
  18. flyranch

    Thrust vs. Weight

    And don't forget the velocity of that thrust that is coming off of the prop. A large prop that produces 250# thrust at low velocity is different than a smaller prop that turns faster and produces 250# of thrust at a higher velocity. The smaller prop is moving less air, but faster. The larger...
  19. flyranch

    New guy interested in Nieuports

    I second that opinion. I don't believe you'll get the Nieuport light enough. They are beautiful, though. I've seen people get very close to legal UL weights, but they had to use a 277, almost no paint, change the ribs (minimal), lighten the fuselage, no instruments (including engine) and the...
  20. flyranch

    Does anyone think this would be 103 compliant?

    Looks a lot like the Maxair Drifter single place. Just like the one that was on the interstate on the way to Florida years ago.
Back
Top