A challenge to you all

[Lendo]

I didn't know there were Powered Hang Gliders - I will have to look that up.
George

 

[Iwerk]

there look to be some good minds on this site.from what i read here alot of you are very knowledgeable. so i got to thinking, the purpose of a site such as this is to bring people with the same interest together and help the members of this site.so i have a challenge to put toward each and everyone of you.the cheapest way to fly is by far with ultralights.there are lots of kits out there that cost many 1000.00s of dollars.and the name of this site is homebuilt airplanes.so why not put the minds of the people here to come up with a truly unique design of an ultralight. a new aircraft that anyone can build and be much much cheaper than the kits you can buy.make it affordable to the average American worker, lets face it, not all of us have great paying jobs, and some are single parents such as myself. money is tight.but we have a passion as well to fly. i think it can be done way cheaper than the kits,and be a safe aircraft. so work on it and tell me what you come up with.remember,least amount of cost as possible.something some one could build without a big financial burden over the winter. if i get enough ideas i will build it myself.if fly safe we can share the plans with the world for free! any concept or configuration. lets do this people!!! you do not have to have a complete set of plans, just a part,like for the wings and main body, whatever it is, post it here, lets build something together!!! and KEEP COST DOWN!!! lets make this for everyone.! happy thinking!

If I were to take up this challenge, I would do it with 'construction foam' and 'packing tape'. I use the same materials when building my 'ZAGI' flying wing radio controlled gliders. They are extremely strong and I haven't been able to break one yet. From 1000 feet up, I can smoke it into the ground without any damage. I would scale it up to whatever payload desired.

I once broke a surf board in Long Beach, California by having two many women sitting on it, while stretched across between two beds in my hotel room, to provide extra seating. When the board broke, I had a good look at just how minimal those materials were, and how strong the board actually was. When I started flying the ZAGI r/c glider, I was equally impressed by how strong packing tape was, when used as a tensile skin, so to speak. These inexpensive gliders are extremely tough and in the last 10 years, I have not been able to destroy one while using it for air-to-air combat. https://zagi.com/

 

[hole in the ground]

I didn't know there were Powered Hang Gliders - I will have to look that up.
George

Not overly common and I’d guess (not flown one) that they’re more cumbersome to operate than PPGs. The PPG backpack is quite a neat “installation”. Improved designs (compared to above) quickly encroaching on flex wing microlight territory.

 

[Speedboat100]

Yup, based on those specs alone, that already exists: powered para/hang gliders.

I wish there was something more aeroplane like in this division.

Someone mentioned that even if you could design and build a flyable 50 kg empty ac the officials would ruin it..starting to demand this and that.

 

[hole in the ground]

I wish there was something more aeroplane like in this division.

Someone mentioned that even if you could design and build a flyable 50 kg empty ac the officials would ruin it..starting to demand this and that.

That depends on your officials. In the UK there is a sub 70kg class which is pretty open.

Even still, 50kg really is not a lot of mass budget to play with. More plane really does = more mass.

 

[Speedboat100]

That depends on your officials. In the UK there is a sub 70kg class which is pretty open.

Even still, 50kg really is not a lot of mass budget to play with. More plane really does = more mass.

Maybe less is more ?

http://modelaircraftcompany.com/newshop/en/micro-jet-turbines/588-jets-munt-vt80bl-80-newton-stuwkracht-.html

Twin engine jet ...engines are only 1780 € a piece.

 

[BJC]

Comments from an experienced ultralight designer and producer, copied from another forum about producing an electric Part 103:

Dennis,

It wasn't just here, it was the after response from 2nd Oshkosh visit and more.

It wasn't like 1979 when people were throwing money at me

Times change.

To put the eLazair into production nowadays would likely require hundreds of thousands. I do not want to shoestring it again.

I think those levels would be hard in a KS campaign.

I thought I would test KS with a small campaign and with a new design. Not much luck with it so far.

Thanks for kind comments.

Dale

Dale is the designer and former producer of the Lazair. Link to the thread is https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1412424-100-scale-Electric-Lazair/page45#post34307141 and was first posted here by Speedboat 100 (thanks) in another thread.


BJC

 

[Speedboat100]

Dale Kramer was honored with a stamp in his home country.

 

[litespeed]

Maybe less is more ?

http://modelaircraftcompany.com/newshop/en/micro-jet-turbines/588-jets-munt-vt80bl-80-newton-stuwkracht-.html

Twin engine jet ...engines are only 1780 € a piece.

Whilst i do love the idea of two screaming jets, these are not big on thrust and consume for two 2/3 litre per minute.
So a lot of fuel been converted into noise. A large rubber band would give better takeoff.

 

[Speedboat100]

Whilst i do love the idea of two screaming jets, these are not big on thrust and consume for two 2/3 litre per minute.
So a lot of fuel been converted into noise. A large rubber band would give better takeoff.

I have actually tought of two rubberbands for a 1/5 scale R/C model. It would be the first...but proving my concept efficiency.

 

[litespeed]

I see your two piddly rubber bands and raise you this.....

A man carrying one, The rubber Bandit

And a Lazair converted to rubber

some pommy attempt

Some have way too much time on their hands.

 

[Speedboat100]

Has Rubber Bandit flown ?