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Can You Lighten a Proven Design to Fly Under Part 103

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rbrochey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2010
Messages
1,569
Location
Gallup, New Mexico USA
Over the years I have seen some very nice designs that if just a little lighter would be great to fly under the ultralight rules. Granted this idea is NOT for everyone. But at the expense of flying now and older pilots slowing down and needing an ultralight I wonder about it. Questions that come to mind are like, okay this is a 4130 tube aircraft... and it weighs 350 pounds empty. Can you calculate using aluminum as an alternative and keep the design as is but knock it down to 250 pounds? A case in point would be the Stewart Headwind... weighs 300 pounds according to the plans with a gross of 650 pounds. could you shave 50 pounds off this plane safely? This is just an example, there are many of them out there. Just some thoughts from New Mexico on a winters day.
 
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