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I love the asymmetric design, though the crew in the plane of the propeller just outside the cockpit does give me pause.
For that reason, and because none of my sketches require a rear gunner as was often the case for Richard Vogt's designs at Blohm & Voss, my own asymmetric ideas tend to come back to a conventional glider-like fuselage that includes the cockpit and tail and then a single pusher engine nacelle on the wing. The tapering of the rear fuselage allows the prop to be closer to the centerline and you could actually make the whole thing perfectly symmetrical except for the wing center section and placement of the nacelle and main landing gear (unless you need more tail area in the slipstream).
If you really need a tractor engine configuration, then maybe seat the crew side-by-side over the desired CG and push the engine forward to balance the plane, which would mean either an extra-long nacelle (good for fuel and/or baggage) or perhaps a twin-boom arrangement with an engine on just one of the booms.
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erkki67
Well-Known Member
I love this, have you any other drawings?!
That high-wing, gothic-wing has the most potential for fun-flying and sight-seeing.
Thanking you kindly
I've attached a 3 view drawing. I can take as many screenshots of the 3D version as you like though its not particularly detailed yet.
J.L. Frusha
Well-Known Member
I'm no artist, but maybe a Wilga version?Thanking you kindly
(pic from internet, not adapted... yet...)
Mini Draco!
Maybe there'd be a market for ride-on scale birds powered by paramotor engines 
or dare i say electric! I actually worked it out: the break even point where an electric motor, esc and lipo off the shelf batteries is overtaken in weight by a 2 stroke plus fuel is around 13 minutes flight time (for my above design). So electric is lighter if you only want 10 minutes!
J.L. Frusha
Well-Known Member
Add some wingspan, get altitude and cut the power off... Glide awhile...Mini Draco!
Meanwhile, since my goal is STOL, a Wlga/Draco FlyBike might be the answer...
I had the same pause, although statistically the risk is minimal, and also the realization that with the prop tip close to the crew-pod wall by the passenger, that person was in for a very noisy ride. It's a pretty-looking thing, but it has some definite issues.
As much as I'm attracted to unconventional configurations as many others are here, it's more important to me that I finally build something, so I've focused on more-conventional designs of late as they're better suited to the available tools and designing an airplane is hard enough without compounding the challenge.
erkki67
Well-Known Member
How is your structure built up?Thanking you kindly
View attachment 120484
gorgeous, love it
erkki67
Well-Known Member
More input!
J.L. Frusha
Well-Known Member
I'd do it like the Hovey Whing Ding II... Mostly ply, with Marine Flotation Foam infill.
At the moment it's just a glorified sketch.
In my head it would be composite sandwich fuselage (2 x 200gsm carbon external - 6mm PVC foam core on flat areas - 1 x 200gsm carbon internal) vacuum infused. Hard points added where necessary. Aluminium or chromoly tube for the two 'A' pillars if that's what you'd call them, bonded into the carbon (wrapped in glass probably). Wing would probably be solid foam core. flaperon actuation externally via teleflex cables running up the struts. keep it simple. top wing attach points could be un-bolted or un-pinned, and the wing swung on the strut and turned downwards so the wing folds within the length of the fuselage...maybe i should go and move the wing on the model to demonstrate...
wing folded with strut still attached:
It's been rattling around in my head for a while so it's come together on paper quite nicely. I'm tempted to take this one to completion since every other idea i have requires Elon musk and a team of physicists to make happen!
erkki67
Well-Known Member
To make it happen faster, either build the fuselage out of 1 5/8 either riveted with gussets or welded, or a Skypup build up of plywood, wood and styrofoam, the later the cheapest construction.
erkki67
Well-Known Member
Carbon is very quick and very quick very expensive
erkki67
Well-Known Member
And how come that you’re working in millimeters?
EzyBuildWing
Well-Known Member
This vid makes me think a CriCri triMotor would be interesting.....an extra 2-stroke on the nose......
Ha! It makes me think that if you're going to go to all that trouble you may as well build a plane you can fly in yourself. ;-)
I'm curious about the mission; ultralight, motor glider, ... ?
