Volkplanes and Ercoupes and Double Eagles, oh my! I have a concept kicking around in my head that is so obvious I have to ask myself why I haven't really looked at light planes this way before? Anyway, here goes.
Eliminate stuff.
There it is. If we are going to make an easier/faster/cheaper to build homebuilt aircraft, we need to toss out the non-essentials. The best way to cut cost and time and complexity is just to eliminate stuff. So, here's a concept...
I am undecided about landing gear. A single wheel and nose skid is most in keeping with "eliminate stuff" but perhaps not very practical with a powered aircraft, steerable tricycle gear and a hand brake is most natural for easy ground handling but heaviest and most complex, free-swivel nosewheel and differential braking are an option, conventional gear might be a bit too exciting in a crosswind without ailerons.
I would keep the aspect ratio low to prevent float and avoid the need for landing flaps, though it's not beyond the realm of possibility to include some sort of belly flap to vary the approach in the absence of ailerons for slipping it in. I understand that is one of the complaints with the two-axis Ercoupes--if you're too high on approach it's hard to do much about it.
Construction, too, is up for grabs, though I am leaning toward bolted and riveted square aluminum tubes and gussets, fabric-covered, for the fuselage and maybe aluminum ribs over aluminum box spars for the wings and tail surfaces, also fabric-covered.
Wacky or intriguing? Your call.
Eliminate stuff.
There it is. If we are going to make an easier/faster/cheaper to build homebuilt aircraft, we need to toss out the non-essentials. The best way to cut cost and time and complexity is just to eliminate stuff. So, here's a concept...
- Two-axis controls, no ailerons, no pedals, just dihedral, maybe even compound dihedral (turning up the outer panels) like a free-flight model
- Removable wings in two halves with the spars overlapping to join to the fuselage and each other, easily attached and removed with no controls or fuel connections to worry about.
- Shoulder-mounted wing on top of the fuselage longerons for easy connection and inspection at a convenient height
- Each wing half spar-end-to-wing-tip and the fuselage prop-hub-to-ruddervator-trailing-edge all under 17' long for easy building and storage in 20' shipping container or similar-size workshop or trailer.
- Inverted V-tail controlled by two pushrods from a mixer at the stick or perhaps a wheel
- The V-tail is inverted, not butterfly, so the small rolling effect with rudder will be in the right direction
- Single fuel tank behind firewall (standard automotive aluminum fuel cell)
- Motorcycle-style (1+1) seating, no dual controls
- 2.0-2.4 liter air-cooled VW conversion, wood prop, cowling optional but simple design made up from flat sheet included
- Canopy optional, but simple design for a "stock" canopy or cabin top included
- Minimal VFR instruments, Android tablet for navigation
I am undecided about landing gear. A single wheel and nose skid is most in keeping with "eliminate stuff" but perhaps not very practical with a powered aircraft, steerable tricycle gear and a hand brake is most natural for easy ground handling but heaviest and most complex, free-swivel nosewheel and differential braking are an option, conventional gear might be a bit too exciting in a crosswind without ailerons.
I would keep the aspect ratio low to prevent float and avoid the need for landing flaps, though it's not beyond the realm of possibility to include some sort of belly flap to vary the approach in the absence of ailerons for slipping it in. I understand that is one of the complaints with the two-axis Ercoupes--if you're too high on approach it's hard to do much about it.
Construction, too, is up for grabs, though I am leaning toward bolted and riveted square aluminum tubes and gussets, fabric-covered, for the fuselage and maybe aluminum ribs over aluminum box spars for the wings and tail surfaces, also fabric-covered.
Wacky or intriguing? Your call.
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