# Leger ULM Pataplume 2

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#### cluttonfred

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
Hi, all. This French design caught my and I keep coming back to it.

Here's a link to the .pdf brochure (in French) and below are a few pics and the specs in English.

TECHNICAL FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE

Empty weight 278 kg
Wingspan 11.09 m
Length 6.43 m
Wing area 15 m²
Cabin Width 1.10 m
Conventional train, wheels Ø 400
Tank before the 40
VW 2000cc engine
Max power 80 hp
Maximum weight 450 kg
Number of seats 2
Maximum speed 175 km / h
Cruising speed (60%) 150 km / h
Stall speed of 63 km / h
VNE 180 km / h
Finesse 11 à 100 km / h
Minimum sink rate 2.5 m / s
Rate of climb 4 m / s
Roll rate (45 ° to 45 °) 3 s
Takeoff roll distance of 100 m
Takeoff distance (15 m) 250 m
Taxi distance to landing 150 m
Landing distance (15m) 400 m
Consumption (60%) 12 l / h

It's a straighforward wood-and-fabric, conventional gear, low-wing monoplane with a typical European one-piece box spar powered by a 2.0l VW conversion. It has no flaps and meets the European microlight regs by being light (well under 300 kg) and having a great big wing (15 m2!). Performance is modest, but then it should also be relatively cheap to build and inexpensive to operate.

Do any of our members know anything about this design? Other thoughts on the pros and cons of this approach?

Cheers,

Matthew

#### fly2kads

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
I don't know much about this specific aircraft, but the specs look to be in line with others of a similar type. I have been doing some analysis work on similar concepts of my own, and these figures seem very reasonable.

Overall, I think this approach is very workable. One of the main limitations, if you're tring to meet the European Microlight limit of 450kg, is that it severely constrains your useful load. At these weights (and mine), this would effectively be a 1 + 1 seater. With only 40l of fuel (10gal.), taking off with partial fuel may not be an option as with other types. Since I don't have that weight restriction, I am looking at a gross weight of more like 1150 lbs (522 kg).

The combination of low speed and the moderately high RPM of a VW engine means that propeller efficiency will be on the low side...65-70% as a rough estimate. Light weight and a low span loading can help preserve a reasonable climb rate. I am looking for a mellow, low-and-slow aircraft, so this level of performance is perfectly acceptable to me.

#### cluttonfred

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
Hmm, thanks for your comments, fly2kads, I wonder what springing for a Rotax 912 would do for an aircraft like this?

#### TFF

##### Well-Known Member
Build it. Looks like a flier. The only con to building an airplane is if it does not fit your mission. I guess the fuselage is ply covered; I am not multi lingual; not single lingual . The grand daddies of wood homebuilts FlyBaby, Jodel, Emeraude, everything else is an interpretation. There are no perfect airplanes; you just have to like it.

#### fly2kads

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
Hmm, thanks for your comments, fly2kads, I wonder what springing for a Rotax 912 would do for an aircraft like this?
Besides adding at least 50% to the cost of the airplane?

My quick and dirty calculations show that if you substituted a Rotax 912ULS (80 HP) and could fit a 70" propeller, you would gain about 3 knots of top end speed and about 100 fpm of climb rate. Not too shabby. (Just estimates, mind you.) It would be your call as to what level of performance is acceptable, and what price you're willing to pay for it. I have no idea if that kind of swap would be feasible for this airframe, but that should give you a general idea of what kind of difference to expect.

#### autoreply

##### Well-Known Member
Hmm, thanks for your comments, fly2kads, I wonder what springing for a Rotax 912 would do for an aircraft like this?
*Instant bankruptcy
*Considerably lower weight (20 kg or so)
*Just 1 m/s extra climb.

#### clanon

##### Well-Known Member
Finesse 11 à 100 km / h
This is L/D ratio...right?
And Aspect Ratio ~ 8 i think...

#### cluttonfred

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
Yes, glide ratio (L/D) is called "finesse" in French, Google didn't catch that because it's an English word, too. And, yes again, I get 8.2 for the aspect ratio. By the way, those wheels look like scooter wheels, or something like that, not your usual airplane or ultralight wheels.

Finesse 11 à 100 km / h
This is L/D ratio...right?
And Aspect Ratio ~ 8 i think...

#### cluttonfred

##### Well-Known Member
HBA Supporter
For anyone else interested in this design, a few weeks ago I had a long phone conversation with Fabien Léger, the designer of the Pataplume, a very sweet older gentleman full of information and enthusiasm. Based on that exchange, and my desire to tackle a light, two-seat homebuilt project, I have just made arrangements to send M. Léger a check for 250 euros for a set of Pataplume 2 plans. I probably won't see them for about a month, but when I do I'll be happy to discuss my thoughts on the drawings and the design.

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