The lack of portability ( hi hangar costs ) killed ULs imop

[Pops]

Friend of mine flying his little Cont GPU Mini Max.

 

[Tiger Tim]

So is hangarage a problem or an excuse?

 

[David L. Downey]

Friend of mine flying his little Cont GPU Mini Max.

!!!and thats the 2 cylinder 42 cubic inch engine...direct drive!

 

[ToddK]

Questions like this kind of make me wish our avatar box had a spot for our flying experience.
Before I got my ticket, and some time logged I thought that folding wings and a trailer would be great. Save some money right?
Now folding wings is only attractive because it could let me share a hanger and split the cost.
Trailering is just not practical if you want to fly more then one day a week. I want to be able to get an hour in here and there between work, running errands, picking up the kids, between rainy days, whatever.
If had to hitch up a trailer and every time I wanted to fly, drag it out to the airport, and unload, unfold, preflight, fly, refold, load, trailer home, park, unhitch, I would probably just rent, or get a butt fan.

 

[BBerson]

It isn't required that the trailer be used everytime. I rent a tiedown for five months in the summer.

 

[Dana]

It isn't required that the trailer be used everytime. I rent a tiedown for five months in the summer.

Exactly. I kept my Kolb in the trailer, at the airport, during the flying season, then took it home for the winter. I could still take it to the airport to fly on a nice winter day, or bring it home for a few days to work on it during the summer.

 

[ElectricFlyer]

So is hangarage a problem or an excuse?

My low salary job says its a problem.

 

[reo12]

Friend of mine flying his little Cont GPU Mini Max.

Did he make the prop hub or buy it? I made a couple dozen a decade or so ago.

 

[reo12]

I did the fold wing mad after building MoJo Ryder my Airbike Ser#29. When I called Mr Ison.....Wayne he was not thrilled about my plan to use a 1/2 VW as it's powerplant! He told me I'd have W/B issues ect. When I was done my center of lift was "optimal" and as We discussed it He discovered I was an A&P, He said "why didn't you tell me that !!" So he was advising me perhaps assuming I was another dude in the cellar trying to reinvent the wheel w/out any appreciation of the potential dangers of "exceeding the envelope!!" I want to be clear I'm no rocket scientist but due to my aversion to 2 strokes I decided on the Airbike BECAUSE it had been designed by a "real aircraft designer!" It would have 4 stroke power or no power at all.......
So after that He asked me to send him some pics and stuff, which I did, I am pretty sure I had the first Airbike in the Universe flying a 1/2 VW!
So after I discovered the Military Standard 2&4 cylinder variants I got 1 of each, BULLETPROOF design but heavy. I did not think the 2 cylinder could produce enough power so for about $100 I put all new cylinders and bearings on a 4 cylinder I got from Fort Hood thru Gov auction and had essentially a ZERO time 4 cylinder baby Continental engine. Off came the 1/2 and after a bunch of tweaks I had it on MoJo! When I called Wayne he had a fit!! After We talked it through He calmed down and I discovered how he decided on VNE! Wayne told me at 100 mph I would "shred" the plexiglass windscreen, LOL!! We all know the Knucklehead that sued T.E.A.M. suffered spatial disorientation because he was too stupid to abort the flight like his other 2 buddiesAND he entered the water at a near vertical angle..........but the wings were intact at least at the root as I recall.
So Wayne was cool with the 4 cylinder from an engineering perspective and I must say I had absolute confidence in the Mil STD engine, the forged crank rang like a fine musical instrument, I believe it was designed to run @3600 for 2000 hrs. as I recall? With my prop I maxed out at 3200 rpm's and it was the smoothest engine I ever saw.
The only problem with the 4 cylinder was the weight.............and climbout was significantly reduced. She climbs at 700-800 FPM behind the 1/2 not so much with the 4!
So life got in the way but I am focused on getting her back in the sky in 2021 currently have engine apart for inspection with at least 200-250 hours on it and I discovered a bird made a nest in the port wing so I gotta make sure there's no bird crap indie anywhere plus I have a landing gear mod along with a few other changes I'd like to make whilst She's apart for her first "C" check!
I will try and attach pics of the folding wing mod AFTER the Airframe was built. Please bear w/me I'm not any good at this posting stuff.

Hi, did you make the prop hub or buy it? I made a couple dozen years ago. Wonder what became of them.

 

[rtfm]

Lack of portability... I was always planning to fold the wings of my Flea, run it up onto a little trailer and cart it the few kilometers to the lockup storage facility. But I've discovered that my little Smart car isn't permitted to tow a trailer. Bugger!

 

[reo12]

For me - hanger costs are killing my ability to fly.

Tying down a ultralight or similar dacron covered plane outside is costly. The fabric is typically only good for 12 -14 months or so of sunlight exposure. Add to that the weather cost on the rest of the plane. Replacing sewn fabric sails is now into the $2000 range for many UL type planes.

I bought a ready to fly Pterodactyl back in November. I'd been ground bound for 14 years since an emergency off field landing damaged my Drifter. I've got hundreds of hours in Pterodactyls from 25 years ago. The price was right - my Drifter and Falcon cost more to repair. I thought I'd take it over to the local airport and keep it under covers in the open sided hangers. Well. I discovered the local airport decided to tear down their open sided T's. They were well built with concrete block walls and aluminum roofs. A hanger there costs either $150 or $225 a month with at least 4 people ahead of me for either. Doesn't matter. I can't spend a new car payment on solely personal recreation.

Yes, a Pterodactyl is "portable" but that can be quite a chore getting it moved. Here is a photo of my second one coming home with the wife's Yugo back in 1990. The problem is about 45 rushed minutes to assemble and 30 minutes to have it broken down. If you don't have an enclosed trailer that can remain at the airport - then you have to spend 20 - 30 minutes packing it and tying everything down so nothing gets damaged in transport. Then - unpack when you get to where it is stored. Then repack to take to the airport.

Some folks don't have room for a 20+ft enclosed trailer at home or have regulations that prevent having a large trailer at their home.

I asked an airport of storing a trailer there and they did not want me to. They were the only one who allowed temporary type structures. They do not want them now. When they did 15 years ago they required 1million per occurrence / 2 mill aggregate liability insurance and of course a yearly fee based on building square footage. If I recall correctly the insurance through the National Hanger Owners Insurance and rent cost was about $1200. per year. I have no idea what it would be now.

 

[Riggerrob]

My "dream" sport flying field is on the flood plain, down beside the river. Every Halloween, we have a year's end part, stuff all our flying machines in ISO shipping containers and cart them home or to a storage yard.
Every Easter, we spent one weekend mowing the grass and installing simple electric power cords. The second weekend we haul down all our ISO shipping containers and help each other prepare for our first flights of the year. We might park 4 ISO containers parallel and erect a tent of top to create a semi-enclosed working space.
Since all the structures/trailers are temporary, there are no zoning problems. Since the farmer still harvests two crops of haw - every year - the land remains "agricultural." When we head home in the autumn, the only items remaining are a few wooden power poles.