What Happened To...Le Pelican

[addicted2climbing]

I started working on how I'd build a le Pelican XL. I'm trying to keep it "hacksaw and tin snips" so I wouldn't have to flatten and bend the end of the tubes. ...it's got a long way to go and there are lots of glitches (rivet holes in wrong place and gussets passing through the motor mount etc.) but I'm liking the idea more and more

View attachment 53457 View attachment 53458


View attachment 53459 View attachment 53460


View attachment 53461 View attachment 53462

WOW Fritz Great Job,

I like the XL size as I need that. Please make it fit a 6'4" 220lb pilot with a bit of room for fuel. I was thinking of going down the same route but since your already doing it than maybe I will wait. If you have not joined the Yahoo group yet there are some good pics of the wings structure. Oh one other request make it strut braced and allow the wings to fold like a Kolb. Folding wings are a necessity for me which is why I was going to start drawing one myself. Also keep the 37' or 38' span as I also want to float around in some lift. If you need or would like any help or a second set of eyes let me know as i am a solidworks user as well.

Take care,

Marc

 

[addicted2climbing]

Cup holders and a USB to charge my phone would be nice too...:roll:

 

[Hot Wings]

folding wings are a necessity for me
Marc

Me too. The single strut Pelican wing actually lends itself to folding fairly easily. Using sailplane like pins to transfer lift and torsion to the fuselage is a natural given the way the Pilican wing structure handles torsion and drag/anti-drag loads. I've done the basic math and it's quite doable.

As for adequate material to screw into with the thin rib caps - repair is sometimes done by hogging out a little foam and injecting some flox for more bearing area. The Lazair wing, as already noted, is very similar and gives us a service history to study.

Edit:
Traditional rib stitching is still a viable option.

 

[FritzW]

I got a few more parts on...


I haven't quite figured out how the tubes will connect to the angles yet, but these would keep fittings from bumping up under the fabric. They'd also do a good job of spreading the load. Might even allow for a thinner "boom".



How about a cup holder with built in USB ports :gig:

EDIT: it should fit a 6' 4" pilot with no problem. My pilot model is 6' 2".

...even folded a 38' wing is going to be awful long, it wouldn't fit in a 20' container.

 

[addicted2climbing]

I got a few more parts on...

View attachment 53471 View attachment 53472 View attachment 53473
I haven't quite figured out how the tubes will connect to the angles yet, but these would keep fittings from bumping up under the fabric. They'd also do a good job of spreading the load. Might even allow for a thinner "boom".


View attachment 53474 View attachment 53475
How about a cup holder with built in USB ports :gig:

EDIT: it should fit a 6' 4" pilot with no problem. My pilot model is 6' 2".

...even folded a 38' wing is going to be awful long, it wouldn't fit in a 20' container.

Thats too awesome for words Fritz...

 

[FritzW]

...the wonders of grabcad.com :gig:

 

[addicted2climbing]

...the wonders of grabcad.com :gig:

I figured as much. GrabCad is such a great resource nowadays. Did you get your human model from there? Is it parametric enough that you can measure your limbs and then change it on the model? The human model I have now has been done with surfacing and the surfaces are pretty much locked.

Marc

 

[Tiger Tim]

Without going back through the whole thread, has anyone mentioned the Indy Flyer?
The Indy-Flyer - EAA 292

Definitely not a Le Pelican but it might satisfy someone's needs for a modern(ish) C-2(ish) ultralight.

 

[FritzW]

I don't remember where I got the human model from but it was probably grabcad. I had to mess with it quite a bit when I first got it to make him 6' 2" and the same proportions as me (resizing each part). There are better ones out there now but this one works for what I do.

 

[addicted2climbing]

Without going back through the whole thread, has anyone mentioned the Indy Flyer?
The Indy-Flyer - EAA 292

Definitely not a Le Pelican but it might satisfy someone's needs for a modern(ish) C-2(ish) ultralight.

Hello Tiger Tim,

Yes we have seen the Indy Flyer. It was Cable braced though I believe and would not lend itself too well to folding wings. However there may be some worthwhile elements worth considering still.
Marc

 

[addicted2climbing]

Hey Fritz,

You mentioned earlier that you had not sorted out how all the connections work out between tubes an brackets. For that I would think looking at the Goat plans woudl be ideal. For many of the off axis tubes the Goat uses U channel that gives the ability to rotate the channel into the same plane as the bracket. Also in some areas the Goat has flattened tubing off axis as well, but I would think straying from flattened tubing and using all U channels as connection points would be easier and more repeatable during installation if someone were following plans.

Also Saddle washers work well too.
Saddles, Standoffs, Spacers & Tube Caps

Marc

 

[FritzW]

U channel that gives the ability to rotate the channel into the same plane as the bracket.

Hi Marc,

I'm trying to use U channel everywhere I can but the Pelican has lots of places with two tubes coming out of the channel in different planes.

these have enough fudge room that they'll work (drill on assembly)


these don't :ermm: I attached the forward tube to main down tube and put a doubler in it.

The part I'm trying to sort out is attaching the diagonals that meet the boom about half way down. I want to keep my "ventricle fin" angles idea because to keeps bumps out of the fabric, ...and beefs up the tube a little. ...and they'd be super easy to make

Just a few more tubes then it's time for the gear and wings!

 

[bmcj]

How about the Milholand LEXL?

Wouldn't that be the Milholland Legal Pelican?

 

[steveair2]

Wouldn't that be the Milholland Legal Pelican?

Well, I didn't realize the Pelican had a thirty seven foot wingspan when I posted that.

 

[pwood66889]

In short - stay tuned!

From August of 2016.
To write a semi-finis to this thread - I have committed to getting that LePelican flying. Hope I have the hangar space to pull it off. Wish me Luck!

Percy in SE Bama

 

[erkki67]

Hello Fritz

If you are still in concept sizing make it XXL for 6'6" 254lbs pilots with 12 size shoes :ban:

rki

 

[FritzW]

As soon as we get the info for the original LePelican into the computer you can bet a "tall boy" version won't be far behind

 

[Cy V]

How about a version sporting the new Verner 3VW radial engine?

 

[pwood66889]

Hopefully & wife permitting, next Friday will be the move to my hangar. Then we'll have a year to get all your questions answered...
Percy in SE Bama

 

[lake_harley]

Percy...good luck with the move!

Lynn