Solomon's home built ultralight

[solomon]

Hi Solomon,I like the concept of your aircraft, but as the others have mentioned it looks really closely coupled to me.

 

You'll need to build yourself at least one other wing to do the load testing on. I've never done it personally, but most of the photos I've seen of the process end up testing a number of loads (i.e flight loads @ 1G, 3G, 6G), and then continuing until failure.

 

There are some nice pictures of the Xenox undergoing its stress testing here:

 

http://www.sonexaircraft.com/aircraft/xenosdev/xenosarchive3.html

 

I'm also curious what aircraft design and/or engineering books you've got access to? I'd like to send you a copy of a couple of the books, but I want to make sure you havn't already got them.

 

I was thinking of sending Raymer's Simplified Aircraft design for homebuilders and his Aircraft Design: A conceptual approach. Anybody else got any suggestions for good books?

Hi Sain,

 

I was thinking of using sand bags to do the load test but I don’t know where to get any because I will need around at least 900kg of it just to do a +6G load test. So I’m trying to find other ways of doing it, if anyone has other ideas I’ll be happy to listen.

 

Also with the design I did allot of research on the internet and finally came up with an idea and I just kept building on from that. I have lots of books on planes but none on how to build one! I just learn of the internet but I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me one or two of them books.

 

Thanks Sain.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

house bricks can also do the job.

 

How did you calculate the CG?

 

 

[solomon]

house bricks can also do the job.How did you calculate the CG?

Hey ozzie,

 

that might be a good idea. I'm redoing the CG from the beginning as soon as I finish remodelling the wings to get more lift and expanding the tail section. With the new wings I hope to get the plane off the ground at 35-45km/h rather than its current take of speed of about 60-65km/h. It will make it allot safer since at higher speeds the rudder control becomes over sensitive.

 

I plan in finding the CG by hanging the whole plane off ground until it's balanced (with my weight included). Then I'll balance the plane on its CP which should be behind the CG, if the nose in too heavy then I’ll remove the excess weight on the nose until I get the plane to be just slightly nose heavy.

 

 

[sain]

Hi Solomon, shall do on the books. I'll set something up with Ian or Motz so you don't need to give your address out.

 

There is a stack of good building information available on the web fortunately.

 

Check out the forums over at http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/forum.php, but I'd suggest lurking for a while to get a feel for the place before posting.

 

If you've got the internet bandwidth to cope with the videos then the eaa hints for homebuilders channel is well worth a look:

 

http://www.eaavideo.org/channel.aspx?ch=ch_hints

 

Good luck with it all.

 

 

[solomon]

Hi Solomon, shall do on the books. I'll set something up with Ian or Motz so you don't need to give your address out.There is a stack of good building information available on the web fortunately.

 

Check out the forums over at http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/forum.php, but I'd suggest lurking for a while to get a feel for the place before posting.

 

If you've got the internet bandwidth to cope with the videos then the eaa hints for homebuilders channel is well worth a look:

 

http://www.eaavideo.org/channel.aspx?ch=ch_hints

 

Good luck with it all.

thanks Sain!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Hey ozzie, that might be a good idea. I'm redoing the CG from the beginning as soon as I finish remodelling the wings to get more lift and expanding the tail section. With the new wings I hope to get the plane off the ground at 35-45km/h rather than its current take of speed of about 60-65km/h. It will make it allot safer since at higher speeds the rudder control becomes over sensitive.

I plan in finding the CG by hanging the whole plane off ground until it's balanced (with my weight included). Then I'll balance the plane on its CP which should be behind the CG, if the nose in too heavy then I’ll remove the excess weight on the nose until I get the plane to be just slightly nose heavy.

Just looking at the photo with you sitting in it i think you may be a little aft on the CG.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Aren't there any interim inspections in this class Ozzie. If the COG is too far back the nose is just going to point into the air and spit him on to the ground. Doesn't someone calculate it?

 

 

[David Isaac]

Aren't there any interim inspections in this class Ozzie. If the COG is too far back the nose is just going to point into the air and spit him on to the ground. Doesn't someone calculate it?

Turbz,

There are clear instructions on how to weigh and calculate CofG on the RA Aus website tutorials.

 

 

[David Isaac]

Well done Iggy ... Thanks, you are one sharp Kid ...

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Aren't there any interim inspections in this class Ozzie. If the COG is too far back the nose is just going to point into the air and spit him on to the ground. Doesn't someone calculate it?

For scratch built there is. The engines are pretty light but most pushers have the pilot a little further forward. looking at it eyeball it seems a little aft.

 

I never had to consult the Tutorials for the lazair, i just had to show the method to obtain it and the calculation to show it is within limits. The factory method involved tail weight lifting fuse to level and a plumbob from the spar to axle measure distance from string to axle, measure rear spar fitting to tail. multiply the two divide by the weight on the tail add a bit for luck and if you come up with bugger all then it's good. Found it way easier to hang it at 21 inches from the L/E. bit of fuel and pilot and if the boom is near level, near enough.

 

Looking forward to seeing this little wonder fly.

 

 

[winsor68]

http://flysafe.raa.asn.au/groundschool/umodule9.html

Legend!

 

 

[Gibbo]

Yes you can Hongie, 95.10 is the ultimate experimental category... 300kg MTOW and a restriction on wing loading are pretty much the only requirements... as long as it meets them, you can have jets, turbofans, any number of engines you like and whatever else you can dream of that is reasonable...http://flysafe.raa.asn.au/regulations/9510.pdf[/quote]

 

hmm.. Post heat motor jet based blended lifting wing.. no stall and 180kn criuse. :)

[J170 Owner]

Often when I open my mouth, I put my foot in it (I'm pretty flexible for an old fart). Having said that I just wonder how much thought, calculation and expertise has gone into Solomon's plane. Building something like a plane ain't like knocking together a billy cart, one can get pretty perished if things go wrong. How does anybody know what stresses it can endure? What's it stability? Stall characteristics? Has it been modeled on a known design.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Ditto J170Owner. I have grave concerns (pardon the pun)

 

 

[solomon]

Often when I open my mouth, I put my foot in it (I'm pretty flexible for an old fart). Having said that I just wonder how much thought, calculation and expertise has gone into Solomon's plane. Building something like a plane ain't like knocking together a billy cart, one can get pretty perished if things go wrong. How does anybody know what stresses it can endure? What's it stability? Stall characteristics? Has it been modeled on a known design.

Don’t worry this thing is not leaving ground until it's ready and tested, I’ve put allot of thought in to everything you just for over the past two years over 12oo hours working on it. By the time it's done I know it's going to safe because everything would of been tested. The plane has a role cage design and it's really light making very low impact in case of any accidents, the main frame that will undergo the most stress during flight and on ground is made from galvanized steel tubing and the take-off and landing speed will be reduced to a safe 20-28 knots. Concerning my motorised bike goes faster than 28 knots then I think I should be allotted safer inside a cockpit with a role cage and a recovery chute.