Minimum Aircraft News - Wasp

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Those interested in Minimum Aircraft (waves to Ozzie) may like to know that yesterday I was given a CAB Wasp from a deceased estate.

 

The aircraft appears to be totally complete, including engine and prop, even has the original handbook and is also undamaged (but a bit dirty from years of storage).

 

The machine was actually given to the Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield Association who promptly passed it on to myself to look after with a view to getting it into a museum.

 

I do not know much about the type other than quite a few were built although they are seldom seen these days. I think there is one in the Holbrook Museum. They are certainly a valid part of ultralighting heritage

 

I would appreciate anyone posting some history or reflections on operating them.

 

I intend restoring the aircraft to full flying condition but doubt that I will be able to fly it as I seem a bit large and heavy for it. That will be down the track as I have rather a long work list piling up.

 

Fortunately the Wasp does not occupy a great deal of space when de-rigged as the amount of aircraft that I either own or have a share in is becoming embarrasing and most of them are destined for a flying museum. This is the list for those interested:

 

Thruster Prototype

 

Glasshouse Prototype

 

Glasshouse C

 

Glasshouse C (preservation interest)

 

T83 Prototype (preservation interest)

 

T100 Prototype

 

TST

 

T300 (1st Swift Prototype under development)

 

T500 BMW (2nd Swift Prototype under development)

 

T500 (share - currently in use for Thruster techinque demos)

 

Bilby (preservation interest)

 

Ralley 2b

 

And now the Wasp.

 

If anyone has a spare $150,000 laying around or knows where to get that kind of money then let me know. I have run out of room and have to build a museum hangar at Watts!

 

Aye

 

Tony

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

cab wasp

 

Built in small numbers by Neville White of Cab Industries in Gunnedah NSW in the late seventies. Similar to the Skycraft Scout, except it was strut braced and had a V tail. it also had wing warp for roll control. Fully complied with the ANO 95:10 requirerments of the day. A good flyer.

 

Excellent addition to your collection. should be flown every Sunday morning.

 

Ozzie

 

 

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

Ah Tony! Just my sort of thing put me down for a test flight!

 

 

[Phildo]

From Tony,

 

If anyone has a spare $150,000 laying around or knows where to get that kind of money then let me know. I have run out of room and have to build a museum hangar at Watts!

Two words Tony, CHOOK RAFFLES!! LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOOK RAFFLES!!:big_grin:

 

Phil.

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Tks Phildo - but I did not think there were that many chooks! :confused:

 

 

[Guest High Plains Drifter]

Dont foregett about the ADSB units Tony - Thireteen of them

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Yup Mike – not forgotten at all! I have a plan!

 

 

First of all I am scrapping the original wing skins and having them replaced with ‘look-alike’ solar panels to acquire the power needed to drive the ADSB units. The new skins have to be custom made and are the principle expense.

 

 

The power cells themselves are no problem - I can get them on Ebay cheaply from a crashed alien spacecraft currently stored in Area 51. These are very lightweight so should do the job. Unfortunately they, and the ADSB units themselves, do weigh something and occupy space. So they have to be mounted on the C of G which naturally is right above the pilot. (NB Insider information – the Yanks have finished with the wreck now and in two years Ford will have introduced a revolutionary new propulsion system for their cars to beat the oil crisis as that area of the planet oil comes from will anyway have been totally nuked by then – so study the Futures Market carefully).

 

 

The downside to this is that headroom is precisely calculated as now being down to 1’10†so I have to get in touch with the Walt Disney company and see if they have a spare dwarf who is interested in flying and that I can teach.

 

 

I am seriously contemplating fitting a full IFR panel. GPS large displays, and nav lights to the machine so it is totally orientated to current conceptions of what ultralights should be about - and can be legally flown into Mascot!

 

 

These instruments also weigh a lot and because of the increased AUW I will have to fit a Rotax 912 to get it off the ground again. This in turn gives a Cof G problem so all the instruments will have to be mounted behind the pilot and read via large mirrors on each side of the cockpit (the dial numbers will obviously have to be mirror reversed but that should not cost too much). A ten stacker DVD system with stereo sound and a VDU is looking less likely but not entirely out of the question yet.

 

 

I estimate that the entire exercise will cost $47,512 plus a few cents (without labour or training the dwarf) but nevertheless is worth it to keep a historic part of our heritage alive and flying even though the aircraft itself is only worth 5 bob!

 

 

The actual major downside is that I have to seriously modify the aircraft to bring the rudder pedals back far enough for the dwarf to reach – so the aircraft will not be truly original. But one may just have to compromise I suppose!

 

 

Damn! I love historical aircraft and a real challenge!

 

 

Aye

 

 

Tony

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Tony, you have waaaay too much time on your hands.

 

 

[Phildo]

Fm Tony,

 

I estimate that the entire exercise will cost $47,512 plus a few cents (without labour or training the dwarf)

 

 

 

Well Tony,

 

 

 

I think you being unreasonable. Of course the ADSB inforced system is for the betterment of ALL aviators, including puddle jumpers like ours .... :hittinghead:

 

 

 

In the mean time may I interest you to a prototype (see below) with a pre preduction base cost of only $50,000. I am willing to offer one of my protypes complete with safety markings/colours .... free, for a quick sale prior to the regulators assessing its needs also for a ADSB in/out setup for use under FL 10. ;)

 

 

 

Nice post tony ... !

 

 

 

 

[slartibartfast]

These instruments also weigh a lot and because of the increased AUW I will have to fit a Rotax 912 to get it off the ground again. This in turn gives a Cof G problem so all the instruments will have to be mounted behind the pilot and read via large mirrors on each side of the cockpit (the dial numbers will obviously have to be mirror reversed but that should not cost too much). A ten stacker DVD system with stereo sound and a VDU is looking less likely but not entirely out of the question yet.

Now you're just being silly Tony. You don't need to reverse the dial faces if you use the 2 mirrors in series, not parallel.

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Quite right Slarti - but I have been working on a much lighter alternative. Scrap the blind flying stuff entirely and just use an ouiga board! It escalates the cost a bit to get it through CASA but would be more practical weight wise in terms of the instrument itself (which also does not need a power source).

 

The downside is then that we would have to make it a four seater to make the board work properly.

 

I am still thinking about that but I am sure that there is a way to do it!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Tony, all these mods should be passed by the Dept without any problems at all now as I belive the Bunny Farmer is back working for CASA:confused:

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Ozzie - that is trurely great news - so we should be able to get what we want.

 

I had a dream of fitting a jet to the Wasp as it would solve a lot of C of G problems and a lot of weight issues.

 

I will start working on that immediately.

 

 

[Phildo]

Here is food for thought Tony, CoG changes if you have a big lunch!

 

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Calculating CoG

 

No worries Tony can fit one of these you beaut computers.

 

Ohh Jetman, he's going to have a crack at crossing the English Channel soon. Wonder if this comes under FAR Part 103 regs like the Martin applepicker.