CHEAP DIY ULTRALIGHTS? FAIR DINKUM.

[M61A1]

It.......,also boils down to how much you put on yr own life, I'd never get in most of what is known as an ultralight, self preservation kicks in-;)

Well, If you educate yourself properly, build your airfame properly and fly it accordingly, you'e probably safer than someone who went and bought their aircraft and goes whizzing along at the top end of Va on bumpy day, because the book says you can.Been enough GA prangs for me know it's more about who's driving than whether it's got doors and a lid or a seat and some wires.

 

 

[rollerball]

The only sane way to get hold of an inexpensive airworthy aircraft is to buy an old used one that needs a little bit of TLC. Forget about buying kits and building one yourself from scratch unless you mainly want to get your fun from building. The clue is in the word 'flying'.

 

I've done it twice, both with venerable rag and tube Weedhoppers. The first time was in the UK when I bought the 'scrapped' model that I got my microlight licence in after the owner/instructor nicked its engine and most of its instruments and left it out in bits under a tarp on a trailer and didn't know what to do with it. I rebuilt it and eventually flew it from the UK to France over 2 days when I moved here.

 

Due to unfortunate circumstances it was written off shortly after I arrived but the insurer let me keep the wreck including the engine after paying out. I subsequently bought a damaged French Weedhopper for peanuts which I repaired using parts from my old original machine and its engine. I finished the work 18 months ago but am only now about to get it back into the air due to my health problems of last year.

 

So my advice is - if you want to get hold of a cheap, safe, flyable aircraft buy an older rag and tube machine, preferably with Ultralam (or similar) covers, which last for years even with quite high UV exposure, rather than Dacron. Don't worry if its been damaged (OK, not too badly) so long as parts are available to repair, even if they are used so long as you know their provenance. Repair of rag and tube is usually quite straightforward - that's one of the beauties of these old machines.

 

During the work you will also get to know and love your aircraft which will stand you in good stead for the future as well as saving you money.

 

Just my two pennyworth.

 

 

[Charlie Harper]

The money thing is what I'm working on. I have plans for a RW9 Motor Bipe. I'll post a picture if I can figure it out.

 

I hope to not go over $6K in this plane. The engine needs to be 40hp. and round 60lb. with redrive,muffler,and prop. I hope to find a good used Kawasaki 440A. Would LIKE a Hirth 23. Little 50hp.

 

boxer twin. Weighs in at 71lb. complete. I don't know if

 

this lill airframe will allow the xtra 10 lb. Probly not if I want to stay FAR103 legal. Also a very pricey mill!

 

 

 

[old chook]

Hi Mickeymax, I,m sure the movie Magnificent Men inspired a lot of the pioneers of the basic ultralight movement of the early 7o.s 80,s, Col Winton,s cricket and jackaroo looked very similar to the demoirselle in the movie which had a VW engine, Col used robin 440,s in the very early days. I saw a one off homebuilt in the very early 80,s that was similar to a scout powered by a Yamaha DT 250 motor bike engine with V belt reduction cheers Al

 

 

[allowera]

A wise man told me once:-

 

Lighter

 

Faster

 

Cheaper

 

Pick two.

 

 

[M61A1]

A wise man told me once:-Lighter

Faster

 

Cheaper

 

Pick two.

So heavier and slow automatically becomes cheaper?

 

[APenNameAndThatA]

So heavier and slow automatically becomes cheaper?

Works that way with women.

[M61A1]

Works that way with women.

I'm going to disagree on that point. My experience

 

[spacesailor]

"I wonder why the HKS 700e has not been more successful?"

 

Valve guide problems, had a big recall I believe, something like, return old motor & get a new replacement.

 

then it all went quiet

 

Friend bought one for his Hummel-Bird, after he had second thoughts on his home built 1/2 VW.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[allowera]

I'm going to disagree on that point. My experience

Relationship advice in a similar vein:-

 

Attractive

 

Intelligent

 

Sane

 

Pick two.

 

:-)

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Relationship advice in a similar vein:-Attractive

Intelligent

 

Sane

 

Pick two.

 

:-)

Attractive and sane, the other choice will work against a male!!

 

[jetboy]

For Charlie this is the NZ version of what youre looking at

 

NZ Civil Aircraft: McNair Mynah ZK-LOI Home from Taumarunui

 

To the OP, there are plenty of simple classic ultralight type machines around, just their owners have left them in a shed and moved on.

 

3 Pterodactyls and Mirage / Qiucksilver I believe within 10 miles me I never see them out. Thrusters and Bantams were the top choice for a while and still very available, the reality is they are great for local flying but such a hassle putting on the layers of clothing and dealing with reliability issues killed the romance of it for me, used to be that what you needed to have was

 

"(a) an empty weight of 150kg or less;

 

(b) a lifting surface area of 10 m2 or more; and

 

© a wing loading of 10 kg per m2 or less at empty weight and which is designed to carry not more than two persons."

 

This was the original regulation in NZ, replaced by part 103 which changed to gross weights and allowed the Transport Canada Advanced Ultralight specs

 

 

[danny_galaga]

I'm surprised at how expensive cheap ultralights are. My fascination in ultralights began with ''Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines''.Can anyone recall the Frenchman I think it was who flew sitting under the wing in between a pair of bicycle wheels.The aircraft was wood, wire and cloth of some sort probably powered by a motorcycle engine or something.

 

I always imagined to build something like that would be cheap.

 

As a kid I remember my father bought me a go kart with a Victor lawnmower motor on it. People soon starting putting twin Mc Cullough? motors on them and priced us out of the fun of a family sport that anyone could afford.

 

It seems the same thing has happened with DIY aircraft.

 

Surely there is alternative motors to the Rotax etc what with the high revving high torque lightweight motorcycle motors available today.

 

Surely we can replicate those sort of flying machines cheaply.

 

Even home builders now use aluminium, Dacron? and Rotax motors. (Hence what I call not cheap)

 

Can't we use timber, lightweight canvas, bicycle wheels and a motorbike/lawnmower engine of some sort?

 

What are your views?

 

Maybe you know of aircraft built in this fashion.

 

Google ''Cheap Ultralights'' and you'll see that the cheap ones are all aluminium etc and still expensive.

 

I read of ultralights you can build in your backyard using materials and tools available in your local hardware store.

 

To my way of thinking a cheap ultralight should be able to be built for around $3000 and then that aircraft would qualify as cheap.

 

Or am I in fairyland?

It was Santos Dumont and his plane was the Demoiselle. Real plane , real historical figure. Funnily enough although that plane was cheap and cheerful he was a wealthy Brazilian industrialist. I too often dreamt of building a demoiselle of my own

 

 

[old man emu]

I too often dreamt of building a demoiselle of my own

Like this?

 

 

[Litespeed]

Cheap, cheerful and a proven design the Demoiselle is a good time machine. Aerodrome Airplanes do a kit and it can be under 10 grand flying.

 

As for Rotax been old in tooth a rebuilt one by rotax Rick, In USA is cheap and have a great reputation.

 

I won't comment on partners as I need all my blood inside my body.

 

 

[danny_galaga]

Like this?

Pretty sure Demoiselle means dragonfly :)

 

 

[onetrack]

Demoiselle can also refer to a young lady.

 

English Translation of “demoiselle” | Collins French-English Dictionary

 

 

[danny_galaga]

Demoiselle can also refer to a young lady.English Translation of “demoiselle” | Collins French-English Dictionary

Actually I meant to say Damselfly. In the context of the aircraft that is what is meant. However, when I was a lad, after seeing Weird Science I did also want to make my own damsel

 

 

[nymkid]

I'm surprised at how expensive cheap ultralights are. My fascination in ultralights began with ''Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines''.Can anyone recall the Frenchman I think it was who flew sitting under the wing in between a pair of bicycle wheels.The aircraft was wood, wire and cloth of some sort probably powered by a motorcycle engine or something.

 

I always imagined to build something like that would be cheap.

 

As a kid I remember my father bought me a go kart with a Victor lawnmower motor on it. People soon starting putting twin Mc Cullough? motors on them and priced us out of the fun of a family sport that anyone could afford.

 

It seems the same thing has happened with DIY aircraft.

 

Surely there is alternative motors to the Rotax etc what with the high revving high torque lightweight motorcycle motors available today.

 

Surely we can replicate those sort of flying machines cheaply.

 

Even home builders now use aluminium, Dacron? and Rotax motors. (Hence what I call not cheap)

 

Can't we use timber, lightweight canvas, bicycle wheels and a motorbike/lawnmower engine of some sort?

 

What are your views?

 

Maybe you know of aircraft built in this fashion.

 

Google ''Cheap Ultralights'' and you'll see that the cheap ones are all aluminium etc and still expensive.

 

I read of ultralights you can build in your backyard using materials and tools available in your local hardware store.

 

To my way of thinking a cheap ultralight should be able to be built for around $3000 and then that aircraft would qualify as cheap.

 

Or am I in fairyland?

Your in fairyland

[aj_richo]

Yep Fairyland..

 

I built this 1984-87, from memory it was around $4500-5000 in 80's dollars

 

 

Last flight before retiring it was in 2005

 

 

 

[M61A1]

Your in fairyland

I'll just fill in for Dazza...."YOU'RE"

[Charlie Harper]

For Charlie this is the NZ version of what youre looking atNZ Civil Aircraft: McNair Mynah ZK-LOI Home from Taumarunui

To the OP, there are plenty of simple classic ultralight type machines around, just their owners have left them in a shed and moved on.

 

3 Pterodactyls and Mirage / Qiucksilver I believe within 10 miles me I never see them out. Thrusters and Bantams were the top choice for a while and still very available, the reality is they are great for local flying but such a hassle putting on the layers of clothing and dealing with reliability issues killed the romance of it for me, used to be that what you needed to have was

 

"(a) an empty weight of 150kg or less;

 

(b) a lifting surface area of 10 m2 or more; and

 

© a wing loading of 10 kg per m2 or less at empty weight and which is designed to carry not more than two persons."

 

This was the original regulation in NZ, replaced by part 103 which changed to gross weights and allowed the Transport Canada Advanced Ultralight specs

Wow! Nice little plane! Aerodrome aircraft dose a couple kits old style. A single seat and one that let's you take a victim. Wire braced mono wing. Wings of Freedom has a kit (or plans) for a similar plane. All are very nice. Bare bones seat of the pants flying.

[danny_galaga]

Here is a clip of the Demoiselle replica for Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. Apparently the performance of the original was quite marginal (and Santos Dumont was quite a small man) so it looks like they nailed that aspect of it as well!

 

 

As far as I am aware, all the planes in the movie were based on the real deal, bar the Japanese one. The movie is based on the book by Ronald Searle (from memory, easy to google though). I read it in primary school and the illustrations are, well, magnificent

 

 

[Charlie Harper]

YA HOOO!!! That's flying. Have seen replicas of that pretty lill bird.

 

Aerodrome aircraft out of Missouri have a couple ultralight kits very similar to this.

 

One is a two seater. I think they are named Dream Fantasy. They also offer WW1 replica kits that are great. Worth scraping your eyeballs over. They also built the planes for the movie Fly Boys, about the Lafiette Esadrille. Very good movie!

 

 

[Charlie Harper]

I had almost decided to go with Wings of Freedom's Flit Plane. I like it a lot. They have a kit, and plans available. Then the RW9 resurfaced,and sold me. Do check out Roger Mann's website, Ragwing aircraft. He no longer offers kits, but has plans for about seven airplanes I think. He also has plans for boats. Maybe build yerself a boat plane!