newbie here - any comments on the "Affordaplane"?
dfarley
limited experience with flight (civil air patrol check rides, flight
sims, etc), I've never actually flown an aircraft (solo). I purchased
plans for a taildragger ultralight from www.affordaplane.com, mostly
because of the easy-to-build and low-cost claims. Has anyone here
actually flown one of these? I'd love to start flying as soon as
possible, and I'd like to build my own aircraft, but I don't want to
waste money either. I've read over the extensive taildragger vs
nose-wheel postings in this group, and I think I'd still rather go
with the taildragger.
On a separate note... I'm also looking into purchasing some land for a
new home and I've been able to talk my wife into allowing me to build
a small landing strip for my ultralight (which of course doesn't
exist, yet - minor detail). I realize that the length of the strip
depends on many factors, including pilot proficiency and surrounding
structures/terrain, but can someone give me a ballpark figure on a
minimum length? My gut feeling is that 1000-1200 ft should be fine.
Would 800 ft or so be enough, i wonder? Comments?
Thanks!
-Danny
Bill Higdon
I'm not an authority on the Affordaplane, so I won't make any comments
there, but the strip length will depend on what your summer time density
altitude is. I've flown Cessna 150's out of strips at sea level in the
hot summer that NO WAY would I try it in summer time Wyoming, because of
the Density altitude at most of the Wyoming strips.
Bill Higdon
Paul Westcott
ultralights including the Affordaplane, or one like Millholland's
Legal Eagle, especially when powered by a Rotax 477 or better yet a
Rotax 503 depending on your density altitude. Ask the designers how
the ultralight climbs at a similar altitude to your location. I.E. if
it's down to 200fpm at 7000' and your field is that high, better
forget it. If it still has a 500-600fpm ROC then it has good
potential. The Affordaplane designer is from Florida and the Legal
Eagle designer is located in Texas so both of them have experience
with hot weather but not likely at higher altitudes. You need to
contact some UL flyers in Wyoming or Colorado to get some advice on
higher elevation operation. I gaurantee that if 1000' strip isn't
enough the thing will be performing so poorly that it wouldn't be safe
to fly anyway because it will have such poor climb performance and
will be operating too closely to it's stall speed.
One other consideration is that you shouldn't try to learn to fly an
UL by the seat of you pants. The Wrights crashed many times doing
that. Get some time in a dual UL if you can find one, or at least
solo in a light plane (preferably a taildragger) and get some hours of
fligh under your belt. Most of the accidents in ULs come from poor
flying skills. Also if you build one, get someone experienced to test
fly it if you can.
Paul Westcott
Leaver T. Beaver
> I'm brand new to the world of ultralights, and although I've had some
> limited experience with flight (civil air patrol check rides, flight
> sims, etc), I've never actually flown an aircraft (solo). I purchased
> plans for a taildragger ultralight from www.affordaplane.com, mostly
> because of the easy-to-build and low-cost claims. Has anyone here
> actually flown one of these? I'd love to start flying as soon as
> possible, and I'd like to build my own aircraft, but I don't want to
> waste money either. I've read over the extensive taildragger vs
> nose-wheel postings in this group, and I think I'd still rather go
> with the taildragger.
>
....
> Thanks!
>
> -Danny
About the plane, plans for affordable planes have been in the back
ads of pop science and mechanics for decades, and the thing I first
ask is how many people have built and safely flown the planes in
various conditions, etc?
The website guy says they plan to create kits in the future, and
there are some incomplete planes, well there are lots of kits to
come and incomplete non-flying planes out there and over the years,
so NOTHING beats a flying example, especially a HIGH time flying
example!!
Good luck, and start shopping for a nice cheap engine now!
dfarley
nearest STOL airstrip - http://www.ohwy.com/tn/x/x0a4.htm . I'm very
near the mountains, though, so a lot depends upon the location of the
land I purchase. :-) I plan to get some training in an ultralight,
hopefully a taildragger. In fact, I'm going to try to hook up with
some local ultralight flyers this weekend at a fly-in in Greeneville,
TN.
-Danny
Paul Westcott <pswes...@comcast.net> wrote in message news:<0r3adv0kc38cvo4t0...@4ax.com>...
rb
> possible, and I'd like to build my own aircraft
This right here is almost an oxymoron. The last thing you should worry
about when building an aircraft is how soon you can fly it, especially if
this will be your first one.
Unless of course you are going to fly one and build another, in which case
I'm a blithering idiot and don't mind me.
Mike D.
"dfarley" <dlf...@chartertn.net> wrote in message
news:40549b09.03052...@posting.google.com...
dfarley
Anyone building their own aircraft ultimately has one thing on their
mind - "gosh, i can't wait to try it out". Obviously, one should
never sacrifice the quality and safety of their aircraft just to get
in the air sooner, but let's be honest. Although building an aircraft
will be a very satisfying experience (i hope), the idea is to get into
the air. I do appreciate the advice, though. I'll be loggin' some
training hours well before the aircraft is completed.
-Danny
"rb" <david...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<8dLBa.2$Km7.5...@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com>...
red
In practical terms, I suggest that you buy something that you can later
sell for a reasonable price, as soon as your project is completed. Owning
that first plane, then, could end up only costing hundreds of dollars,
which you can consider as the price of airtime and experience, on a proven
plane. That experience will be priceless, when you begin flying your
project plane. I believe that it's much better to know what to expect,
rather than be surprised, good or bad, by an untested plane.
The EAA will tell it to you straight - "If you want to build something,
fine; you can probably do that. If you want to fly something, buy
something".
I regard any building project as a serious waste of good flying time,
unless you have something else to fly in the meanwhile. No matter what you
build, or how well, remember: all of those good flying days will be lost
and gone forever. A non-pilot might be willing to discard a single day of
their life, building, that they could have spent flying. I don't think
very many serious pilots would be willing to do that. If you have the urge
to build, you can do that when it's snowing, or raining.
All IMHO.
Best wishes,
Red
--
*************************
Replies will bounce, unless you remove
the letter A from my email address.
> > > Thanks!
> > > -Danny
Mark Smith
>
> Danny,
> In practical terms, I suggest that you buy something that you can later
> sell for a reasonable price, as soon as your project is completed. Owning
> that first plane, then, could end up only costing hundreds of dollars,
> which you can consider as the price of airtime and experience, on a proven
> plane. That experience will be priceless, when you begin flying your
> project plane. I believe that it's much better to know what to expect,
> rather than be surprised, good or bad, by an untested plane.
> The EAA will tell it to you straight - "If you want to build something,
> fine; you can probably do that. If you want to fly something, buy
> something".
> I regard any building project as a serious waste of good flying time,
> unless you have something else to fly in the meanwhile. No matter what you
> build, or how well, remember: all of those good flying days will be lost
> and gone forever. A non-pilot might be willing to discard a single day of
> their life, building, that they could have spent flying. I don't think
> very many serious pilots would be willing to do that. If you have the urge
> to build, you can do that when it's snowing, or raining.
> All IMHO.
> Best wishes,
> Red
overall, few serious pilots build anything,,,,,,,,,,,
a local built a small onan powered quickie, crashed on test flight from
engine failure ,he was the largest piece following the
crash,,,,,,,,,,,,,,spent several days in the ICU
that was about ten years ago,
he just completed a Q 200, crashed on takeoff,,,,,,,,,,,,,kilt !
I have never seen him fly anything in those ten
years,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
--
Mark Smith
Tri-State Kite Sales http://www.trikite.com
1121 N Locust St
Mt Vernon, IN 47620 mailto:ma...@trikite.com
1-812-838-6351
dfarley
it makes sense, though. Most race-car drivers don't build their own
cars and trust their mechanics to make sure that when they push the
gas and turn the wheel, the car behaves as it should. I've also been
seeing quite a few used ultralights for sale that will cost less than
building a new one... Hmmmmm... Anybody have a two-seater taildragger
for sale?
Mark Smith <ma...@trikite.com> wrote in message news:<3EDBEA...@trikite.com>...
Dave D
T-bird no engine I need it on another plane. Email me if your
interested . Da...@Mymail.emcyber.com . It flys great ,its already a
proven design . It would be cheaper than building something . Dave
dlf...@chartertn.net (dfarley) wrote in message news:<40549b09.03060...@posting.google.com>...
zoomer
affordaplane and now this. May be I should have checked better. Who
knows?
What I need to know is, are there any flying? Is this a proven(flown)
airframe? Is ther a design problem with this thing. Ive seen stst
posted on the website that look okay.
If anyone has any info please advise.Im tired of searching and want to
fly. Ive waited long enough. I have the tools and know how. Anyone out
there have one flying yet? I will respond to all. Thanks guys!
Checkursix
There are SEVERAL of these flying! I HOPE to have it ready in the spring.
Bob Severance
LEU #64H
"zoomer" <d...@gdsys.net> wrote in message
news:1104292858....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Jean-Paul Roy
have neither do I intend to build such a plane, but I have been lurking the
group for at leat 2 years now and got all kind of information from it. You
may find it at the following:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cheapaircraft/
Hope this helps
Jean-Paul
"zoomer" <d...@gdsys.net> wrote in message
news:1104292858....@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
