So I've been building an ultralight

[pbj]

If you crash and die can I have your didgeridoo?

[danny_galaga]

Forgot the close up of the switch holes. Ignore the shaggy vinyl, that will clean up and be covered anyway.

[Howard_Casto]

So I'm excited for you, I really am, but at some point are we going to get some go-pro footage of you actually flying the thing?  Also please don't die. 

[pbj]

3 ---smurfing--- years and it ain’t left the ground yet.

 

[danny_galaga]

3 ---smurfing--- years and it ain’t left the ground yet.

 

More like 4 years. It's been a freakin albatross around my neck...

So no one likes my 'chem trails ' switch? Thought I'd provide some 'proof' for the conspiracy theorists 😃

[danny_galaga]

CP

[Mike A]

4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.

[nipsmg]

CP

You have balls of steel -- I'm in the midst of getting my PPL right now-- and I love the ultralights, but I can't imagine leaving the ground in something I built myself-- I don't have nearly enough faith in my fabrication skills.

I'll fly my flight club's 172 and Archer around and burn my money that way

[danny_galaga]

Mike A . Two things have slowed me down. One was that there were a lot of things wrong with the kit, missing parts etc. So you'd be settling into a good 12 hour building session and within 30 minutes you'd find two left hand wing brackets or whatever. Now that epic 12 hour session is 30 minutes plus a ten day wait while they send you the part.
Second problem is that I started building it in our garage. But once it came time to attach the wings it was time to move it to a hanger. So now instead of just wandering out to the garage, it's a 80 minute drive to the hangar. Ennui sets in.

Nipsmg. I did my ppl in a Piper Warrior. I believe that's the model before the Archer. Good planes the Piper's, but virtually impossible to spin. That should be a good thing, but it means I've never done any spin training.

The bulk of the aircraft is just bolting stuff together. Not much fabrication involved. 

[pbj]

Nothing inspires confidence like an airplane kit that comes with the wrong parts.

 

[RandyT]

4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.

It would take me 4 years just to convince myself that my mechanical skills were sufficient to even start building an Utra-light.  Probably another 4 to get up the nerve to test-fly it afterward.

[danny_galaga]

Nothing inspires confidence like an airplane kit that comes with the wrong parts.

 

And yet I have so many nuts and bolts left over 😃

Randy, if you can turn a spanner, you can build an ultralight. If all metal, you need to be able to pop rivets 🙂

Just looking at my CP,  it's a veritable United nations. Instruments from Spain, Slovakia, USA, south Africa Germany and a dodgy USB charger from China 😄

[nitrogen_widget]

4 years seems like a long time to build your own coffin.

It would take me 4 years just to convince myself that my mechanical skills were sufficient to even start building an Utra-light.  Probably another 4 to get up the nerve to test-fly it afterward.

I have the skills but i also always seem to have spare parts after. 

[danny_galaga]

Backside. Still have to tidy and secure the wiring. Also, haven't done the radio yet.

[pbj]

Does it all run on that weird airplane voltage?

[RandyT]

Also, haven't done the radio yet.

Or the RGB lighting.

[danny_galaga]

Does it all run on that weird airplane voltage?

You mean 12v? Yes.

The weirdness here is the wire. It's MIL spec aircraft wire. Has a higher temperature rating and won't produce smoke if burning. Is also lighter than automotive wire. But it only comes in white and is stiff as hell. That's why you see it in those lovely curls.

[danny_galaga]

Also, haven't done the radio yet.

Or the RGB lighting.

 

[nitrogen_widget]

CP

so an actual airplane control panel is smaller than this?
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,167434.0/topicseen.html

[Howard_Casto]

I've seen cows smaller than that.

[danny_galaga]

CP

so an actual airplane control panel is smaller than this?
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,167434.0/topicseen.html

Just a smidge

[bobbyb13]

She has quite the sexy backside.

Backside. Still have to tidy and secure the wiring. Also, haven't done the radio yet.

[danny_galaga]

I'm hoping to put the engine in on Wednesday. Then it will look more like a real one 😊

[nitrogen_widget]

I'm hoping to put the engine in on Wednesday. Then it will look more like a real one 😊

have you fired the engine up yet?

[danny_galaga]

It's in, but still a ways to go

[danny_galaga]

So what do you do when the radiator hoses that come with the kit are the wrong size? Turn to that venerable classic- the Datsun 120Y 

[Zebidee]

Funny that you mention the venerable Datsun 120Y, and previously bits both missing and left over.

I used to drive around Canberra in a Datsun 120Y, and had developed a few mechanic skills by that time. I've changed the very radiator hoses that you've used. I've also pulled apart, cleaned, and rebuilt the carburetor (the bit that feeds fuel from a cup) because it was chugging a bit at times.

As an aside, most modern engines got rid of carburetors and use DFI, direct fuel injection, more reliable... especially for airplanes lol. In WWII the famous Spitfire Merlin engine was limited by carburetors that failed when in inverse G maneuvers ... the ME109 had DFI and thus an advantage in some situations. So +1 for fuel injection.

Anyways, back to now, if you've never pulled apart and rebuilt a carburetor before, I recommend you keep it that way. wasn't fun.

There were like 110 tiny parts for that 120Y carby. No service or workshop manual tracked them all. It was in the days before digital cameras and smartphones, so no before or progress pics. Over about two days I got it apart. I cleaned it. I reassembled it, reinstalled it, all worked well and better than before.

But there were still like 4 parts left over! 

EDIT: Been following your project, very impressive, make sure you post before taking off

 

[danny_galaga]

Hehe. Carbies are still very common on aircraft. Mine has twin carbies, but there is a fuel injected version. My sister's first car was a 120y. Dad and I rebuilt the engine as it was blowing a lot of smoke . We actually tied the engine to a pole and lifted it out by hand 😄

[pbj]

Still hasn’t left the ground.

 

[danny_galaga]

Still hasn’t left the ground.

 

Much safer that way

[Zebidee]

Yeah, the 120Y engines are tiny and the bay is very roomy. Good one to learn on!

If you have a big enough hill, and a ramp, you can make a Datsun 120Y fly.

I did once get my Holden HJ ute to fly. That was due to a series of hilarious but disastrous events, starting with the throttle suddenly stuck ON (rusty throttle cable) at 110km/h, leaving the road to avoid another car, then into a ditch (it appeared out of nowhere) and then bouncing out again on the crappy suspension (I wisely chose, in that split second, to NOT brake), and ending with us flying through the air for some indeterminate distance (it was very dark) before finally stopping landing.

After that Dukes-of-Hazzard moment, my friend and I looked at each other with that look of understanding... that we are both somehow miraculously alive. Even better, the throttle had somehow become unstuck   WD40 on that sucker for next time.

Afterwards was tempted to paint red flying kangaroos near the rear tail lights (reference to Qantas).

[RandyT]

Still hasn’t left the ground.

 

Much safer that way

Are mechanically deployed parachutes a thing for these, in the event the gliding parts stop working?

[danny_galaga]

Still hasn’t left the ground.

 

Much safer that way

Are mechanically deployed parachutes a thing for these, in the event the gliding parts stop working?

Ballistic. Costs quite a lot. I think about 10k USD. I just have to hope the gliding bits (the wings) don't fall off I guess 😀

[danny_galaga]

Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.

Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.

[bobbyb13]

Holy ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- is that cool.
I love it even if it never leaves the ground.

And that prop is a work of art.
Where the hell did you get something someone cared enough to make that beautiful?!

I would think that brakes only matter if you are trying to land in a small amount of space.
 

[Zebidee]

That prop is keeping everyone UP, so why not beautiful?

I love bright yellow - makes it easy to spot the plane when you crash

Looks fantastic, don't let my jibes bring you down (pun intended).

[danny_galaga]

Thanks guys!

There are still a few wooden prop makers around. A Tiger moth would just look wrong with a carbon fibre prop up the front 😄

It's actually pretty high tech. The leading edge is carbon fibre and the whole thing is covered in fibreglass.

I had the fibreglass parts of the aircraft painted at the factory. So I had a good look around at cars on the road. Needed to be something that was made in one place. No good picking a Toyota colour when there's maybe ten factories around the world. The plane kit is made in South Africa so whatever car colour I picked had to be the same there as in Australia.Likewise no point looking at pictures online because that's not a true Representation. I settled on 2018  ford mustang yellow 🙂

Yes brakes are great for short field landings, but sure are handy on start up too 😄. Also short field take offs because you can have full thrust before you roll. Gains a few precious metres

[nitrogen_widget]

Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.

Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.

nice propeller.

also


$20.

[danny_galaga]

Was going to bolt the propeller on today, but it seems the prop spacer that came with the kit doesn't suit wooden props. So I'll need to machine a simple aligner, basically a tube.

Next big thing is to sort out the brakes. They are freakin awful. I hate the design. I wish I'd gotten a tricycle undercarriage just so I can convert it into a simple handbrake. But I've been told doing that on a tail dragger means it will be almost impossible to taxi in crosswinds.

nice propeller.

also


$20.

I'll need two for differential braking...

[pbj]

Nice color, it'll be easy to find and bring your family peace some day.   

How much left to do before it leaves the ground?