Belite Ultralight Aircraft @ Mythbusters

(c) all photos by James Wiebe, Reproduction prohibited without written permission

If you read all the way to the bottom, I'm posting some more great photos of working at Mythbusters, including some photos of the MythBuster gang and a Belite Ultralight Aircraft.  If fact, the airplane pictured far below is the same aircraft which won "Best Commercial Ultralight" at Sun N Fun -- refinished with a different engine and as a showstopping taildragger....  But first, some of the editorial on what it was like:

ARRIVING MYTHBUSTERS STUDIO, AKA 'M7'. 

No, I'm not shouting, I'm just in shock.

I'd been given the address to drive to by the Associate Producer, a very nice guy by the name of Eric Haven.  I really didn't know what to expect, other than the Google Map streetview had provided a grainy photo of an industrial area near the city's downtown.

I drove into the parking lot, and passed business unit after unit, waiting to find the one that said "MythBusters" on the door.  I realized that nothing said MB on the door, but that the contents of the parking lot had somehow shifted from average cars to a collection of strangeness:  a vehicle which looked like a small desert tank in progress; a bomb bunker, large markings on the parking lot (like a bomb drop "X"), and an oddly painted VW beetle.

I realized I had found Mythbusters.  Kewl.  In the door I went.

Which I did -- went in the door, expecting amazing offices and greatness, and I walked instead into a common room with desks crammed together, a huge mess on all of the walls, a small black dog, and people who were very busy.  And a Mythbuster host or two at their desks, working (or playing) right in the midst of the chaos.  And a big warehouse in the next room, where all the non-location shots would be setup and filmed.

Debris of a hundred episodes spread throughout all the walls, floors, ceilings, parking lots, desks, bathrooms, storage cabinets, and vehicles.

Hey, I can't tell you what we did.   I've signed a blood enabled non-disclosure oath.  But I can tell you some other things:

1)  Our myth will certainly use a Belite airplane.

2)  I've never been a part of a work environment that was so ad hoc on the back end.  What a riot!

3)  The hosts (Tory, Grant, Kari) are fun, witty both on and off camera.

4)  The hosts (Tory, Grant, Kari) can be serious, can show concern and compassion just like all good human beings.

5)  The hosts (Tory, Grant, Kari) really do everything you see them doing on the show.  And they do a lot more.  They are working the myths with great diligence.

6)  There are other people who are also working just as hard to make sure that the show is great TV.  I've mentioned Eric, but there's also John, Lauren, Benny, Amid, Duncan, and many more.

7)  Not that I've had great opportunity to, but I've never seen a group that knew so much about how to get a great camera shot.  Both first and second camera (Ben and Duncan) know their stuff forwards and backwards.

8)  MB very graciously allowed one of my daughters to join the fun for a day.  Duncan (2nd camera) even more graciously took her and put her to work, instructing her on building a super cool show prop (which she did) and having her directly assist with setup on a "Mythbusters" logo shot, which they do frequently and freshly for each episode.  I even got to contribute some thoughts to that particular logo shoot.  It took them 3 hours to produce less than 2 seconds of video.  The end result was world class super hi-def slow-mo footage shot on an amazing hi speed camera.

9)  For all of the fun on camera, there are people who are sweating details.  The producers and the director have plates full when the project is on -- there are loads of unforeseen things (EG:  no porta-potty on location -- where to Pee? -- find a porta-potty).  Some of the unforeseen things cause the director to think on their feet; some of them cause the producer to think on their feet; some of the problems cause the hosts to think on their feet.

10)  It's teamwork.  You have to work very hard to make great TV.

First Camerman and Sound

Duncan *WANTS* this airplane.

Some Mythbusters on the (closed) runway.  Notice there's nothing around:  miles from people.

Kari Byron, 'nuff said.

MythBusters, Lauren (Director) and Benny (1st Camera)

Tory dreams of takeoff in a Belite Ultralight Aircraft.  Sorry, you need some training first.

Tory, Grant, Kari, Jennifer and James with Belite Ultralight Aircraft

More Mythbusters!

Tory, Grant, Kari, James, Jennifer @ Mythbusters!

Tory, Kari, James, Jennifer, Grant @ Mythbusters

What an awesome amazing week.  And more to come...

At MythBusters!

I've been spending the week at Mythbusters, helping them produce an aviation themed episode for an upcoming show.  Here's some pics:

With Tory and Jennifer - I need to smile!

 

Duncan, 2nd Camerman, Mythbusters with Hi Speed

Jennifer helps with hi speed Camera!

Awesome Cameraman and Soundman at Mythbusters

Jennifer and Busted!

James is Confirmed!

I'd love to share more, but that's all for now.

Aluminum CNC parts in Belite's Ultralight Aircraft

Hi!

As I mentioned in the prior post, we are working hard to raise 'production values' of our aircraft out of the realm of old fashioned ultralights.

We've just added CNC aluminum parts as a standard part of our kit ultralight aircraft.  (You can buy our nearly complete kit aircraft, with a welded chromalloy steel fuselage, for $8000, which includes all of the parts pictured below, and much much more....). 

All of our aluminum parts are delivered straight from the CNC machine, still 'in tabs' (the part is still connected via tabs in the billet aluminum it was cut from).  You need to cut the parts out of the billet with a bandsaw and deburr them with a sander, or scotchbrite or a steel brush or a deburring machine.  You also need to drill final holes.  We do this to save machining time, and it allows us to sell these parts at ridiculously low prices.  

Here's pics of most of the parts, along with comparison weights:

Elevator Torque Reverser  -- $35

The elevator torque reverser weighs 3.6 ounces in steel and 4.7 ounces in aluminum.  The aluminum is a solid piece.

Flaperon Idler Bellcrank -- $40

 

The flaperon bellcrank weighs 3.4 ounces in steel and 3.1 ounces in aluminum.  You receive it in two parts.  In addition to cutting, drilling and deburring the aluminum, you'll need to hit it with a few beads of TIG weld to guarantee the two parts will stay together.

Heel Brake -- $30 each.

The heel brakes weigh 2.6 ounces in steel and 3.0 ounces in aluminum.  You need two per airplane.  The brake cable attaches to the arm on the left side of the part.  Just flip it around and it is now a right brake.  Both sides of the part are CNC machined out to reduce weight.

Jury Strut attachment fitting -- $35

 

 

 

There are four of these included with each wing kit.  Each is attached using six rivets to the aluminum spar.  The aluminum version weighs just 1.0 ounce!  We don't know what the original steel ones weigh, we haven't had any in a year or two.  We've always used aluminum.  They are sized to fit a 2.5" OD tube.  You can order them individually for just $35 each.

Big Honking Lift Strut Attachment Fitting -- $100 each

This is a Big Honking Lift Strut Attachment Fitting.  It weighs 6.5 ounces.  We haven't had the steel ones in an eternity, so I don't know what they weigh.  It attaches to the aluminum spar with a row of rivets down each side.  We are currently redesigning this part so that the rivet holes are pre-marked for drilling.  Our wing kits include 4 of these.  Designed to fit around a 2.5" OD spar.  If you are building a one-off ultralight aircraft, maybe you want a set of 4 as well.

Aluminum Pivot in Steel Control Stick Assembly -- Pivot is $35

 Unfortunately, the only aluminum pivot I had today was already installed in an airplane.  So I didn't get to weigh it.  It probably weighs about 3.0 ounces.  The steel version that it replaces weighs 2.4 ounces.

The above picture also shows an old fashioned control assembly (steel structure part).  We still are selling these fairly complex steel parts for $250 each, and one is included in our aircraft kits.  We have developed an aluminum version, but aren't ready to sell it yet.  FWIW, the steel version which we are still selling weighs 6.6 ounces.

Elevator Torque Reverser installed in aircraft.

Rudder Pedal -- $40

 Each of our kits contains two rudder pedals.  The old steel parts weighed 4.0 ounces, while the new aluminum ones are slightly heavier, at 5.8 ounces apiece.

Y Lift Strut Attachment

The old steel part weighed about a pound (very heavy), while the new aluminum part weighs just 6.5 ounces!

That concludes my aluminum CNC part roundup.