Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Belite Ultralight Aircraft 4 Stroke Update

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


1.  INTRODUCTION -- THE VIDEO

I've posted a video on youtube of a test flight of a Belite ultralight aircraft, with a strong running, reliable four stroke engine.  The video is HERE.  Caveat:  It's long, has some boring parts, and is filled with flying on a beautiful Kansas day.

The aircraft in the video is a Belite UltraCub, and it is available in kit form or fully assembled from Belite.  When the tail turtledeck (fairing) is installed, it looks like a classic J3 cub.  (Rummage through our Belite website or Belite UltraCub flickr photo site and you can find lots of photos of it with the turtledeck attached.)

You might want to watch the video if:

a)  you are interested in flying on approximately 1.7 gallons gasoline per hour (91 octane or 100LL) without having to hassle with mixing oil
b)  you'd enjoy purchasing a kit that starts at just $6995 (less engine) (until our current special expires).
c)  you appreciate the value of a beautifully engineered aluminum airframe, comparable in many respects to kits and factory assembled aircraft costing ... a LOT more.
d)  You'd like to fly without FAA registration, without medical, without a pilot's license (but with pilot skills) appeals to you.  This airplane will do it, with a flying weight of 278 pounds (including parachute).  (That's the maximum allowed under FAR Part 103).  (Weights vary by option; this is with heavy spars and ribs; so you can do better)
e)  You'd like to fly with an engine that's been proven in aircraft use for many years, weighs 88 pounds, has dual ignition, and develops 45 HP, and can be built from a kit, or purchased fully assembled, or scratch built from VW parts.
f)  The idea of flying a small aircraft that has well mannered controls appeals to you -- it can be flown without feet on the rudder pedals (and I'll be posting a video showing that sometime very soon).

2.  THE GORGEOUS ALUMINUM CABIN which forms the foundation of our product

Here's are pictures of the aluminum fuselage cabin in our UltraCub, constructed from a variety of aluminum, including aerospace 7075; 2024; and 6061T6:

Quartering rear view of the Belite Ultralight Airplane (UltraCub) cabin

Top Sunroof aluminum skin -- that's 7075T6 aluminum!

View of the inside of the cabin.  Divider panels are for small baggage compartments.

Bottom of the fuselage cabin.  Box beams.  Phenomenal strength.

Kansas sunlight, a cabin, and shadows.
When you order our kits, all of the cabin panel skins and gussets come CNC cut and are 99.95% predrilled.  Everything matches up.  You are responsible for cutting the aluminum tubes and matching them to the skins, then riveting.  Since every single dimensional corner in the cabin has a matching premachined, predrilled gusset, we've made it hard to screw up.  Jigs are irrelevant. 

3.  WHAT DID I DO ON TODAY'S FLIGHT?

Here's what I did on today's test flight:

a)  takeoffs
b)  landings
c)  investigation of aileron / flaperon authority
d)  elevator control
e)  stalls (couldn't really get it to stall)
f)  approach speeds
g)  fuel flow analysis (burned about 1.7 gallons in 1 hour -- will be working on refining this number) (should be good for 3 hours of cruise flight)
h)  steep turns
i)  climbs
j)  power off descent
k) brief formation flight with a RANS SII Coyote -- thanks Mike :-)
l)  waved my hand out the cockpit at the camera

Most of this made it onto the video, but not all.  Please watch for me waving my hand out of the cockpit.

4.  WHAT HAVE I LEARNED ABOUT THE ULTRACUB?

Some very interesting points to consider:

a)  it turns without using the rudder pedals.  (It's not such a 'rudder airplane' as prior Belite aircraft.)
b)  The ground run is short and it climbs like crazy
c)  it sounds cool -- very nice airport wow factor
d)  the engine still isn't developing anywhere near full power.  We've got it turning 3125 RPM with our selected prop, yet max power is available at 3600 RPM, should we choose to re-pitch the prop.  But why?  the airplane is probably flying at Part 103 max speed, as is.  TBD.
e)  it is the most fun I've had flying a Belite.
f)  it has several baggage and map compartments (you can see them in the cabin photos)
g) the riveted aluminum structure is easier to check and repair (welded aluminum requires much more vigilance against cracking in the welds.

5.  WHAT SECRET DESIGN FEATURES DOES IT HAVE?

a)  The Burgundy ultracub is an ultralight airplane, flying under part 103.  Getting weight down was a real problem, because the cabin in the Burgundy plane had a lot of goofs, requiring the use of extra metal to fix.  I was determined to meet weight requirements, so I used a hand toss parachute with a weight of 7.5 pounds (not yet installed, but it showed up and will be installed very soon).  (Max weight with parachute is 278 pounds; if we put it on floats, max weight is 338 pounds).  I also calculated weight with just one quart of oil, although the engine is flying on two quarts.  It has a few other weight saving tricks, which will remain secret for now.  Such as titanium axles, a composite tailspring, thinner polycarbonate windshield, and smaller wheels.

b)  After the flight test sequence is completed, the cabin in the Burgundy plane will be replaced with a new cab, just like the photos above.  This will cut the weight some more, and allow me to reclaim my titanium axles.

c)  I was determined to make weight with brakes and steel springs, because most people want them.  But if you don't, the plane is even lighter.

d)  The engine mount is radically small and light.

e)  The flaperons are full span.  This increased wing area, decreased stall, and probably aided the snappy turn characteristics which this plane has.  This is our first aircraft with full span flaperons.  They have 4 attachment points per wing.  All older Belite flaperons had 3.  

f) The wings are plain old aluminum spars + baltic birch plywood ribs.  Inexpensive.  Switching to carbon fiber spars and aluminum ribs would save even more weight.

g)  The wingspan was enhanced by about 4 inches, by widening the cabin wing attach points.  This increased effective lift as well, and also makes the wings easier to fold.

h)  The earlier version of this plane had winglets.  They've been deleted.

i)  The wing area is now around 112 square feet.

j)  Although we are hand-propping the engine, you could use an electric starter, but it would cost a lot of weight.  You'd have to register experimental, or buy all the weight saving options (carbon fiber spars) in order to legally comply with Part 103 weight requirements.  The engine is easy to start.

6.  WHAT ABOUT THAT ENGINE?

1/2VW on Belite Ultralight Aircraft
Well, it's a 1/2VW with dual ignition, and they've been around for years.  We hadn't tried one because we couldn't get the weight of our plane down enough, but with our new aluminum cabin design, we can finally do it without resorting to exotic materials such as carbon fiber spars.

It comes from Scott Casler at Hummel Engines, and it is a very impressive product.  We bought the top of the line with 45HP and Nicosil cylinders, but a lower HP solution will work fine.

You can also get kits for a very similar engine from Great Plains Aircraft, or you can make one yourself from readily available plans.

Our engine mount is totally custom, and the magneto sticks into the top of the front cabin.  We'll accomodate this with a hole in the firewall.

7.  WHERE TO NOW?

I'll be traveling on business for much of the next two weeks, but I've already taken many photos of the cabin production procedure, and I plan to get that posted.

The airplane is running so well, flying so nicely, that I'm hoping (weather permitting) to take it on a nice cross-country flight sometime in December.

I'm eager to fly it again.  

Ultralight Airplane with 4 Stroke Engine -- Takeoff!



Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Belite Ultralight Aircraft Flying with 4 Stroke VW!

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So, here's the short version:  I successfully flew a Belite UltraCub with a 1/2 VW four stroke engine earlier this afternoon.  Over the last couple of months, I'd done some very low altitude hops, but nothing that really qualified as a flight.

Today, success....

With the growling 45HP VW engine sounding like a real aircraft engine, the plane accelerated crisply and was flying... in about 150 feet.  Maybe less.  I've got the photos to prove it.  They are below.

I'd fought some very significant problems related to the center of gravity.  The heavy engine with a bad engine mount made the plane want to nose over, (which is thrilling), but is also an excellent way to check the robustness of the landing gear and the new cabin design.  We redesigned the engine mount to solve the problem, significantly changing the center of gravity.  A series of low altitude hops earlier today proved that the design modifications had resolved the problem, so there was nothing left to do but to fly this new plane around the pattern.

Gene manned the Nikon, taking great takeoff and flight photos.

BTW, the turtledeck is not installed, but has been finished and will be attached and flown soon.

There is a much bigger story to be told here.  More in the days ahead.

Belite Ultralight Aircraft with 4 stroke VW engine

Belite Ultralight Aircraft with 4 stroke VW engine, tail off ground
Belite Ultralight Aircraft with 4 stroke VW engine, takeoff!
Belite Ultralight Aircraft with 4 stroke VW engine, in flight
Belite Ultralight Aircraft on maiden flight
Redesigned Engine Mount solved CG problem (and lightened the airplane)

Rear Fuselage Improvements

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We're now shipping rear fuselages with triangular gussets and a truss structure across the bottom of the fuselage.

The prior version had an aluminum skin, which we are  no longer doing.

We include enough aluminum angle material in our kits (along with precut gussets) to make a truss structure across the top of the fuselage as well.  That part is up to you: just match the bottom truss structure.

Alternatively, I've flown a test aircraft without the truss structure on the top and bottom:  just with medium weight fabric covering the fuselage.  I put the fabric on a 45 degree bias to the fuselage.  Worked great.

See the separate walk around videos on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ca3TLWnJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cevo0Y-Vyb4

Monday, November 12, 2012

How to attach a Belite instrument dimmer

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


Belite LED instruments are very bright, completely suitable for viewing in daylight, but they do come with a 'dimming' function for dusk conditions.  Here is an example Belite LED instrument:

Belite LED instrument:  Turn Coordinator with solid state gyro

Each instrument has a yellow wire which may be attached to a dimming potentiometer, so that you can control how bright the LEDs are.

We've had several tech support inquiries on how to attach that wire.  Here's the answer:

A)  If you never plan to fly in dim light conditions, just leave the yellow wire unattached.  Your unit will always be at full brightness.

B)  If your bird has navigation lighting (EG: position lights) you can attach the yellow wire to them.  Therefore, if your position lights are turned on, your LED indicators will be fully dimmed.

C)  If you desire to have variable control over the dimming intensity, the yellow wire may be attached to a separate potentiometer (not supplied by us) to provide control.  You'll need a potentiometer (10K ohm suggested) and perhaps a knob for the potentiometer, and you'll want to mount the potentiometer in your instrument panel.  A suitable potentiometer is from Radio Shack, part # 271-1715, and they look like this:

Potentiometer.
The potentiometers have three connections.  You'll need to connect the center one to the yellow wire; and one side to ground, and the other side to Switched +12 volts.  (From your avionics master switch, for instance.)  This allows the potentiometer to 'sweep' all the way from ground up to twelve volts, allowing you to select the proper intensity level of your LEDs.  If you have several of our instruments, just connect all the yellow wires together.

Your Belite instrument still requires its own power.  You can hook it up to the same +12v source (red wire) and the ground (black wire).

If you don't have access to a Radio Shack, and if you are so inclined, Digi-Key sells bazillions of variable potentiometers.  A suitable Digi-Key part # is: 3852A-202-103AL-ND; but the Radio Shack part is a lot less expensive.

Even More Technical info:

The yellow wire going into the Belite instrument is not connected directly to the LEDs.  Rather, it is connected to a small microprocessor inside the instrument, which analyzes the voltage level and controls the LEDs by varying the amount of time they are turned on.  This happens so quickly that your eye sees it as a dim condition, but its actually a very rapidly flashing light with a varying duty cycle.  Many LED lighting systems with variable intensity work this way; for instance; LED brake lights on cars.
 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Wing Build Update #2

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


Back to my wood wing build update.  It's another series of pictures, and we're picking up exactly where we left off a few days ago.

(My earlier post on this wood rib wing topic may be found here).


Clamping on the anti warp anti crush tubing.

Clamps removed showing anti crush anti warp structure.

Gluing 4 inch wood gussets, 1/4" thickness, to ribs.
Glue up for gussets, close up.

Trailing edge riveted in place.
Slot cut on some ribs to fit flaperon hard points.
Flaperon attachment right angle material, with spacing for 3/16" rivet holes shown.

Flaperon attachment clamped in place, showing 1/4" overhang at rear of trailing edge.
Flaperon cable post, showing how it has to be cut and drilled.
In the above photo, the post is backwards.  This was fixed later in the assembly.  Also, the mark barely visible on the top of the rib is 6" from the trailing edge.

Use 3/16" rivets and large backing washers.
Post bolted in place using AN3 bolts, cut down washers, spacers as necessary.  This post is still backwards.  
Right angle with two 1/8" rivet holes each side.  3/4" x 3/4 x 3/4, or larger.
Rivet four right angle braces in place.  (Two at each end of rib; both end ribs.)

Complete anti-crush anti-warp structure in place on end rib.
Note that the wood 'riblets' have been trimmed.  Consider using a deeper cut angle on the riblets than as shown.  This will aid in covering the wing with fabric later on, so that the riblets don't interfere with fabric.

Hardpoints for anti-sail tubes will be riveted on spars.  Exact placement determined by tubing lengths.
The length of the anti-sail tubes is 2', 4', 3', 3' 1", and 2'.  For these tubes, we're using 3/4" thin wall aluminum tubing of a soft temper.  The ends flatten easily in a vise.

Anti-sail hardpoint riveted in place.
Anti-sail tubing layout.  2', 4', 3', 3'1", 2' lengths from near to far.
Anti-sail hardpoint with AN3 bolts.  Use appropriate washers to ensure clearance.
Lift strut machined attachment, riveted in place.
This is one step to check, recheck, and triple check the placement of each lift strut fitting.  This is also one area that I insist on using aircraft quality rivets, with their higher shear strength.
Trim plates riveted in place.  

Another view of trim plates.  Note spacing washers under plates/rivets to ensure straight / parallel trim plates.
Pitot tube installation using 1/4" aluminum tubing and grommets.
Routing of pitot tubing line.
Another view of pitot tubing attachment.  Pitot tube may extend and retract.
Trailing edge material butt joint.  Sweet and simple.
What's missing from this post?

a)  Never did show the installation of the jury strut fittings.  I'll add that.
b)  Didn't show the wooden structure being painted with spar lacquer.
c)  Didn't show the fabric covering.

Prototype Digital Altimeter from Belite

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


Hey, I don't comment on upcoming Belite products, but sometimes beta testers do.

http://flydiverprojects.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-toys.html

Digital Altimeter from Belite Aircraft

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Wing Build Update with wood ribs, Part 1

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


The wing design with wood ribs has been tweaked.  Not all of the following is in the blueprint or latest assembly manual, so I thought you'd enjoy a construction update.  I'll be sparse on words but heavy on pictures.  Here goes:

Belite ultralight aircraft wood wing setup.  Nothing glued yet.  All locations marked on layup table.
Rear spar glued with Gorilla glue.  Use water mist and roll the glue in by twisting the spar.
After marking the location of ribs, remove front spar and scuff glue locations on spar.
Glue the front spar.
Glue on false ribs.  Note pre-made slotted wood spacers.
After front spar glue sets, slide wood spacers up.
Glue false spar to false ribs.  Use gorilla glue, moisture and twist the spar around.
Gather the parts for the anti-crush anti-warp assembly.  One set for each end of wing.   Note approximate length (24 3/4 inch)
Note spacing marks.  2 3/8" at each end; 5" spacing inbetween.
Fit tubing into notches.  May require some filing in the wood notches.
Use gorilla glue and some weight.  Let set.
Use high quality wood glue and clamp inside end rib. 
Repeat the anti-crush anti-warp process on each end of the wing.

More soon...

Monday, October 22, 2012

Rod Hightower out at EAA

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Just some quick, simple thoughts on what happened today at the EAA:

In case you haven't heard, Rod Hightower abruptly left the EAA earlier today.  Citing reasons related to his family, he has chosen not to relocate to Oshkosh (this, after two years on the job).

Smelling a stinking, dead rat, I did a slight amount of sleuthing around the web.  Wasn't hard to find the signs of discontent over the brief tenure of Hightower --

*  Anger of the loss of around 30 EAA employees in January of this year, for non-economic reasons
*  Unhappiness with J. Mac McClellan   (note picture with him and his Baron)
*  Changes in AirVenture, the EAA premier fly-in.  (Read an interesting list of pros & cons of Airventure here.)

Hey, I was at that AirVenture, but like all of my recent appearances there, I was consumed with showing and selling Belite aircraft and instrumentation, and didn't pay attention to any changes or any 'rumble' in the ground.  I claim my ignorance pass on fundamental business grounds.  So I have to rely on other sources.

Quoting Robert Goyer from Flying Magazine:
"Despite overall good weather, attendance at this year’s EAA AirVenture fly-in was down from last year, with EAA reporting a drop of approximately 40,000 tickets from the 2011 show, the steep decline due no doubt in part to the continuing economic downturn."
This is a pretty good example of facts, mixed with speculation, and presented only as facts leading to a certain conclusion.  Get that?  The drop in attendance had something to do with an economic downturn, but the wording suggests it is the major part or the only part.  If that's true, I would have expected the dropoff in attendance to have been more severe in 2008, 09, or 2010, when the Recession was the "Great Recession".

It's very interesting, heck, it's fascinating to look at the comments embedded in this linked article from the  EAA website.

I'll make it easy, and extract Joe Coraggio's comments from the bottom of that article:
As one of the attendees of this meeting, it is not surprising to note that none of the comments or concerns of the members that spoke during this meeting are published here. A membership organization of this size is bound to have differences of opinions between those who run the organization and its members. However, the dissension seems to be growing. I think EAA members need to become a bit more active in the administration and oversight of our membership organization. To that end, a few of the items that people commented on are as follows. 1) The board members select the president of EAA. The president of EAA, through how the bylaws and election process is set up, chooses the board of directors. It is an incestuous relationship that does not have any accountability to the membership. There was a proxy drive organized by memb
ers whose goal is to have a membership direct electronic election of the board of directors. This way we would have some accountability of the board and executive management. (As an example the current system gave the president of EAA 27,000+ votes. There were less than 100 people in attendance voting, and four hundred sixty some proxies collected by a member in the two weeks prior to the convention.)
2) Offensive treatment of volunteers. There was a lot of items cited to show this, however some of the larger ones are tracking numbers on volunteer credentials and the requirement of all the volunteer chairmen to file performance reviews on their volunteers. Now what purpose could a performance review on volunteers serve? It is my personal opinion that no matter how big or small a contribution, if someone wants to donate their time to help better our organization or our convention all I can say is thank you!
3) Again with offensive treatment of volunteers, one of the Airventure Cup volunteers pointed out that he was personally offended when EAA publicly stated that due to liability concerns they would no longer be associated with air racing, and cancelled the Airventure Cup race. (Which did eventually take place as a SARL event.) They even denied ever being associated with the event. Then 2 weeks later, the EAA president was on television and internet news with an AT-6 at the Reno Air Races Pylon Racing School with EAA logos on the tail of the airplane, and EAA logos prominently displayed in related photo and video media.
4) Chalets. Those Chalets took up at least 30 or maybe more prime parking spaces for airplanes. They were exclusive, and something out of reach of most EAA members. One member stood up and said that for the past 35 years he has brought the same homebuilt, that he built to Oshkosh, and is seriously considering not returning due to those chalets. His sentiment was "Nothing says your not welcome like a white picket fence." Another EAA member stated that he has stopped taking his homebuilt to a show near his home base due to similar chalets.

There were about 5 or 10 other people that spoke either to different points or these same ones, but those were the ones that most resonated with me. I feel that EAA members need to spend a bit of time understanding what is going on in their organization and how its executive and board members are held accountable. If you have questions about how the elections of the board of directors works, or how to get in contact with them, email Feedback@eaa.org or rhightower@eaa.org.
My concluding remarks:

Well, for me it's easy.  It never was Hightower, It's not the 'EAA', it's an Experimental Aircraft Association.  You are welcome to use the initials, but please remember what they stand for.

The EAA exists to allow all facets of experimental aviation to be fostered and flourish.  Other organizations, such as the AOPA, are in existence for the purpose of promoting and serving general aviation.  I've been there, and done that, and for the time being, left it behind.

From my point of view, with the economy down, EAA needs to focus on grass roots, low cost, user fulfilled aviation.

(c) 2012 James Wiebe