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!
I'm calling timeout from airplanes and computer forensics to make a few comments on Windows 8.
Hey, I'm so sick of Windows 8 that I've decided to write a few short paragraphs about it.
First of all, let me make a recommendation: Your decision to buy a computer should include whether or not it has Windows 8 installed. If it does include Windows 8, reject that computer and move on. That's how I feel about Windows 8.
I put a game face on with my recent purchase of Windows 8 laptop from HP. I really hadn't studied Windows 8. I knew it was different, but hey, if Microsoft was willing to risk it all, I'm just a sucker consumer and willing to give it a play too.
It had the new interface style --- "Metro" I think is what Microsoft calls it.
I was able to load my old apps and run them without difficulty.
Then I began to realize the quirks and oddness. I had to keep 'passing' through the Tile Screen, for lack of a better word, to get to a way to launch my apps.
Okay, that's annoying. I might have been able to live with it.
Then more Windows 8 irritants popped up. When running apps, I would scoot the cursor over the screen, and suddenly ****POOF**** the screen would switch from an app to something else, like a PDF file or a picture. I have no idea why. I've seen it happen now dozens of times, and every time it does, I have to move the cursor to the upper left corner of the screen and drag back what I was working on.
More on cursor movement. Often, in applications (think Adobe Lightroom) I rapidly move the cursor to the right side of the screen so that I can utilize controls. In Windows 8, if the cursor happens to hit the upper or lower corner of the screen, it pops up an annoying bar of controls from the right side of the screen. You then have to shuffle the cursor back to the left, make the annoying bar go away, and then more carefully move the cursor back to the control you were trying to manipulate.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
Then, at some point, it will ****poof**** you to an application you weren't expecting.
I chatted with HP on the issue, and threatened to never buy a HP computer again. They indicated I could downgrade to Windows 7, "but is never recommended" or some such BS, and told me I'd have to buy my own copy of Windows 7 to make my computer appropriately functional and not the productivity sucker it has turned into.
I then chatted with Microsoft -- more of the same. They said I needed to talk to HP if I wanted to downgrade, and that Microsoft would not provide a copy of Windows 7.
I didn't save the chat session texts. I should have. Oh well.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
My $.02 on Windows 8; your mileage may vary.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Something else from Belite takes off...
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!
Our Youtube videos have been viewed about 59,000 times in the last year, with over 100K minutes watched. :-)
The reason why is great videos like these: (Click any to see them)
Flying the new Paradise City pattern at SnF 2013 (you got to see this, brand new video from last week)
Flint Hills flying in a Belite UltraCub with 4 stroke (2 hour walkabout in a Belite)
High Performance climbout in a Belite (STARTLING climbout)
there are many more.
Below is the the statistic chart from YouTube.
Thanks for watching.
Our Youtube videos have been viewed about 59,000 times in the last year, with over 100K minutes watched. :-)
The reason why is great videos like these: (Click any to see them)
Flying the new Paradise City pattern at SnF 2013 (you got to see this, brand new video from last week)
Flint Hills flying in a Belite UltraCub with 4 stroke (2 hour walkabout in a Belite)
High Performance climbout in a Belite (STARTLING climbout)
there are many more.
Below is the the statistic chart from YouTube.
Thanks for watching.
Belite YouTube Video Views over the last year |
Monday, April 15, 2013
Paradise City photos of all sorts from Sun N Fun
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!
Below are some fun photos from Sun N Fun. This proves that the new Paradise City had a lot of stuff happening!
Below are some fun photos from Sun N Fun. This proves that the new Paradise City had a lot of stuff happening!
Make sure you also look at the YOUTUBE VIDEOS of flying the pattern at Paradise City.
Click on any photo below; it will open on your computer in high resolution. Enjoy!
Also, you'll enjoy looking at the many other posts that are on this blog, covering topics ranging from aircraft construction, carbon fiber development, adventure, and more. CLICK HERE to see the latest post.
Click on any photo below; it will open on your computer in high resolution. Enjoy!
Also, you'll enjoy looking at the many other posts that are on this blog, covering topics ranging from aircraft construction, carbon fiber development, adventure, and more. CLICK HERE to see the latest post.
Paradise City is dead center of this photo. Lots of activity there! |
Paradise City runway top dead center. |
Sun N Fun, photo taken from the Paradise City pattern. |
A Belite Ultracub in front of a tree. |
UltraCub from Belite, 4 stroke engine. |
Paradise City runway. |
Sun N Fun. |
A Belite UltraCub! With a 4 Stroke! |
Flying the pattern at Sun N Fun -- video posted!
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!
I strapped a GoPro to my head and flew the pattern at Sun N Fun.
It shows takeoff, pattern, and landing, all just as I saw it.
I was flying our Burgundy II demo airplane with a 45HP four stroke motor. I flew it a lot!
On Saturday, I was following the Just Super STOL and I had fun trying to match his landing lengths and takeoff rolls. If any of you readers were there, how did I do?? :-)
As I was getting ready to takeoff one more time on Saturday, I looked down and noted that I had a flat tire!! It was a good time to quit, so we called it a day and I taxied back. I couldn't find any hole in the tire, perhaps I spun the tube and broke the stem when hitting the brakes hard (while showing off the short stop landing).
CLICK HERE for the youtube video with the camera strapped to my head.
CLICK HERE for the youtube video taken from the lift strut.
(Two different videos -- two different views!)
I strapped a GoPro to my head and flew the pattern at Sun N Fun.
It shows takeoff, pattern, and landing, all just as I saw it.
I was flying our Burgundy II demo airplane with a 45HP four stroke motor. I flew it a lot!
On Saturday, I was following the Just Super STOL and I had fun trying to match his landing lengths and takeoff rolls. If any of you readers were there, how did I do?? :-)
As I was getting ready to takeoff one more time on Saturday, I looked down and noted that I had a flat tire!! It was a good time to quit, so we called it a day and I taxied back. I couldn't find any hole in the tire, perhaps I spun the tube and broke the stem when hitting the brakes hard (while showing off the short stop landing).
CLICK HERE for the youtube video with the camera strapped to my head.
CLICK HERE for the youtube video taken from the lift strut.
(Two different videos -- two different views!)
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Its Just Moody
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!
A photo report on the Just Super STOL and John K Moody flying a vintage ultralight at Sun N Fun 2013.
When a Belite UltraCub grows up, it wants to be a Just Aircraft Super STOL.
And John K Moody is just awesome. So are his ultralight aircraft.
A photo report on the Just Super STOL and John K Moody flying a vintage ultralight at Sun N Fun 2013.
When a Belite UltraCub grows up, it wants to be a Just Aircraft Super STOL.
And John K Moody is just awesome. So are his ultralight aircraft.
Just Super STOL at Sun N Fun 2013 |
Just Super STOL at Sun N Fun 2013 |
Just Super STOL at Sun N Fun 2013 |
John K Moody, Father of Ultralights |
John K Moody prepares his ultralight |
Moody gets in |
Moody takes the field |
Moody airborne |
Liftoff for John K Moody |
Life is good, flying an ultralight |
Over the trees at Sun N Fun |
John K Moody flies away |
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Best Altimeter for General Aviation, ever!!
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!
Every once in a while, I've had the opportunity to work on something that has turned out to be an industry game changer. Giving a nod to my background in computer forensics, one recent game changer that I've been privileged to be a part of is the CRU / WiebeTech "Ditto" product, which sucks information from hard drives in a forensically sound manner. In fact, it can do it from halfway around the planet. It does other really cool stuff too, like support stealth mode, but I won't talk about that here. :-O
My 30 year background in electronics, combined with my aviation passion, has allowed me to create a product which is simple to understand, and is very useful in multiple ways, and is affordable, and will be used by the owner, providing years of "why didn't someone do this before" moments as it provides valuable flight information.
It does many really cool things:
For instance, it displays Standard Indicated Altitude, which is received from a temperature compensated solid state pressure sensor circuit built inside the unit. This is the altimeter function you've come to know and expect. It works from 0 to 20K feet, no issues. You set the local altimeter pressure, it gives you the altitude.
The screen looks like this:
There are two indicator lights on the left (only one is used in this model). There are three switches in the unit. In order to set the local pressure just touch the left or the right switch. The pressure setting will move up and down.
If you touch the center switch, the unit will skip forward to the next mode, which is one of its coolest features:
* DENSITY altitude. The unit will supply the calculated density altitude, based on cockpit temperature. This feature is alone worth its weight in gold. I no longer guess or calculate the DA, I just touch a button and it reports it to me. You don't have to input the local pressure setting for this to work correctly; in fact the local pressure setting is irrelevant to the Density Altitude calculation. Density altitude looks like this:
Density altitude, by convention, is always shown rounded to the nearest 100 feet.
By clicking the mode switch again (and again), you can move through several more display modes. They include:
Current system voltage
Current absolute pressure in inches or in Pascals
Current system voltage alarm level
Current display system -- English or Metric
Temperature, in Fahrenheit or Celsius
VFR Cruising alarm enable
Displaying the current system voltage is straightforward. I've got a screen shot showing an example:
The unit shown was attached a nine volt battery. It will work fine with anything between 8 and 14 volts, so attaching to any conventional 12/14v system is fine.
One of the screens lets you select a system voltage alarm level:
So for my 9 volt battery, I set this to 8.6 volts. For a 12 volt system, I would probably set it to about 12.5 volts -- it would never go off unless the alternator failed. It flashes a battery symbol in the lower left corner of the display when the voltage is low.
I like the temperature display, because I think the design of the display icon is kind of cute. Here it is:
As mentioned, there are several other screens which the unit will display. While stepping through the screens, you can always switch back to indicated altitude by holding the center mode switch down for about 2 seconds.
And if you hold the same button down for about six seconds, the unit will turn off. Touching any button brings it back to life.
While on the home (indicated altitude screen) if you push the mode button down, it will turn on a soft internal backlight. The backlight may also be attached to an external dimmer, compatible with 0 to 12 volts.
Another really interesting function for the average General Aviation pilot is the VFR cruising alarm. This alarm, when enabled, will flash the LED with a bright Red blink pattern when your altitude varies more than 100 feet from a VFR cruising altitude. For instance, if you are flying at 5500 feet, and the alarm is enabled, and you stray downwards to 5399 feet, the alarm will alert you.
The unit is so sensitive and accurate, you may place it at your feet and read the altitude, then move it to over your head, and read the change in altitude. There is a little single digit inaccuracy, but you will note a change in between 6 and 10 feet. Also, the unit is very fast -- it updates information many times per second.
Here's some basic technical information.
1. This unit weighs 50 grams, about 1.5 ounces.
2. This unit consumes about 1 milliamp of power. That is one-thousandth of an amp. (Assuming the backlight is NOT turned on.)
3. The external dimmer line is compatible with any voltage from 0 to 12V. Must supply up to 40ma of power for the backlight.
4. The unit will fit in any standard round 2.25" instrument hole.
5. You may remove the metal faceplate and directly mount the unit in any flat panel (must drill appropriate holes and cutouts to accommodate.)
6. Power supply must be between 8 and 14 volts.
7. Indicated altitude is shown in increments of one foot. Internal Analog to Digital converter has less resolution but is "dithered" to increase resolution.
8. The unit is upgradeable via firmware downloads.
9. It will display any altitude between 0 and 20,000 feet.
10. The VFR cruising alarm margin is +/- 100 feet.
11. As the unit is 'experimental', it may be used in any experimental airplane or ultralight airplane. With manufacture support, it could be used in Light Sport Aircraft.
12. When purchased in our enclosure version, it may be used in any aircraft.
You can order it from our online store, or from Aircraft Spruce, or from any of our international distributor partners. Pricing is $249.95 (US), or $299.95 in an enclosure with battery.
In summary, my competitive sales guide would read like this:
1) Lightest industry weight -- 50 grams
2) Smallest size -- very thin, fits standard panel 2.25" hole
3) Lowest power consumption -- 1 milliamp
4) Highest resolution -- 1 foot displayed
5) Useful range -- 0 to 20,000 feet
6) Safety paramount -- provides Density Altitude
7) Cool additional features: -- voltage alarm, VFR cruising alarm, more
8) Great value -- $249.95
9) Also available in an enclosure for use in any airplane
Every once in a while, I've had the opportunity to work on something that has turned out to be an industry game changer. Giving a nod to my background in computer forensics, one recent game changer that I've been privileged to be a part of is the CRU / WiebeTech "Ditto" product, which sucks information from hard drives in a forensically sound manner. In fact, it can do it from halfway around the planet. It does other really cool stuff too, like support stealth mode, but I won't talk about that here. :-O
My 30 year background in electronics, combined with my aviation passion, has allowed me to create a product which is simple to understand, and is very useful in multiple ways, and is affordable, and will be used by the owner, providing years of "why didn't someone do this before" moments as it provides valuable flight information.
It does many really cool things:
For instance, it displays Standard Indicated Altitude, which is received from a temperature compensated solid state pressure sensor circuit built inside the unit. This is the altimeter function you've come to know and expect. It works from 0 to 20K feet, no issues. You set the local altimeter pressure, it gives you the altitude.
The screen looks like this:
Indicated Altitude on Altimeter from Belite Aircraft |
If you touch the center switch, the unit will skip forward to the next mode, which is one of its coolest features:
* DENSITY altitude. The unit will supply the calculated density altitude, based on cockpit temperature. This feature is alone worth its weight in gold. I no longer guess or calculate the DA, I just touch a button and it reports it to me. You don't have to input the local pressure setting for this to work correctly; in fact the local pressure setting is irrelevant to the Density Altitude calculation. Density altitude looks like this:
Density Altitude calculation on Belite digital altimeter. |
By clicking the mode switch again (and again), you can move through several more display modes. They include:
Current system voltage
Current absolute pressure in inches or in Pascals
Current system voltage alarm level
Current display system -- English or Metric
Temperature, in Fahrenheit or Celsius
VFR Cruising alarm enable
Displaying the current system voltage is straightforward. I've got a screen shot showing an example:
Display the voltage |
One of the screens lets you select a system voltage alarm level:
Display the voltage alarm |
So for my 9 volt battery, I set this to 8.6 volts. For a 12 volt system, I would probably set it to about 12.5 volts -- it would never go off unless the alternator failed. It flashes a battery symbol in the lower left corner of the display when the voltage is low.
I like the temperature display, because I think the design of the display icon is kind of cute. Here it is:
Belite digital altimeter showing temperature in fahrenheit. |
And if you hold the same button down for about six seconds, the unit will turn off. Touching any button brings it back to life.
While on the home (indicated altitude screen) if you push the mode button down, it will turn on a soft internal backlight. The backlight may also be attached to an external dimmer, compatible with 0 to 12 volts.
Another really interesting function for the average General Aviation pilot is the VFR cruising alarm. This alarm, when enabled, will flash the LED with a bright Red blink pattern when your altitude varies more than 100 feet from a VFR cruising altitude. For instance, if you are flying at 5500 feet, and the alarm is enabled, and you stray downwards to 5399 feet, the alarm will alert you.
The unit is so sensitive and accurate, you may place it at your feet and read the altitude, then move it to over your head, and read the change in altitude. There is a little single digit inaccuracy, but you will note a change in between 6 and 10 feet. Also, the unit is very fast -- it updates information many times per second.
Here's some basic technical information.
1. This unit weighs 50 grams, about 1.5 ounces.
2. This unit consumes about 1 milliamp of power. That is one-thousandth of an amp. (Assuming the backlight is NOT turned on.)
3. The external dimmer line is compatible with any voltage from 0 to 12V. Must supply up to 40ma of power for the backlight.
4. The unit will fit in any standard round 2.25" instrument hole.
5. You may remove the metal faceplate and directly mount the unit in any flat panel (must drill appropriate holes and cutouts to accommodate.)
6. Power supply must be between 8 and 14 volts.
7. Indicated altitude is shown in increments of one foot. Internal Analog to Digital converter has less resolution but is "dithered" to increase resolution.
8. The unit is upgradeable via firmware downloads.
9. It will display any altitude between 0 and 20,000 feet.
10. The VFR cruising alarm margin is +/- 100 feet.
11. As the unit is 'experimental', it may be used in any experimental airplane or ultralight airplane. With manufacture support, it could be used in Light Sport Aircraft.
12. When purchased in our enclosure version, it may be used in any aircraft.
You can order it from our online store, or from Aircraft Spruce, or from any of our international distributor partners. Pricing is $249.95 (US), or $299.95 in an enclosure with battery.
Absolute Pressure in Pascals. |
In summary, my competitive sales guide would read like this:
1) Lightest industry weight -- 50 grams
2) Smallest size -- very thin, fits standard panel 2.25" hole
3) Lowest power consumption -- 1 milliamp
4) Highest resolution -- 1 foot displayed
5) Useful range -- 0 to 20,000 feet
6) Safety paramount -- provides Density Altitude
7) Cool additional features: -- voltage alarm, VFR cruising alarm, more
8) Great value -- $249.95
9) Also available in an enclosure for use in any airplane
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Ultralight Aircraft Floats Intro Price $1950 for kit
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!
** We are temporarily offering float kits for ultralight aircraft for $1950. Pricing rises on May 16.**
Several weeks ago, I posted some limited information and pictures of our upcoming Belite amphibious floats, made from Aluminum.
I chose not to make this a product announcement at Sun N Fun. We just weren't ready, and we had lots of other juicy stuff: updates to our UltraCub, and lots of new instrument capabilities.
But I still thought it would be a wise idea to bring our float handiwork to Sun N Fun, put a price on them and see what happened.
Well, the first day of Sun N Fun is over, and we just officially sold our first float kit. Wow! A man walked up, indicated he'd been searching high and low for a great float option for his AirBike, and he found ours. He said it made the trip from California to Sun N Fun worth it. He left a deposit for the floats and is looking forward to the receipt of the float kit, which was promised for June.
In straight or amphibious configuration, the floats are rated for a gross aircraft weight of 620 pounds. As a result, they are ideal for ultralight aircraft (and fat ultralight aircraft, and light experimentals) of all kinds.
Until May 15, they may be ordered for $1950 for a set of 2 straight floats in kit form. Rivets and fittings and glue not included. The amphibious version is available for $2950. I will post some updated pictures of them tomorrow. On May 16, the price rises. How high? I haven't determined yet. We will formally announce this product at OshKosh, so this is our pre-intro sale.
You are required to provide a $500 or $750 deposit to reserve your float kit. All skins come predrilled.
Here's some pics:
** We are temporarily offering float kits for ultralight aircraft for $1950. Pricing rises on May 16.**
Several weeks ago, I posted some limited information and pictures of our upcoming Belite amphibious floats, made from Aluminum.
I chose not to make this a product announcement at Sun N Fun. We just weren't ready, and we had lots of other juicy stuff: updates to our UltraCub, and lots of new instrument capabilities.
But I still thought it would be a wise idea to bring our float handiwork to Sun N Fun, put a price on them and see what happened.
Well, the first day of Sun N Fun is over, and we just officially sold our first float kit. Wow! A man walked up, indicated he'd been searching high and low for a great float option for his AirBike, and he found ours. He said it made the trip from California to Sun N Fun worth it. He left a deposit for the floats and is looking forward to the receipt of the float kit, which was promised for June.
In straight or amphibious configuration, the floats are rated for a gross aircraft weight of 620 pounds. As a result, they are ideal for ultralight aircraft (and fat ultralight aircraft, and light experimentals) of all kinds.
Until May 15, they may be ordered for $1950 for a set of 2 straight floats in kit form. Rivets and fittings and glue not included. The amphibious version is available for $2950. I will post some updated pictures of them tomorrow. On May 16, the price rises. How high? I haven't determined yet. We will formally announce this product at OshKosh, so this is our pre-intro sale.
You are required to provide a $500 or $750 deposit to reserve your float kit. All skins come predrilled.
Here's some pics:
Ultralight aircraft floats from Belite |
Ultralight floats from Belite |
Ultralight floats from Belite |
Monday, April 8, 2013
Updated Ultralight Aircraft from Belite: Need to know details
Ultralight aircraft in metallic burgundy with accent copper |
Q: What is a Belite UltraCubTM?
A: The
Belite UltraCub is a predominantly aluminum ultralight airplane manufactured in
kit and Ready To Fly form by Belite Aircraft.
It is available in several different configurations, with variations of instrumentation,
landinggear, assembly materials and engines.
All configurations evoke the classic look of a Piper J3 Cub, hence the
name, UltraCub. Some of the key
characteristics include:
- Removable
rear turtledeck; the plane may be flown either way.
- Legal
under FAR 103 (responsibility lies on the owner / operator)
- Precision
CNC cut aluminum parts in cabin and throughout assembly
- Folding
wings (must remove turtledeck)
- Large
wing area and flaperon area designed for low speed flight.
- Enormous
windshield and sunroof
- Multiple
storage compartments
UltraCub flies away |
Q:
What standard features and benefits does the Ready To Fly UltraCub have?
A: All
configurations include:
- CNC
cut aluminum parts throughout the entire airplane. We use a CNC computer automated bed
router for sheet metal and a four axis CNC robot for billet aluminum
pieces.
- Taildragger
configuration.
- Folding
wings. (must remove turtledeck). Easily and quickly fold!
- Standard
basic instruments: inclinometer, EGT/CHT, airspeed, AGL altimeter.
- 5”
tires and wheels.
- Rear
turtledeck, fully covered. (Higher
end configurations also cover the rear of the fuselage.)
- OracalTM
vinyl covering, with your choice of single color. Very beautiful finishes!
- Rear
steerable tailwheel with steel tail wheel spring.
- Aluminum
fuselage – riveted construction utilizing mainly 2024T3 longerons; also
7075 and 6061T6 aluminum in critical areas. Other alloys are also
used.
- Lightweight
6061T6 aluminum lift struts.
- 4130
Chromaloy steel landing gear “A” frames
- Polycarbonate
windshield and sunroof
- Enhanced
wing area (40” x 144”)
- Enhanced
flaperons (12” x 120”), reduces stall speed and improves roll control.
- Intermixed
aileron / flap controls, providing standard stick (aileron) and standard
flap (flap handle) control with 3 notches of flaps.
- Multiple
storage compartments under seat
- 5
gallon plastic fuel tank.
Q:
What does a Ready to Fly UltraCub cost?
A:
$15,995 + $2.50/mile delivery charge (one way) to any US destination. This configuration includes a 28HP Hirth 2
stroke engine. Other configurations are
also available with 4 stroke engines, carbon fiber options, and additional
instrumentation. If you want everything
in our option list, the price can hit $40,000. At that price, you should expect, and you will receive, a state of the art ultralight aircraft.
Final approach for UltraCub |
Q:
What does an UltraCub Kit
cost?
A:
$8,495 includes the TurtleDeck and everything firewall back except instruments,
paint, rivets, glue and the fuel tank.
Stiff link main gear are included.
Popular options include our spring main gear and our disc brake
assemblies. It also doesn’t include a
fuel tank, but we buy ours at Walmart for about $12, and you can too.
Q:
What type of construction is
used in the fuselage?
A: It
is straightforward aluminum construction. All of the cabin area and most
of the gussets have pre-drilled holes, and the rear fuselage is pre-aligned,
mostly pre-drilled and ready for you to start drilling and riveting. All
main cabin bulkhead formers and gussets are CNC cut and have many pre-drilled
pilot holes as well. The builder has to trim some of the cabin longerons
and members, but as these lengths are short, and all formers are square, the
resulting assembly process is easy and straightforward. Aluminum may be
cut with a carbide blade table saw, or a band saw, or a hack saw.
Cabin Assembly Detail |
Q:
What type of construction is used in
the wings?
A:
The wigs are build with aluminum spars and CNC cub Baltic birch ribs.
Everything slips together and is locked in place with Gorilla glue. Aluminum ribs are also available, as are
carbon fiber spars.
Q:
What type of construction is used in the
tail feathers?
A:
The purchaser may select between aerodynamic horizontal stabilizer/elevator or
pre-welded stabilizer/elevator. The pre-welded feathers simply need to be
covered. The aerodynamic feathers are easy to build and very
straightforward, like a big model airplane wing.
Q:
How is the structure covered?
A: We
use generic Dacron, glued and shrunk to the underlying wing or fuselage
structure, and riveted to the aluminum ribs. We use Stewart Systems glue for most other
fabric work, and we use Oracal vinyl (available in about 80 colors) for
covering over the shrunk fabric. Kit builders may use whatever system
they are comfortable with. We supply 30
yards of Dacron with each kit!
Q:
What does an UltraCub weigh?
A: As
built by Belite, with a reliable four stroke engine, and as described in this
document, it weighs 278 pounds. This is the maximum allowed by FAR Part
103. (Our configuration includes a parachute which is deployed by hand,
for which FAR Part 103 provides a 24 pound allowance.) The rear turtledeck is
not included in this weighing, as it is removable for flight. (The rear
turtledeck weighs about 7 pounds). Much lighter weights are possible by
using two stroke engines. We don’t weigh
anything required for flight; if assembled like our Sun N Fun demonstrator, the
airplane may be flown without the windshield, for instance. We even made our instrument panel easily
removable, and James has flown one of the UltraCubs without a main seat – he really
did it, just to prove a point.
Landing an UltraCub |
Q:
I see that your configuration
doesn’t include an engine cowl. How could I add one?
A: It
is available as an option for $350. We don’t weigh them as they are
removable for flight.
Q:
What other options are available?
A: There
are all kinds of options. Check our
price list for full details; we’re even offering amphibious floats. Carbon fiber, wheels, covering completeness,
paint on the aluminum, type of engine, type of parachute, instruments… Doors – really well designed doors. Too much to discuss here.
Belite Aircraft are available with emergency parachute. |
Q:
Are other instruments
available?
A: We
are happy to install any instrument manufactured by Belite Electronics, including
our Multi Function Display, our Turn Coordinators, fuel gauges, etc. We
do not install other instruments. We recommend you have other
installations (EG, radio) performed by your local instrument shop.
MultiFunction Instrument from Belite Electronics |
Q:
Does the four stroke engine
have electric start?
A:
It is available. It adds 10 pounds weight, and will work in high
end configurations.
Q:
What power does the 1/2VW four stroke
engine develop?
A: James
likes the 45HP variation with Nickasil cylinders. He runs it with a 58 x 22 propeller, which
derates it to about 38HP. That makes it
very much in line with the original Kitfox Lite, which had a 2 stroke engine of
slightly less horsepower. Fuel consumption
hasn’t been nailed down to the last drop, but James is hoping to get it below
1.5 GPH in low cruise.
1/2 VW Engine on Belite UltraCub |
Q:
Who is the engine vendor?
A:
Scott Casler, Hummel Engines is our first choice for 1/2VW aircraft
engines. Scott makes a great engine and
stands behind his work. www.hummelengines.com
Q:
Will other 1/2VW four stroke engines work?
A:
Absolutely. We recommend at least 37HP. Great Plains is a good
source for plans for a complete kit. See: http://www.greatplainsas.com/schalfvw.html
And as of this writing, their 1/2VW kit is under $3400. Furthermore, an online build manual for 1/2VW
engines may be found here:
Q: What
about the motor mount for a Belite with the half V/W?
A:
We designed it, and it is
pretty small and sweet. It is welded out of 4130 steel.
Q:
What kind of gasoline does the
engine use?
A: 91
Octane auto gas. 100LL will also work just fine, but like any other aircraft
engine, pay attention to lead fouling in the spark plugs.
Happy Flying from James! |
Saturday, April 6, 2013
What an ultralight airplane should look like!
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!
More photos of the Belite Burgundy Ultralight Aircraft, which even as I write this is being loaded on the truck to head to Sun N Fun!:
(more photos can be found here)
More photos of the Belite Burgundy Ultralight Aircraft, which even as I write this is being loaded on the truck to head to Sun N Fun!:
(more photos can be found here)
Belite Aircraft UltraCub climbs out. Looks like nostalgic Cub. :-) |
Belite ultralight airplane: UltraCub passes overhead. |
Head on profile of Belite ultralight airplane. |
Over the fence in an UltraCub from Belite! |
Almost directly overhead in the burgundy Belite. |
Taxiing for takeoff. |
Belite one pointer landing, PPG in distance. |
Short final in a Belite ultracub. Sweet! |
Friday, April 5, 2013
Belite UltraCub Detail Photos (AKA Burgundy II)
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!
Flew the Burgundy UltraCub II for the first time ever, yesterday.
Amazing.
Hit the power, plane got light and started flying too quickly.
Flew it with and without the turtledeck.
Looks just like a little cub.
Weighed it the morning before the flight: 278.8 pounds. The legal max weight is 278.0, but we can remove a little and make it go under. It includes a parachute, so FAR 103 says: 254 + 24 = 278 max weight. Besides, we weighed it on two bathroom scales and mail scale. At least the mail scale is accurate. :-)
This is with the beefy, rumbly, reliable, good sounding, 4 stroke engine.
I have a cruise prop on, which is ridiculous.
Here's the pics:
(There are many more pics from this photo shoot on our flickr account.)
Flew the Burgundy UltraCub II for the first time ever, yesterday.
Amazing.
Hit the power, plane got light and started flying too quickly.
Flew it with and without the turtledeck.
Looks just like a little cub.
Weighed it the morning before the flight: 278.8 pounds. The legal max weight is 278.0, but we can remove a little and make it go under. It includes a parachute, so FAR 103 says: 254 + 24 = 278 max weight. Besides, we weighed it on two bathroom scales and mail scale. At least the mail scale is accurate. :-)
This is with the beefy, rumbly, reliable, good sounding, 4 stroke engine.
I have a cruise prop on, which is ridiculous.
Here's the pics:
(There are many more pics from this photo shoot on our flickr account.)
Belite UltraCub looks pretty |
Cabin detail on Belite Ultralight Airplane |
Belite UltraCub flies over. 4 Stroke 1/2VW engine. |
Inside sunroof attach detail. |
Landing an ultracub. Turtledeck not yet installed. |
Panel view. |
Turtledeck on, Belite UltraCub |
Sunroof attach detail overhead view |
Rudder view |
Takeoff!! |
Belite Ultralight Airplane Climbing out |
I love this plane. |
More windshield detail |
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