Random Picture Thread

Your own design? Here's the one I wish I could afford to build.

 

The drawing is what she will look like completed ,..the photo is where I'm at on the build with exception ,..I now have the rudder pedals installd with brake slaves connected on pilot side only,..dual controls.
I've named it the "SkyPirate" already have an N-number reserved for it
N-859CB

proposed specs.

140 mph cruise
stall 45 mph
wing area 152 Sq. Ft.
4 place
140 hp with 3 blade IFA (in flight adjustable) medium IVO prop
as mentioned the power plant is a 2008 ford focus 2.0 motor ,..it weighs 211 lbs with out redrive and prop mounted,..it can be configured to 200 hp,..but will start with the factory 140 hp,..which in the automobile it gets 35 mpg at 2500 rpm cruise,..with the IFA prop I can adjust my RPM / blade pitch for best take off ,.then set for best cruise/lowest RPM setting
belt drive reduction
empty weight 850 lbs
gross weight 1800 lbs
32 gal. fuel capacity

the wings will pivot on aft spar and strut connection at bottom of fuselage,..they swing back over the horizontal stabilizer and get locked in position for trailering ,..wings folded ,..it is 102 inches wide ,.wings out it is 32 foot wing span,..and 28 foot long fuselage
the cabin area is 4 foot wide by 8 foot long by 52 inches high,..gull wing removable doors for summer flying ( which can be opened in flight below 80 mph),..I am incorperating float mounts into the design also

 

Chase_B, you seem to know what you are about.
I know this is tremendously satisfying, especially since you designed it too!
Here are some things of interest.
Check out the later wing tips on Buttercup. She would do 150mph on 85 hp. Steve Wittman changed this plane and his Tailwind design a lot and the last was the triangular wingtips seen in the photo of the Buttercup replica tied down.
These gave shorter takeoff, higher top speed and other benefits, as Earl Luce states in his articles on the plane.
Steve also gave us the Tailwind design and the low drag spring steel landing gear seen on all Cessnas.
The Big-X was his 4-place Buttercup that didn't get produced due to WW2.

 

the tappered wing drastically reduces the vorticies coming off the wing which reduces drag,..I am not sure if the wing on the buttercup is a laminar design or not ,..mine is a laminar wing ,.the slightest amount of deformity,..even rain drops ,..will reduce lift on a laminar wing ,..so I would loose lift efficiency drastically in the tip where the taper is incorperated if I hit a rain storm,.. I like the handling characteristics of a laminar flow wing,..the stall is very mild,..stol capabilities are very good, and with the last foot or so of my wing being rounded ,..vorticy seperation /size should be reduced from the squared tip results
if you look at the Zenith 701 the wing is very much like the buttercups with the exception of the tip,..it is squared off as well,..

 

Interesting old reading.
Couldn't get it to attach here, but it downloaded fine.
http://www.oshkosh365.org/saarchive/eaa_issues/magazine_195603.pdf

 

Your laminar wing aircraft sounds well-researched and the plane looks quite interesting, especially the folding wings combined with high projected performance, the power method, etc.
Three questions:
What is the projected GPH (auto fuel?) at what cruise speed?
What is the projected rate of climb at sea level at gross?
How do you cope with rough and bouncy high altitude field, heavy load (full fuel, 4 passengers & baggage) and rain or snow or ice with crosswinds (the usual worst case, real world deal)?
Another bad case would be high altitude take off, short runway, full load for a long trip, very hot day and enough sticky clay dust to coat the wing in places.
I guess the above things are pilot decisions like reduce the load or don't go until things are better and apply to all aircraft, but many 4-place drivers have made the bad decision of "let's all go together" due to family or passenger schedule pressures and became FAA statistics.
JFK Junior was one, he outflew his experience and capability and went at night because his wife had to get a pedicure and made him wait.

 

And I'll add I'd like to go for a ride in it.

 

gph, hopefully low 4's high 3's hopefully around 800 ft rate of climb, thats the advantage of an in flight adjustable prop,. this is a border line fair weather flyer,.and I live at 1000 ASL ,..don't plan on flying any high altidtude airports,..most of the flights/trips would be on the long end 6 hour duration,..short end 3 hour duration ,..so I would not have to fill the tanks to the rim,.. the most that could fit in the plane would be 3 with luggage,..that's me ,..my wife ,..and 6 year old daughter,..and luggage,..yes on pilot decision ..if it's bad weather ,..it can wait or I can take another plane ,..this build is more for fun with a touch of nostalgia,..a week end picnic next to a lake ,..land in the field along side the lake ,..park under a tree and have lunch ,..but occassional long flight to the beach,..weather permitting for a week end of pier fishing in NC.
1/2 the fun is in preparation for the flight ,..including my own recogneses of weather patterns per time of year etc,..if it rains during a flight ,..it just means we have to land ,.which adds to the adventure,..might be a place where we have not landed prior

my completion date has been altered ,..due to back surgery, which I just had done 2 days ago,..then next on the list is right knee replacement,..already have prosthetic joints done in my right hand,.. but I'm still relatively young at near 52,..sep 8th the turning point ,..previous forecasted completion was last june ,..hopefully new completion will be in less then 2 years,..
I am installing a glass panel,..with a few steam guages as back up,..she will be VFR but have the ability for IFR,..
JFK was flying an IFR aircraft with less then 10 hours in type in fog,..got inverted and didnt read his instruments right basically holding back the yoke to the point that felt like normal G load in straight and level flight,..but inverted,... definately pilot error.

 

and your more then welcome to join in a flight I love sharing my flying and boating experiences,..my 6 year old has already mastered the helm( as well as a 6 year old can) ,..now she wants to learn to fly ,.. I'll teach her when her discipline is more adept

 

Most aircraft accidents seem to involve a poor human decision somewhere in the loop, the first being the "go, no go".
Sounds like you're dealing with challenges well and best of luck. I've been lucky in my body parts not breaking too much yet considering how much burro-level labor I've done in my life.
Things that fly, cont.

 

I'm a hands on person myself ,..my injuries are military related,.
I've had a few float planes ,..lots of fun ,.even flying them off snow
but the most fun is landing on water with tires and roll up on the beach

 

My 4 years of USCG duty involved several near-death times, lots of anus-clenching adventures but I was lucky lucky lucky and not hurt badly. My dad wasn't and had combat in Bataan battles of a gruesome nature then 3 1/2 years POW that was much worse, and wound up near Nagasaki when they dropped the firecracker. War is generally a bad idea, and seldom necessary we would hope.
Here in Pacific NW and BC we have float planes everywhere and I always like to see who the pilot is today.
One big Beaver on floats from the local scheduled airline pulls up to a dock in a bit of a crosswind, spins on the controls and drifts crosswise down on the float perfectly lined up. The prop stops.
The door opens, a little girl in khakis pops out, ties up the plane and assists her passengers out, humps out their stuff, loads the next few people and their stuff, smiles, gives the safety speech like it's her first time and she really enjoys it, pushes the bow out, hops in, starts up, deals with the crosswind and takes off like silk sheets for the next stop on the bus route.

 

http://www.ffcars.com/forums/43-off-topic-discussions/269381-tsunami-debris-field.html

 

Just realizing that it FLOATED there is awesome.

 

You guys aren't helping...

Every ten years or so I get the bug.
My current object of desire: