Questions tagged [ultralight]
Questions regarding very lightweight powered aircraft.
29
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3answers
8k views
What is this object in the cockpit of an ultralight?
This is a tool (probably) in on an ultralight airplane. Initially I guessed that it is a tilting meter (to level between right and left), but seems it is not as it just a vertical tube filled up with ...
5
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2answers
145 views
Positions of drag wires in a bay
Take a good look at the small dots • on the bays of this two spar wing.
My question is:
Are the drag and anti drag wire as seen in bay 1 supposed to connect to the root of the compression tube
Or ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
For slow-flying ultralights, how would a delta wing compare to a biplane layout of equal wing area?
Context: By "slow-flying" I refer to ultralights that can be classed as "motorfloaters" - similar wing loading to a hang-glider, stall speed below 40km/h, cruise speed not much above.
I'm interested ...
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0answers
67 views
Could I Legally Fly a Paramotor as a Commuter Method [duplicate]
I get permission from company security to fly into work using my paramotor (I don’t have one, but would like to get one).
We have six offices around the city. The city has two airports: one major ...
1
vote
2answers
91 views
Forces that wing attach fittings must transfer to fuselage?
I just saw the naked wing (it didn't have its wing fabric) of a Weedhopper ultralight and wondered the types of forces that the wing lift struts must transfer to the fuselage, apart from the apparent ...
2
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1answer
116 views
Does the wing to fuselage fittings of an airplane ever experience shear load?
Do wing attach fittings of semi-cantilevered plane (i.e. ultralights) ever get subjected to shear force? For example during roll, does the centrifugal force of the wings load the wing attach fittings ...
1
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0answers
87 views
How can Schrenk approximation be used to model lift load on a rectangular wing?
How can I use Schrenk approximation to calculate load distribution on my rectangular wing?
A worked example will be appreciated.
3
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3answers
390 views
Is lift force less than weight during a descent?
In the above image lift is the same during a climb and during a descent. Is lift force not supposed to be less than weight during a descent?
Secondly, does descending at an airspeed much lower than ...
1
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0answers
67 views
How to calculate the shear centre of a wing?
How is shear centre of a wings calculated? i.e. how can I calculate the wing shear centre of a two spar wing with main spar at 0% of wing chord and rear spar at 75% of wing chord? (Assuming the two ...
6
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4answers
2k views
Why does the Ikarus C42 pitch down when stalled?
Apparently, the C42 nose pitches down shortly after stall, like in this video. I know part of the video might be pilot input to recover from the stall, but I've read on various flying forums that this ...
8
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1answer
175 views
In the United States, are ultralights legally considered aircraft?
I sometimes here it stated that in the United States, ultralight vehicles are not legally considered to be aircraft. For example, Wikipedia used to state:
In the United States ultralights are ...
2
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1answer
101 views
What is the function of a sweep cable?
This is Goat3 ultralight with sweep cables,what is the fuction of these sweep cables?
1
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1answer
202 views
What is the purpose of this span wise “false spar” on Affordaplane wings?
This is the wing of an Affordaplane Ultralight,what is the use of those spanwise foam boards between the foam ribs,I know it's not for aesthetics.
0
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2answers
287 views
Can a Rutan Quickie be made into a legal Part 103 Ultralight?
I was was thinking about buying a 80s rutan quickie q-1, it has a 18 hp motor. I want to get a ultralight but I like this one because it is fast. Can I get a motor that would be within the ...
2
votes
2answers
91 views
To determine wing loading, do you need to subtract the weight of the wing from the gross weight?
Is it true that I must subtract the weight of my ultralight wing from the gross weight of my airplane inorder to determine the wing loading of my ultralight airplane? If yes,why is this so?
I read a ...
2
votes
4answers
251 views
Can time spent in consumer flight simulators increase the safety of flying light sports aircraft for licensed pilots? [duplicate]
I've asked this question to my flight instructor, who believes flight simulators do a very poor job of modelling flight physics for very light airplanes, which makes them useless for preventing ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
How do wing ribs withstand lateral lift force?
During roll,there is a vertical component of lift that keeps the plane in the air and an horizontal component that actually rolls the plane,how are wing ribs designed to help withstand this vertical(...
1
vote
1answer
378 views
What is the purpose of wing stiffeners?
There are very few articles as to what wing stiffeners are on the internet, so my question is what are wing stiffeners?
2
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1answer
246 views
Strut braced or wire braced airplane wings?
For an ultralight (or other airplane designed for slow flight), would a strut-braced or wire-braced wing be more efficient aerodynamically?
2
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1answer
359 views
Is this type of wing design structurally sound? [closed]
Is the simple wings
frame(spar,ribs)of this maxair hummer structurally sound? I am asking because I'm considering using thesame wing design on my homebuilt ultralight.
0
votes
1answer
160 views
Do mono spar wings need compression strut(or ribs)?
Loyolksip
Regarding airplane wings, are compression struts needed in a mono spar wing?
Secondly, are anti drag and drag wires needed in a mono spar wings?
2
votes
2answers
323 views
In the US, do ultralight aircraft have tail numbers?
Just wondering if ultralight aircraft in the United States have tail numbers like the larger general aviation aircraft have?
6
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3answers
431 views
What is a biplane propeller and how efficient is it?
Lazair ultralight series II used biplane props to absorb more power from the engine....so my question is what really is a biplane propeller and are they efficient in comparison to a four bladed prop?
6
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2answers
786 views
What is the purpose of drag and anti drag wires?
What are drag and anti drag wires,and how important are they to the performance and strength of the wings of an airplane?
2
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2answers
357 views
What airfoil is used on the Lazair ultralight?
This is the airfoil of the famous Lazair ultralight. What is the name of this airfoil?
3
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1answer
1k views
Is it best to use a thick airfoil or an undercambered airfoil for slow speed flight?
The more the thickness,the more the frontal resistance,hence the more the drag a thick airfoil will produce.
Under cambered can help increase lift without increasing the airfoil thickness , therefore ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
What are the disadvantages of using just rudder to roll an airplane?
Ultralights with slight dihedral will roll and yaw on rudder input (e.g the Bloop 3, Maxair Hummer) so some don't have ailerons for the sake of simplicity. Is this kind of control input advisable, or ...
2
votes
2answers
343 views
Should I add balloons in my Ultralight wing to help it float if I land in the water?
I like to fly over rivers and lakes in my ultralight. One of the things that scares me the most is if my engine died, I might drown down in the depths of the water as I egressed out of my ultralight.
...
17
votes
7answers
6k views
What is wrong with a high-speed landing for an ultralight or GA aircraft?
Is it okay to land an ultralight or a general aviation plane at a speed higher than the recommended landing speed for such plane? Will there be any damage if the descent rate is very low?
1
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1answer
805 views
What airspace are ultralight pilots allowed to use? [duplicate]
So I've been watching videos and thinking about getting into ultra-light aviation. Flying in a personal air-trike or paramotor looks like a lot of fun. Being new to the aviation arena I had a couple ...
3
votes
3answers
971 views
What are the disadvantages of having vortex generators?
I know the advantages of vortex generators (VGs): lower stall speed, lower landing and takeoff speed according to www.stolspeed.com. So what are the major reasons most GA planes and low speed ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How to select the most efficient airfoil for low speed flight?
What airfoil (or family) has the highest $C_L/C_D$ ratio at speeds in the $50\:km/h$ range.
The use case would be an ultralight with a max speed of $50\:km/h$
1
vote
0answers
105 views
How are the landing, takeoff, and cruise speeds calculated for my homebuilt ultralight?
How can I calculate the takeoff, landing, and cruise speeds of my ultralight with a total weight (with load) of 120 kg, average air density of 1.23 kg/m3, wing area of 13.18 m2, and a coefficient of ...
0
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2answers
508 views
Are two little engines or one big engine more efficient for an ultralight?
For an ultralight, should two engines weighing 10kg each and making 7hp each OR one engine weighing 20kg and making 14hp be used?
0
votes
1answer
306 views
What is the lift-to-weight ratio during takeoff for an ultralight?
Lift to weight ratio at cruise is 1:1, what is the average lift to weight ratio during takeoff (rotation) of an ultralight with 2m/s as rate of climb?
0
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2answers
454 views
Is it OK to use foam for the ribs of an ultralight's wing?
I have seen several YouTube videos of ultralights and even HPAs (Human Powered Aircraft) that use foam as the ribs of their wings. Are ribs not supposed to be made of rigid, strong, woody and light ...
5
votes
3answers
442 views
How can filling a tube with foam help prevent buckling?
How can filling the empennage (aluminium tube) with Styrofoam stiffen it to avoid buckling as seen in Whingding ultralight?
0
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2answers
463 views
What is the average g force experienced on takeoff for an ultralight?
How much g-force is made on an ultralight during take off if its upward velocity of 2m/s?And what's the average g force experienced during takeoff on an ultralight?
3
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3answers
164 views
Is there any alternative to isolating the vibration of an ultralight engine other than using engine mounts?
Is there any alternative to isolating the vibration of an ultralight engine other than using engine mounts?
6
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1answer
1k views
How does the FAA define fuel capacity for ultralights?
Ultralights under FAR 103 are regulated to a capacity of 5 gallons. I'm wondering how exactly fuel capacity is defined, does it include fuel in the lines, and in the carburetor bowl or elsewhere or ...
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3answers
222 views
Could an ultralight hypothetically takeoff without power on if it were windy enough?
I don't know if takeoff would be the right term, but the wing should generate lift with any headwind.
2
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1answer
1k views
How is the airfoil of a fixed wing ultralight constructed?
This is a good example of the type of ultralight I am trying to build:
(Source)
How might the airfoil be constructed in this plane?
My guess was that it's mostly created by the cables that suspend ...
1
vote
3answers
270 views
I have really intense ear pain during descent in commercial flights. Would it be better or worse if I was flying a small non-pressurized plane?
Usually — but not always — after descending in a commercial jet airliner, my ears really hurt for several days, accompanied by minor hearing loss.
Nonetheless, I am still in love with aviation. I am ...
3
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2answers
976 views
How strong would a servo motor need to be to power the control surfaces of a fixed wing ultralight aircraft?
I'm looking to build an ultralight aircraft.
The video above shows a good example of how one is controlled with wires or with metal fulcrums/levers, but I am ...
3
votes
1answer
85 views
How is proper CG maintained in ultralight pusher aircraft?
Considering pilot weight can vary 100lbs or more how do ultralight pusher airplanes maintain proper CG range?
1
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1answer
91 views
What to do to maintain my Spanish ULM (GA) gyroplane licence valid in the USA when moving there?
I have an ultralight gyroplane (GA) Spanish license. What sort of conversion or validation process do I need to follow to be able to continue flying after moving to the USA?
19
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2answers
4k views
Could I use a powered parachute to fly around New York City?
NYC traffic is so horrendous that it would be pretty convenient to be able to take off with a powered parachute (PPC) from the top of a building or from a park and be able to fly above all the traffic ...
2
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3answers
1k views
Is it allowed to launch powered paragliders from national parks?
I'm new to the sport and can't find a written answer. I've been told by local PPG pilots that it is illegal to launch from state/federal parks.
I live near Johnson's Beach, Gulf Islands National ...
3
votes
1answer
439 views
What are the FAA regulations on lighting for ultralight vehicles?
I'm in the process of scoping out a project involving an ultralight vehicle and some Neo pixel LEDs.
In the US, there are many regulations for lights on cars. Things like the location on the vehicle, ...
4
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2answers
1k views
Do I need to use an airfield to take off or land a powered paraglider?
Most aircraft require a runway to take off and land, however powered paragliders simply attach to the pilot's back, requiring the pilot to run a few metres to take off. The landing distance is also ...
