airplanes I'm building..

[klr]

Very interesting, Charlie. That's a big job to both design and build an airplane. I've always wanted to build my own airplane, but got married early in life and reproduced myself out of being able to find the money and time to do it. As far as I got was starting on a Pietenpol. I only managed to frame up the rudder before throwing in the towel. At least now I can tell people that I own part of an airplane

Keep going. I'll be following along.

[ME_flyboy]

US private, Canadian commercial . Haven't flown in 30 years. A friend has a 1,700 ft dirt strip and an empty hanger (Nauga Field) around the corner from me. He says I can use them if I get a airplane. I may take him up on it.
I will be watching your build.

HEY ! That's Fantastic! and so cool!!!
Yes you can build something similar for around $5,000. Less if you are a good scrounger!

today I start my third rib...

I've built a couple of airplanes prior to this in the American Light Sport category,,
so none of this is new to me

Welcome to the thread!

Charlie

[ME_flyboy]

Very interesting, Charlie. That's a big job to both design and build an airplane. I've always wanted to build my own airplane, but got married early in life and reproduced myself out of being able to find the money and time to do it. As far as I got was starting on a Pietenpol. I only managed to frame up the rudder before throwing in the towel. At least now I can tell people that I own part of an airplane

Keep going. I'll be following along.

Ahh, yes klr, I know exactly what you went thru...I had three children, the house, and mortgage,
the two cars a dog, two jobs, AND A WIFE, THAT WASN'T HAPPY WITH ME FLYING...! haha!
I'm almost sure, you heard the words "What about me and the kids if you crash?"
But we instinctively knew we would be safer flying, than driving to the grocery.

It is never too late...as long as we have the health to continue. I always try to do something every single day,
on the plane, even if it is just for 10 minutes. if I can't physically get there, I do about an hour in my head, working out how to best do ...(Insert subject here)..., or work out an issue I'm having a hard time with.
That is the trick... do something for it, every day! and soon you 'll look back and say Hey that was easy!~

I am not building an "airplane" I'm just building some "airplane parts". When I get enough of them done,
it will magically transform itself, into an "airplane" !

The hardest thing I have ever done..... was doing nothing, because I couldn't stop to rest!

Now that you've got the rudder, start on the Vertical stabilizer... if you do something on it every day, it'll get done before you know it. Then you can start on another part...
Soon you'll BE ABLE TO TRUTHFULLY SAY "I own a large percentage of an airplane."

I'll be here for moral support!

Charlie

[klr]

Spot on, Charlie, but I have 5 kids. Anyway, I sold all my materials years ago, unfortunately.

I think if I take it up again I'll build a Legal Eagle.

[ME_flyboy]

Spot on, Charlie, but I have 5 kids. Anyway, I sold all my materials years ago, unfortunately.

I think if I take it up again I'll build a Legal Eagle.

Ok so you're more agressive than I.... or mebbe cause I'm divorced now, 43 years...
(Once was enough)
But it shouldn't be long till .......
I'M A GREAT GRANDFATHER. Oh heavens forbid...
I always imagined Great grandfathers to be up in their 90's or something....

I'm too young yet! Not looking forward to that milestone. If you remember a musical from the 60's,
there was a song in it called "Got a lot of livin to do". The Musical was "Bye Bye Birdie". I saw that film, in
Germany in 63, at the post theatre. Starring Ann Margaret.
Well that song is me! HAHA!


Leonard Mulholland, designer of the Legal Eagle, lives just a few miles from me.. Friends of mine say...
I checked it out, and it's true... just a coincidence..is all...

OK, well it's back to doing something for the plane... after dinner, I'll finish cutting out my logos
just one more to go.. the "Nose Art" is done... But they're not for release just yet. I want something
to surprise folk with, when I unveil her.

Can't give away all my secrets...just yet

Charlie

[horseman]

Well flyboy, you've inspired me. To do what I'm not sure but I'm inspired.. My thoughts are if God wanted me to fly I'd have feathers and wings and if He had wanted me going over the ocean I'd have gills and fins. I'll stay up on my mountain and stick to my horses... at least for a while longer...

Truth to tell is when I got my military discharge in Nov. 1967 I decided I wanted to be a commercial pilot, GI bill and all, but all I ended up with was a completed ground school and 10 hrs in (If I recall the plane correctly) an Apache 140 tail dragger. I've been behind the controls of a Cessna 172 and 182 when in college with a pal who flew for Evergreen Helicopters at the time and belonged to a flying club. The 182 was a trip to Montana. When I went through ground school in 68' you could buy a good used Cessna 150 for around 6 grand. Today private flying is just to expensive. Not even sure what a private license would run a guy or how many hours is required. In my day it was 40 to solo (if you were competent enough) and the cost "normally" would run about 2 grand. It wasn't to many years ago while going through some of my old "stuff" I found my Jepson computer from ground school. I'm bettin' they don't use those anymore..... Anyway, good on ya' but I don't believe I'll be getting more than a few feet off the ground anymore, but anyone who can build a flying machine impresses me.

[ME_flyboy]

="horseman"]Well flyboy, you've inspired me. To do what I'm not sure but I'm inspired.. My thoughts are if God wanted me to fly I'd have feathers and wings and if He had wanted me going over the ocean I'd have gills and fins. I'll stay up on my mountain and stick to my horses... at least for a while longer...

Truth to tell is when I got my military discharge in Nov. 1967 I decided I wanted to be a commercial pilot, GI bill and all, but all I ended up with was a completed ground school and 10 hrs in (If I recall the plane correctly) an Apache 140 tail dragger. I've been behind the controls of a Cessna 172 and 182 when in college with a pal who flew for Evergreen Helicopters at the time and belonged to a flying club. The 182 was a trip to Montana. When I went through ground school in 68' you could buy a good used Cessna 150 for around 6 grand. Today private flying is just to expensive. Not even sure what a private license would run a guy or how many hours is required. In my day it was 40 to solo (if you were competent enough) and the cost "normally" would run about 2 grand. It wasn't to many years ago while going through some of my old "stuff" I found my Jepson computer from ground school. I'm bettin' they don't use those anymore..... Anyway, good on ya' but I don't believe I'll be getting more than a few feet off the ground anymore, but anyone who can build a flying machine impresses me.

Thought you were gonna say You'd be a mountain goat...

The one and only 140 taildragger I know of, and I don't know everything... is a Piper Cherokee conversion, in the Great Northwest, and it can be seen here:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/stevesaircr ... 2178150215

But it was never finished.

The Apache, is a 4 passenger, twin engined tricycle gear plane.

Piper Apache.jpeg

A lot has changed in the past 51 yrears... but for a private pilot ticket, it is still a minimum of 40 hrs training. However there is a newer class of license called Sport Pilot which allows you to fly anything up to a weight of 1,320 pounds, with only 20 hours of training, and less technical test questions... and you can fly with a drivers license as proof of medical fitness... yeah, weird. I've never yet had to take a medical for a drivers license...

There's also FAA Part 103, which covers Non licensed Ultralights with a max empty weight of 254 pounds, and single seat ( no passengers) no license, no Medical, No registrations. Rules similar to sport pilot. Daylight flight only, flight must be by reference to the ground ( can't go above the clouds, or use instruments for primary navigation), no flight over congested areas etc...

There's also powered parachute, (PPC) I don't follow those, so I can't comment on them.

There is still Glider pilot, same as it was back in the day... when I took lessons on a Schweizer 2-32,
from a WW2 Messerschmidt pilot.

And there's Hot Air Ballooning. Now that's expensive! $20,000.00 and up.... for a sewn together nylon bag, and a wicker basket, and burner, then you need a means to transport / retrieve it.... (read 4 wheel drive) and to carry the accoutrement's (read a big trailer) and propane gas for fuel ! Not for me either. Although I did crew on one for a summer... couple of years ago. ( hot, sweaty, heavy work, and Boring)

a Cessna 150 can be had for $10K- $20 K, if you search around. CFI's are getting $50 - $80 /hr.

Yes! The good old "E6B computer" ! I still have two of them somewhere ... one like an old calculator,
and one like a circular slide rule.

But I do most of my flight planning, (Just to stay current) on an iPad, with an aviation app called "Foreflight", subscription to it, runs about $80 bucks/year
but other adjuncts can be linked such as Stratux ( a home made weather reporting system that adds weather to the foreflight app. ( about $140 bucks to make with a small Raspberry PI computer)

I am building all my own instruments from my exhaust gas temp's to air speed to engine RPM....
all with small, lightweight, but powerful, Arduino that run on 3.3 volts , 5 volts, or 12 volts!
...easy and inexpensive electronics. (Ultralight and Sport pilot only) bigger aircraft, still need the megabucks electronics...

Pilot vs Aviator.jpeg

Charlie