Re: Which Ultralight to build.....

On Jun 16, 12:38 am, "Peter Dohm" <lefty...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> <fredfigh...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>
>

About:

Home Depot Ultralight: aka "Motor Glider 101

"http://www.digitalmarketingusa.com/homedepotultralight.html

In an earlier contribution to the thread, Mr
Montblack kindly provided for us some of
the FAA regs for what qualifies as a motorglider
and applied those to the "Home Depot Motorglider"
thus:


 (ii) Maximum weight does not exceed 850 kg (1874 pounds);
 and
 (iii) The maximum weight to wing span squared
  (w/b2) does not exceed 3.0 kg/M2 (0.62 lb./ft.2).

The "Home Depot Motorglider is spec'd as"

 500 lbs MTOW
 and
 28.5 ft wingspan = 812 (wing span squared)

 500 lbs MTOW (/) 812 = 0.61576 lb./ft.2

 ...which does not exceed 0.62!

 So yes, it is a motorglider

But, as you may recall I don't believe the
aircraft qualifies as a FAR 103 ultralight
because it is much heavier than the
currently published weight.  Since it
is so close the the limit of 0.62, I
also doubt that is qualifies as a
motorglider.

It may be that this is not the same aircraft as
the prototype, It may be a lighter version but
I really doubt it.


>
> ...
>
> The point was that some subset of aircraft, which do not necessarily fit
the
> Part 103 definitions for Ultralight Vehicles, could fit the definitions
for
> self launching gliders.  Therefore, those aircraft would also fit the
pilot
> requirements of self launching gliders--rather than the pilot
requiremnets
> of either Experimental Amateur Built or ELSA.
>
> The extent to which that is usefull is not obvious to me at this moment.
> However, it is intellectually interesting and the gliding performance as
> well as the safety is almost certainly better than a primary glider.
>
> As a concept, it certainly is a hoot!

Yes, that was the point.

The usefulness is suggested by the observation that
motorgliders are allowed two passengers, Ultralights,
only one, but even more by what the FAA does
not say about motorgliders.  In particular, there is
no specified restriction on:

1) Retractable landing gear, indeed these are commonplace
    on gliders.

2) Floats!

3) Number of engines!

4) Stall speed.

5) Top speed.

6) Size of the fuel tank (Other than MTOW).

Perhaps these are not restricted because it
didn't occur to the folks writing the regs that
anyone would be crazy enough to try to build
a fast, amphibious, multi-engined, cross-country
capable _glider_.  Sort of like it didn't occur
to the folks writing the NFL rule book that
anyone would want to hike the ball to to a
quarterback or a punter standing 5 or 10 yards
behind  the  line of scrimmage.  Since it wasn't
forbidden, somebody was crazy enough to try
it.  Now everybody thinks that's normal.

--

FF