Flap wrote:

Wainfan Facetmobile

Verrrrryy interesting. Quite an amazing aircraft-another amazing designer!
Wilson and Wainfan would have made a hell of a team-if they could function that way.......

lc

I had to look it up. Last I had heard of it was mid 90s and it had 'drifted' out of my mind.....

Nobody around here looks at their own photo gallery...

And then there was this. http://www.pilotmix.com/index.php?pgid= ... axInfo=118 The designer died a while back, I don't know if it's still available, or if there was ever more then the prototype. 912S powered I believe.

By Golly, BRD, is that Explorer II yours? Does it go on floats? How many exist, just the one? Tell us about it......

lc

Courierguy, isn't that Wilson's plane in that web address picture-that is in this story about Dean Wilson?

http://www.avidflyeraircraft.com/assets ... Wilson.pdf

Did Dean die? He was (is?) such a prolific designer and innovator in the experimental aviation world that a whole lot of exp. planes have their roots solidly in his designs. If he is dead, can they now recognize his LARGE contributions, or is he a prolific genius that drifts quietly into history......?

lc

Littlecub wrote:
Verrrrryy interesting. Quite an amazing aircraft-another amazing designer!

What jumped out at me with the Facetmobile is that (as a low aspect ratio near-delta design) it has a very small wingspan per unit of wing area and thus interior volume. And yet, it still had pretty decent cruise performance on low power... a fact which baffled the crap out of me and a lot of more educated people than I.

Sooooo... if you scaled up the basic Facetmobile to where the wingspan was 36 feet to match a 100 series Cessna, you wind up with a very large cabin. Combined with the surprising STOL ability, you actually have a fair shot at creating a very useful,large cabin class airplane. The large wing area and "vortex lift" that was designed into the FM by Barnaby, means that you would even have a fair shot at a really short field capable aircraft. Of course, the looks on the faces of the "normal" airplane drivers when you show up at one of the short back country strips would be absolutely priceless. If I had any !(*% money to speak of, I'd build one just for that.

Just the sight of your up-sized facetmobile might spook the normal backcountry plane right out of the sky!... ....
(.......If you've ridden horses........oh, nevermind.....)

lc

Zane, what score do we get on this 'highjack'? Pretty thorough, huh?

lc

Littlecub wrote:Courierguy, isn't that Wilson's plane in that web address picture-that is in this story about Dean Wilson?

http://www.avidflyeraircraft.com/assets ... Wilson.pdf

Did Dean die? He was (is?) such a prolific designer and innovator in the experimental aviation world that a whole lot of exp. planes have their roots solidly in his designs. If he is dead, can they now recognize his LARGE contributions, or is he a prolific genius that drifts quietly into history......?

lc

No, Dean did not die. His latest project was the curtiss pusher replica. Some very fine craftsmanship on that build!

No, Dean did not die. His latest project was the curtiss pusher replica. Some very fine craftsmanship on that build!

That is a relief. He is not only a great guy, he has been a fountain of great aircraft designs through the years, and I hope he has the opportunity to contribute further to his notably remarkable legacy.

lc

Jane's Aircraft helps clarify the Explorer series of aircraft:

Mini Explorer is third, and smallest, of a series of similar concept aircraft, begun with the twin-engined Explorer, produced by Hubert DeChevigny and Dean Wilson (the latter, designer of the Avid Flyer and other light aircraft). The single-engined Private Explorer (14.40 m; 47 ft 3 in span, 1,860 kg; 4,102 lb MTOW) flew in 1998 and was marketed as a kit from Idaho, US. The eighth of the type was registered in Canada during August 2005.First Mini Explorer (C-IGXF) was registered in November 2001; marketing began 2002, at which time. European marketing proceeding in parallel; first French-built aircraft was noted in 2003 but European promotion apparently ceased.

lc

Littlecub wrote:

No, Dean did not die. His latest project was the curtiss pusher replica. Some very fine craftsmanship on that build!

That is a relief. He is not only a great guy, he has been a fountain of great aircraft designs through the years, and I hope he has the opportunity to contribute further to his notably remarkable legacy.

lc

Here is a look into his work shop and the Curtiss Pusher.

http://www.avidfoxflyers.com/index.php? ... #entry4981

Littlecub wrote:Courierguy, isn't that Wilson's plane in that web address picture-that is in this story about Dean Wilson?

http://www.avidflyeraircraft.com/assets ... Wilson.pdf

Did Dean die? He was (is?) such a prolific designer and innovator in the experimental aviation world that a whole lot of exp. planes have their roots solidly in his designs. If he is dead, can they now recognize his LARGE contributions, or is he a prolific genius that drifts quietly into history......?

lc

Sorry for the who died when mixup, I was referring to the Canadian designer, or at least the builder and marketer, of the Mini-Explorer, NOT Dean Wilson.

No problem, Courierguy, I was obviously stumbling my way through the topic looking for info. You put me on to the mini Explorer, which I really wasn't aware of, and this ended up being an interesting (hijacked) thread (well, to at least me) and you prompted me to do some research. Not bad, I'd say.
lc

Point is still valid Dean deserves WAY more recognition than he has received.....

Not to pull this thread any further off topic, but this would be an awesome flying camper...

http://www.airbum.com/articles/ArticleBirdPBY.html

It wouldn't be considered STOL, but it still has some ridiculous modifications. With a 2500 gallon fuel capacity and burning 130gph, I wouldn't want to be paying the fuel bills for that bird.

Damn kids!!! In my day, when we went airplane camping in the mountains, first we climbed the mountain. We used a tent for the airplane, and a sleeping bag for the fuselage. And if the thermals were too great, we landed on top and climbed back down. Uphill, both ways!

Logan wrote:Not to pull this thread any further off topic, but this would be an awesome flying camper...

http://www.airbum.com/articles/ArticleBirdPBY.html

It wouldn't be considered STOL, but it still has some ridiculous modifications. With a 2500 gallon fuel capacity and burning 130gph, I wouldn't want to be paying the fuel bills for that bird.

WAY WAY Cool!!

Cheers

I have sworn for decades, when I win the lotto, I WILL have a PBY as my motorhome.

Gump

I'm so poor, I have trouble dreaming that big ($).....
lc

Hey Gump

If ya want to see a "prototype" PBY camper then try the1973 movie staring Donald Sutherland called Steelyard Blues.