Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been saying much but I really appreciate all the help and post.

Zenith guy, your photos of the mountains are just freaking amazing. Although I'd love to do that, I'm not really planning to do it with a ultralight as of now. Maybe in the future though

As for why I'm interested in building an ultralight, that's a kinda tough answer to narrow down. I guess it's a mix of the 3 things zenith guy mentioned. Except maybe not so much adventuring around the country, just flying around locally. For the moment I'm not planning on having to haul around 50lbs of camping gear. Just me, fuel, maybe a small pilot's bag with a water bottle and an ELT. Really the only trips I would do are around 30nm. Like the saying says, it's the journey not the destination for me.

The biggest reason I'm more interested in an ultralight versus a LSA is definitely the price difference. At the moment I'm not exactly ready to buy a LSA, although I'd love to one day.

Oh, and as for the training, I'm currently 9 hours into my private pilots training with a good ol' '46 Aeronca champ, which i've fallen in love with after I got the tail wheel part down. I'm also planning to take the FAA written test next year. That being said, I'm in no real rush to finish the ultralight (most likely the LE). Since I'm planning on gaining more flight experience while working on the aircraft.

Thanks again,
-Sam

Oh and i'll be sure to keep everyone updates.

sierra_bravo wrote: Like the saying says, it's the journey not the destination for me.



Oh and i'll be sure to keep everyone updates.

Bingo, you got it. At times I would bite my tongue when I would hear, "Yeah, I flew all the way to OSH from the west coast and never had to stop for fuel", and I'm thinking of my 20+ fuel stops for the same trip. Each one a memory in it's own. Not for everyone, but you get it.

It's funny, after doing it four times with about 75 airports each trip, I wanted to start taking pictures of each airport refueling ladder. You normally don't stop to think about it hurrying along, but when you slow it down on a trip like that, you notice little things, like airport ladders. Ones that the local airport bench structural engineer modified, ones that it was obvious from the zip ties that the airport needing funding, another that had better wheels than a European sports car, and the several the Wright brothers must have used to check their top wing fabric. I can't tell you all the Kardashian's names , but I can remember what a crappy ladder I had refueling in the wind in a small airport on the Colorado plains. I'll take that.

Best of luck

If I wanted to to go back to the minimalist simple aircraft again, I think the Ison Airbike would be a good choice. It has most of the elements of a back country plane like the cub. It is 103 compatible, looks good, relatively standard comfortable seating position and offers some protection from the elements. Plans are available.

Affordaplane also offers a similar design

Zenithguy wrote:

sierra_bravo wrote: Like the saying says, it's the journey not the destination for me.



Oh and i'll be sure to keep everyone updates.

Bingo, you got it. At times I would bite my tongue when I would hear, "Yeah, I flew all the way to OSH from the west coast and never had to stop for fuel", and I'm thinking of my 20+ fuel stops for the same trip. Each one a memory in it's own. Not for everyone, but you get it.

It's funny, after doing it four times with about 75 airports each trip, I wanted to start taking pictures of each airport refueling ladder. You normally don't stop to think about it hurrying along, but when you slow it down on a trip like that, you notice little things, like airport ladders. Ones that the local airport bench structural engineer modified, ones that it was obvious from the zip ties that the airport needing funding, another that had better wheels than a European sports car, and the several the Wright brothers must have used to check their top wing fabric. I can't tell you all the Kardashian's names , but I can remember what a crappy ladder I had refueling in the wind in a small airport on the Colorado plains. I'll take that.

Best of luck

I avoided airports like the plague, truck stops were my preferred refueling sites, seriously. I was pretty much following the big highways already anyway. There was that golden and short lived time, mid to late 80's maybe, when a person could get away with this if you carefully chose the site. No one quite knew what to make of an ultralight, and let's keep the FAA out of this for a second. If Joe Sixpack and his wife saw an ultralight landing in a field near the local Flying J, he wouldn't call 911 and take a cell phone video (weren't cell phones for one thing) to send to the local TV station. I also landed 3 different golf courses, one Canadian, (no golfers were threatened, in danger, or even in view) near gas stations during this period, with no repercussions. Either I was good, or lucky, can you imagine doing that nowadays?! More then likely he'd drive over and asked you if you needed a ride. When I moved on up into "real" airplanes, at least ones that looked like real airplanes (Kitfox1), I realized I'd lost that capability to get away with my more oddball LZ choices. This whole current day off airport landing thing is old hat to a lot of us old ultralight pilots, deja vu, all over again (RIP Yogi). What the heck, I had no pilot certificate to lose back then anyway.

Sam, the prior photos showed the flying aspect of properly prepared ultralight type, but the human element is half of the experience.

Approaching the pattern, I could smell the BBQ in this small Kansas airport, where can you get that but in an open cockpit ultralight flying low and slow inbound?


Getting out of Dodge E/B from Moriarty NM over Interstate 80 after seeing my groundspeed go to 14 mph. You pay extra for seats and a view like this in airlines


You get to park where others can't. In the midwest heading for OSH. No matter what you end up flying, Legal Eagle, or whatever, a stop like this seems to be appreciated more when you're flying that type of aircraft.


And, when you step it up, this is flight planning oil drops for a 2 stroke in NYC that will eventually take you home to California. I had about a half gallon of 2 stroke oil delivered to airports about 400 miles apart so I would not have go carry them or wait for them. More that once I had some kid run out to my plane as I was shutting it down at some rural country strip, waving my oil, saying they had been waiting for me because they never get a request like that, nor see a 2 stroke that needed it.


Like was mentioned, an airport is not required for fun, but at times it is for fuel, and the added bonus is the people you will befriend. Stick with what your dream is, this is a taste of what you'll experience. Build your plane, this is all attainable in the aircraft that have been mentioned, literally, the sky is the limit.

This has got me interested in a a second toy airplane. I have been planning to build a Cub/Pacer/Bushmaster, but maybe this would be fun?

I have a neighbour with a Luton Minor which is cute also: http://www.lutonminor.com/

Loved this video of a Legal Eagle - including a towed camera: https://youtu.be/9TRItFF9VhQ

By George, I may have what you need... I have a Kolb Firestar 2 project, which is now for sale because I got a great deal on one that was already completed. victorbravo/sbcglobal\net

Zenithguy, you have to be more careful when you post a photo of such good looking food, Now I'm working up an appetite for ribs. Also that photo of Interstate 80 is awesome. A view like that on an airline would cost more than a ready to fly ultralight.

Thanks for all the support everyone. I've decided to go for the Legal eagle after consideration of other options, including the woodhopper. If all goes as planned I'll be purchasing the plans this weekend.

While the plane wont be built in 6-8 months and there wont be much going on at first, I'm thinking of starting a small build thread and general experience thread while working on the plane, but im not sure yet. Hopefully, it could be of use for another first time Eagle builder.

Thanks again
-Sam

sierra_bravo wrote:Zenithguy, you have to be more careful when you post a photo of such good looking food, Now I'm working up an appetite for ribs. Also that photo of Interstate 80 is awesome. A view like that on an airline would cost more than a ready to fly ultralight.

Thanks for all the support everyone. I've decided to go for the Legal eagle after consideration of other options, including the woodhopper. If all goes as planned I'll be purchasing the plans this weekend.

While the plane wont be built in 6-8 months and there wont be much going on at first, I'm thinking of starting a small build thread and general experience thread while working on the plane, but im not sure yet. Hopefully, it could be of use for another first time Eagle builder.

Thanks again
-Sam

That Legal Eagle looks like a kick, the poster of the youtube videos has it figured out pretty good, you made a good choice. Like the tow cam.

That chase cam is really interesting. I wonder how it stays so stable in flight, my guess is a small drag chute and a mini carnard airframe with a good bit of dihedral judging by the way it's stays level in a shallow bank.

By the way, thanks for the support zenithguy, I feel that I made a good choice with the legal eagle.

-sam

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sierra_bravo wrote:That chase cam is really interesting. I wonder how it stays so stable in flight, my guess is a small drag chute and a mini carnard airframe with a good bit of dihedral judging by the way it's stays level in a shallow bank.

By the way, thanks for the support zenithguy, I feel that I made a good choice with the legal eagle.

-sam

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I've been toying with how to do that with my Zenith 750 STOL, and if you play thru one of his other videos,
I think it's Monument Valley, you can see it, has just has a vertical tail vane and that's it.

There were always Legal Eagles at OSH, and one was always flying at the ultralight area, now called the Fun Field. Loved how they sound.

Do a build thread. I'd like to see how the build goes.

I would also be very interested in a build thread!

Well then, looks like I'll be starting a build thread once I get the plans. Progress won't be very fast as mentioned above, but I'll do my best keeping everyone updated.

-Sam

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Legal Eagle= good choice. A many, many times better choice then the Woodhopper.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to vent on the Weedhopper again, it's been a while.

One of the few ultralight-style airplanes that appeal to me is the Kolb series.
They look like fun.
Ditto the Airbike.
No experience in either however.
Anybody else?

hotrod180 wrote:One of the few ultralight-style airplanes that appeal to me is the Kolb series.
They look like fun.
Ditto the Airbike.
No experience in either however.
Anybody else?

A buddy of mine has a Kolb, he N#d and has flown everywhere with it, along the California coast to 11,000 ft getting into some Sierra spots. He's been able to carry camping gear, but it's minimalist type gear. Kolb has been around for quite some time, has a good reputation, and everyone that I know that has one has been very pleased with it's performance and quality.

Here he is off my wing.

A friend of mine has a whole build series on youtube on building a Legal Eagle fuselage. I don't know how to post links but he is easy enough to find. His name on youtube is Legal eagle airplane. I have the plans for both the XL and the double eagle. All the LE designs are safe airplanes. I might build one someday if I ever finish my Bearhawk.

Thanks for the tip Kevin, I'm pretty sure I just found him.

https://youtu.be/BVz4cbpICks For anyone interested this is the first video in the series.

-sam

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Great videos. Worth watching for the table. And the Clear coat over chalkline idea.