Badland Part 103 Pilots and Builders Forum

mrpilotron

Thanks Todd. I think you're right. Having a high turbulence, non-laminar wing shaped accurate within half a spark-plug gap is truly "good enough". I'll swallow my pride and accept defeat so this project stands a chance of being done before I start to decompose...

mrpilotron

Mostly I'm just being a perfectionist and it probably doesn't matter. I've got it within about .050 of an inch everywhere and within .020 on 98% of it. I am going to smear one last layer of "peanut butter" mix over it with a full-length straight edge squeegee and then call it good enough. ...

mrpilotron

I managed to get some more sanding/shaping done on my fiberglass mold and it turns out I wasn't quite as close to good as I thought. Holding sandpaper under a 4-foot level is working really well for getting the waves out, but it's also showing just how poorly I had those foam blocks aligned when I g...

mrpilotron

I love that simple panel layout. Thanks for sharing that so I can copy some ideas. I'm still going back and forth on how extensive to make my panel, but I have plenty of time to make that design choice. I will include an ADS-B transponder and radio, but will it be remote mounted with an EFIS control...

mrpilotron

Sounds fishy to me. This needs to be reported back to the factory so they are aware. A new engine should not require you to double check the factory assembly work.

mrpilotron

I just watched the Trent Palmer video. He was trying to add extra cuff to stretch the chord and in doing so he created a new flatter airfoil shape. The new shape was not a carefully engineered airfoil like the original Riblett, but was something that has a lower chance of performing well in the inte...

mrpilotron

My perfectionism is starting to catch up. Or, is that properly called "ADHD Hyperfocus"? Anyway, I feel like zero progress was made because these still aren't perfectly straight and smooth. I think I'm going to glue some 120 grit sand paper to the edge of a 4-foot level and use that to kno...

mrpilotron

Todd, your questions are exactly what I'm hoping to answer with my testing. I'm going to need a test aircraft that can swap wings back and forth so we get real apples-to-apples tests to prove if the consistent smooth shape with correct leading edge profile is worth doing. VGs have been tested and pr...

mrpilotron

I make assumptions that the material supply challenges are finally unclogged! I'm going to be at his shop in 2 weeks so I'll probably get to check out the progress.

mrpilotron

Rusty, That Kitfox leading edge extrusion would be exactly the right answer for getting back the correct profile. It would also weigh a lot less than a fiberglass cuff. However, the other thing I'm hoping to accomplish with the cuff is elimination of the false ribs and the tube they rest on. There w...

mrpilotron

It occurred to me that I've been showing a lot of "what" and "how" on this project, but perhaps I haven't explained the "why" very well. My goal here is two-fold: 1) Provide a (perhaps marginal) airfoil performance improvement plus a (perhaps more significant) strength-...

mrpilotron

After doing some initial dry-fitting, it looks like I may have made a bunch of expensive kindling. I am still planning to make the test pieces just to get real test data, but I'm seeing a few "opportunities for improvement" in the fitting and alignments. I could probably make it work as-is...

mrpilotron

Those are great questions. The leading edge protrusion is cut as a separate piece partly for ease of assembly, partly for better sheet utilization on the CNC table, and partly because I'm not sure it's even needed with the stiffness of the fiberglass leading edge. I might end up leaving it out to sa...

mrpilotron

I made a little more progress on my leading edge molds tonight. I figured out a better way to cut out the pink foam for stacking so they hold themselves perfectly aligned. By cutting 4 holes with 2 of them slightly bigger than the others, I can pull the plug from the bigger holes and slip them into ...

mrpilotron

Horsepower is a magical thing derived by math and based on torque. At the end of the formulas, it's the ability to do work over time. Lifting a 1000 lb block of aluminum 1000 feet can be done in half the time with twice the horsepower. This hold true regardless of the torque. If that (X) horsepower ...

mrpilotron

Rusty, I followed that thread extensively over the summer. It looks like it would be a great option for anyone who can accept the weight. If I ever get my DeLorean running, I'll zip back to 1982 and lobby real hard for max weight of 300 lbs. (Maybe pick up a few hundred shares of Microsoft stock whi...

mrpilotron

BMW motorcycles made some nice boxer 2-cylinder engines. I just did a quick search and found that they are WAY beyond the weight we'd want to put on these aircraft. If you're willing to have that much weight, you might as well employ a standard aircraft engine that's designed from the beginning to p...

mrpilotron

I think we need a few more built so we can get better real numbers.

mrpilotron

I just did some rudimentary math for mass, acceleration, time, and distance. At a realistic operating weight of 495 lbs and running the 38hp Polini engine, the acceleration should be roughly 5.229 m/s^2, take 2.56 seconds to accelerate to 30 MPH, and cover 56 feet. When I cross reference these numbe...

mrpilotron

Good technique, bad final result. 127 KG = 280 lbs. His Legal Eagle isn't legal...

mrpilotron

There is some argument that a fabric wing with all the rib bumps on top gives a similar effect to VGs due to the uneven elevations and variations of the actual airfoil shape over those scallops. With that in mind, we might not see quite as much benefit on Badland wings. It would be interesting to ga...

mrpilotron

Well, I wonder if anyone would notice the minor weight gain with a Jabiru 2200?

Those seem to be very reliable.

mrpilotron

Bruce, How is your build going? I see your last entry here was almost 18 months ago.

mrpilotron

Here are some small sections of wing I'm building to show the difference between the normal wing profile vs the exact Riblett airfoil. 20241012_193808.jpg The small leading edge protrusion shown above adds support behind the fiberglass skins that will be formed from the molds shown later. 20241012_1...

mrpilotron

Most of the regulars here are also familiar with me on the Facebook page, but I am going to move to this forum as a build log that's easier to navigate and has FAR fewer advertisements jamming up the good stuff. I first visited Chris at his Minnesota shop in March of 2022. I visited a few more times...

mrpilotron

I just read through this thread and noticed many apologies for amateur welding. I feel at least marginally qualified to say the welding on this project is just fine. Could it be better? Sure. Many of my welds could be better too, but what you have here is perfectly acceptable for the strength needed...

mrpilotron

For me, I set up a separate savings account and built up the full funding for the plane. If something were to happen, the only effect is that I'm out the money. I didn't take the funds from any other account, putting those accounts into possible jeopardy if I can't get the money back. This is a Dav...

mrpilotron

Those are the numbers I got 10 months ago too. The carbureted version was 6,200 5 years ago. I was really hoping the prices would drop a bit now that supply chain chaos is settled down.

mrpilotron

I put down a sizeable deposit about 1 year ago on an F3. Since I plan on going overweight, I opted for hydraulic brakes, suspension, big tires, and a few other heavy options. It's not quite an F4, but pulled a few upgrades from that list so maybe I should call it a F3.6? I am probably a weirdo for t...

mrpilotron

So, here I am updating my original introduction from 2.5 years ago. Holy SMOKES did that time fly by fast! In the interim, I added a bunch of airplane experience and a bunch of build practice since I started this journey. Most notably is a Bearhawk kit that will be in full-swing well before Chris ca...

mrpilotron

I've seen the Hirth F23 mentioned in a few other threads and it seems to enjoy some popularity with other small aircraft, but has anyone actually finished a flying Badland with one of these engines? My F3 is fully expected to not make Part 103 weight and that's okay. I'm building it to be a purpose-...

mrpilotron

A nose dragger? Sacrilege! ;) Just to make sure I'm keeping score correctly: 4-stroke engine, Stewart System covering and paint, brakes that actually work, carbon fiber ribs, all the gauges needed plus a few that aren't, electric start, a recovery chute, and the little wheel on the wrong end. All th...

mrpilotron

Where are you located? I'll be shopping for an engine in the near future.

mrpilotron

Sounds like you have a nice setup. If you're anything like me, that shop will be WAY too small within 2 years.

mrpilotron

I just watched the engine webinars that were part of the EAA Ultralight Days series. The "top 10 reasons 2-stroke engines fail" discussion was a curious one. If you missed it, go watch it at the EAA web site. My takeaway from it is that the guy presenting it is very vested in Rotax. He is ...

mrpilotron

Sounds like a good starting point. I wouldn't have thought to block the wind from going inside the wing. I doubt you'll find many 20-foot long trailers sprung to carry only 254 lbs so you might as well plan on it being a rough ride. Choose tie-down points that won't rub the paint. EX: Don't run a ra...

mrpilotron

People giving 1 star because UPS/FedEx delivered and the packing box was damaged - which has absolutely nothing to do with the actual product that was delivered. This. When I see those reviews, I just want to reach through the computer and strangle someone. I also have seen 5-star reviews with text...

mrpilotron

I own and have owned many 2-stroke engines over the last 40 years. One thing I've learned is that you cannot judge one by the others! I have zero actual experience with any of the 3 engines in consideration so I must lean on the experience of others. While no engine is ever 100% perfect and reliable...

mrpilotron

Chris mentioned last week when I visited the factory that he would be using CNC in the very near future to do the cuts. He already has the ribs and most of the brackets cut by CNC. I saw what a fantastic benefit this is when I visited the Rans factory in December. The CNC notched tubes fit together ...

mrpilotron

When I asked Chris about it, he said the grand total of N-numbered airplanes is roughly zero. I'd be the first. One thing I would like to do different than all the others is build my own wings from scratch. I have a CNC router that can cut out the wing ribs and I would prefer to have the exact Rible...

mrpilotron

Do you know if they have actually built an F-5 yet? I was under the impression that it was a theoretical concept.

mrpilotron

It appears Heavenbound is no longer a Hirth dealer. I am curious as to why?

mrpilotron

If you can afford the weight and the CG works out, the 2 cylinder Hirth looks like a fantastic option. The extra cost for the fuel injected version still looks like a dollar store bargain compared to what a new Rotax costs in the 2 seaters that everybody is building. You may need to have a really sh...

mrpilotron

Hello all. I am probably a bit different than many of the Part 103 chasers since I have a "real" pilot license and a current Class 2 medical with no immediate fear of losing it. I am active with flying in Cessna 172, Cessna 182, and an Aeronca Champ. I have dreamed of building my own EAB o...

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