Badland Part 103 Pilots and Builders Forum

I'll have to look for that Jonas video...it's been a minute since I followed his adventures on YouTube. It would have been fun to see him try the competition in his Airbike, assuming he still has it. haha

So is that to say you already ordered the kit from Chris? If so, which iteration do you intend to use as a platform?

And yes, the time moves WAY too fast, doesn't it?

I only recently started getting better at it, and it's getting closer to looking like a stack of dimes and further from looking like a pile of bird poop. I am happy for that. It helps that I have a friend who is a professional welder who was over my shoulder for a while, and now gives me feedback wh...

Let me know how flying with shoes off works for you. I make it a point to wear thin form-fitting shoes (think driving shoes) when I fly. I wore somewhat clunky low cut boots the first time and it was terrible.

Thanks! It as just a question of getting a jack that was tall enough, and an RV jack seems to fit the bill since it lifts to 24". It took me longer than it should have to figure out how to "recess" the jack so the plate doesn't extend too far above the "floor" of the trailer...

Just to test the picture upload functionality, here is a pic of my tail lift.

It got THAT one right...a good start!

Fuel in the main spar isn't a bad idea...it has it closer to the CG than the current location, which is an added bonus. It would need to feed evenly from both spars, I would imagine, or you potentially end up heavy on one wing.

I think a potential problem with the half VW may be fuel supply. The Badlands doesn’t easily lend itself to gravity flow from tank to carb like the forward fuselage mounted tank on the Legal Eagle. Most two cycles have vacuum powered fuel pumps. Not so on the VW. An electric pump would add weight. ...

I would be curious to see how difficult it might be to make official UL weight with a 1/2 VW engine...I love the look and the sounds. The reliability is also a plus...weight may be the only issue with it.

(The price isn't bad, either, considering!)

ha! Don't we all!

Hi Jim, there doesn't appear to be much available about this engine with a quick search. there is a Wikipedia page for it that suggests it may be used on the Aerolite 103, among other craft. Perhaps it might be worth reaching out to some of the groups or forums for those other craft and see if anyon...

Excellent write-up and fantastic pics to match! Thanks for this!

Just more motivation to get me back into the garage to wrap up the final details on mine, and then get it out to the desert. But first these temps need to come down!

A squadron flight someday would be epic for sure.

Hi Jim! First, let me preface this by saying I have no experience with bungee gear. However, it would seem to me that there should be some flexibility based on the full weight of plane and pilot (and perhaps mission?). I wonder if it doesn't boil down to a trial and error situation once you get clos...

"often incorporating a single-engine configuration" - I'm still scouring the interwebs for that twin! haha

Hey Kurt, good to hear you are no longer pumping that liquid gold all over the hangar floor. Looking forward to seeing the results of the next taxi test for sure. If you end up using that wall mounted winch to pull the bird back onto the trailer, make sure you have the trailer REALLY well chocked. (...

I agree with Todd - the motivation is nice. We would love to see some pics!

Hi Jim, and welcome to the madness, although (as Todd said) it's a rather slow madness at the moment. It seems we all live in very hot climes that don't lend themselves well to plane construction in the summer. For me that's Los Angeles, building my Badland F-2 out of my garage. I can only dream of ...

Great videos! Thanks for these!

Ah. I hadn't considered how smooth it might be over a reciprocating engine. That is definitely a big plus!

This is the AIXRO HP-40, yes? Very cool.

So, what is the expected benefit of this over a piston engine? (I don't know much about Wankel engines.) Right off the bat, it seems pretty light, comparatively (or am I mistaken?).

Looks fantastic Kurt. They finally sent you the right parts! As Todd said, a beautiful and comprehensive panel you have there!

The welder I bought was recently on sale at Harbor Freight for $150. I taught myself with one 2 pound spool of wire. It might be worth a shot!

Thanks Todd. Here is the completed look.

The kit also came with a few options to crank it up and down. You can guess which I'll be using most of the time.

After my "incident" a few weeks ago (getting stuck holding the tail of the plane high in the air while yelling for my wife to come rescue me), I decided to go in a different direction with the tail support. I ended up buying a scissor jack with a 24" lift as well as a small plate of m...

Ha! I just watched this video on Youtube earlier before I checked the forum. Love it. Looks like a good flight!

I take it the first pic is just to illustrate what the completed kit looks like?

I like it. Definitely better than towing on the tailwheel.

Kurt, if possible, you should consider a pedestal for the aft end of the fuselage. You're not the first person to bend a tail spring as a result of having it strapped directly to the trailer. I've seen a few people use a flatbed trailer like yours but add a small footstool under the tail to elevate ...

The video did indeed upload, and made for some good viewing. About two minutes in all I could think was "Go home, Kurt. You're drunk". haha Seriously though, that must have been a bear to bring the plane back. Does it have a tendency to turn right (and require left rudder) thanks to the cl...

Very nice! Give us an update when you receive it...would love some details.

Well howdy, and welcome to the group! Greetings from Los Angeles! I think historically the ultralights actually WERE made with tissue paper, but the recent designs have turned that notion on it's ear and we now are able to play with what seem a lot more like "real airplanes". If your favor...

ha! Love it! Looking forward to pics of all three - the chickens, the pig AND the pole barn...not necessarily in that order.

Congrats on the new home and welcome back!

The weather and my schedule finally coordinated enough for me to load the plane and test the tie down method. The wind was a bit heavier than I would have liked, but I went for it anyway. This time I opted to try to load the main gear onto the trailer and then move one of the ramps to allow the tail...

Rusty, out of curiosity, what is the "starting" weight of that B&S Vanguard?

Looking forward to seeing where you go with this one. And would love to see pics (of this AND the Predator build)!

I have not done so yet, but I have a few inspection rings and covers sitting "in reserve". I can add them as needed. It'll be easy enough to do...glue the ring down, trim the material away from the inside, and inspect away! The only place I can really imagine needing to access for any reas...

Todd, as I recall the issue with the flaperon droop tip was two-fold. It was heavier than we had hoped it would be, and we struggled to find a secure way to mount. We will need to revisit at some point and see what we can come up with. I do still like the "modular wingtip" idea. We just ne...

Beautiful installation Barry. It looks fantastic. (Which means, at the end of the day, that it matches the rest of the plane.)

-Peer

Not a bad looking little unit, but as with most para engines, it needs to be confirmed that the main bearings can withstand a tractor configuration versus a pusher set-up...one of the advantages that Polini has over the other para engines.

The price and weight of the Eos definitely has appeal though!

Excellent - good to hear.

Kurt, did you check and confirm the diameter of the rudder cable sleeves? Of all the issues you've had, this is the only one that can be truly troubling. At the very least, give the pedals a good hard press to make sure the cables hold.

Looking forward to seeing a video of taxi test three!

Hey Tom - I think you need to select the "Attachments" tab below, then upload the image or file by selecting "add files". After that it will prompt you to insert the file into the body of your response (as I recall).

Hope this helps (or is at least close)! haha

Awesome! Thanks for posting this!

Wait....does Polini actually HAVE customer service??? haha

Hmm. All things considered, the Aixro isn't THAT crazy priced. Todd, how much is the Hirth twin you were originally looking at? I like the Thump-Air both for power and for the sound. But I don't really need to worry about TBO, at least in my current situation. Getting in the air won't be nearly an e...

Haha, I see what you did there.

Have the rotary engines started to come down in price? I recall Chris having one on his site, and it was priced more than the kit. I'd love to have a scaled down 5 cylinder radial, myself. Now THERE'S an alternate engine project I can get behind. haha You are asking the same question I've been askin...

I am looking forward to more info on the chute as well as how you mount it. I am considering one as well, but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around where the mounting straps would need to go (connecting the chute to the fuselage).

In spite of all the issues, at least you are one step closer...I imagine it's a natural part of the process to iron out bugs immediately after the build. (At least I've found it to be the case with other non-aviation build projects.) 12MPH winds is a fair amount for an ultralight, I would think. I t...

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