Badland Part 103 Pilots and Builders Forum

I considered going larger but I think I am near the weight limit already. I can live with what I've got.

I guess I will have to! Haha

Now I feel inadequate with my little 11s...

I would avoid heating the metal to make the move unless you have to. Heating typically weakens the metal, correct? I would save that as a last resort. I realize it's not a particularly stressed part of the airframe, but better safe than sorry, I always say. Let us know how that tire machine works out!

That nozzle looks like it should do the trick! I just ended up working the heat gun around the tubes as best as I could, sacrificing the occasional finger in the process.

Hi Bruce - glad to hear you sorted the pushrod tube alignment! One problem down. Nice to hear that the rudder mounted without issue. I had to do a bit of filing on all of the hinges, but that was to be expected (and is mentioned in the manual, as I recall). In almost all cases the powder coating nee...

Hi Bruce - unless Chris changed the design (which I doubt) the elevator control horn should hang under the elevator. The easy way to check is to eyeball the alignment through the pushrod tube guides to see roughly where the pushrod tube ends up at the tail. (I actually slid the pushrod tube through ...

Very nice. The extra hands should be nice. I was solo, so a lot of masking tape came into play, along with some small plastic clamps. I also went a bit wide on the glue on the fabric, just to make sure it hit the mark.

Haha, a very good point! I started with the tires purely coincidentally. It happened to be the smallest thing I could build in the living room, and all of the parts were easy enough to find in all the boxes.

I actually didn't have too much trouble mounting the tires on the split rims. I left the tire slightly inflated...an old trick to keep it from pinching between the rim halves. The only issue I had was aligning the bolt holes after I had the rims together...it's a tight fit so spinning them became di...

"Tie-downs to prevent backward flight $9.95 extra."

Very nice - it sounds like things are falling together for you. I am most curious to see what your final weight ends up being. If you are meticulous and judicious with any additions, who knows, you may still be UL compliant. I was very attentive of every gram of weight added when I built my kit, and...

Would love an update on the build...as well as how many pots of coffee have been consumed by this point.

Hi Kurt - with the 1/3 naked look" I was able to cover the side panels with one piece on each side. Had I gone the full length, I would have had to trim for two pieces, since there is a sort of "bend" in the surface from front to back. You are also doing the 1/3 naked look, correct? I...

I was able to flip my fuselage upside down and set it on some sawhorses, which was ideal. Kurt, like you, I wasn't really sure which panel to start with, having no experience with Oratex (or covering planes in general, beyond some RC planes back in the day). So I did the same as you, and started wit...

Definitely looks like a snug fit!

Makes sense! Looking forward to seeing pics of the completed install with the new prop!

Very nice. One step closer. Did you order a two blade or opt for more?

However, it will take days for the fabric glue to reach its design strength, depending on air temperature (I believe). So give it a week or so before you fly the plane.

Hi Kurt - I believe the 24 hour period is only for the granule glue used with the finishing tape. Once your glue becomes translucent and sort of hazy on the material it is good to proceed (either with adding the second layer of glue or fastening to the frame you are covering. I think I spent maybe 3...

I bought a Wagner heat gun with digital temp display, and adjustable in ten degree increments. It worked really well. I think I paid maybe $60 on Amazon.

Kurt, I didn't fret too much about the pattern around the gear legs. A little gap isn't necessarily a bad thing since some drainage is called for on the underside of the fuselage. I added doublers in those key areas and trimmed them close, but not too close.

You had mentioned that you bought extra fabric (inadvertently), right? I did the same, and ended up using it to my advantage. I left pretty wide overlaps so I had enough at the edges to pull it taut while gluing it down. Something to consider.

I actually was able to work around the landing gear brackets easily enough when I did my covering (but I did remove the gear legs and turned the fuselage upside down). However, I don't think the gear legs will impede any more than the gear crossmember does. It was just a matter of "measure twic...

I didn't actually purchase the wax yet, just the cleaner spray. I still want to see how much the fabric "flaps" and may shrink tighter after the first flights. I'll wax at that point. As for the temps, is this the chart you are referring to? I actually started low with the heat gun and slo...

Hi Kurt...the covering if the aft fuselage is at your discretion. Mine is actually open...I was concerned about weight, and also didn't want to create too broad of a side profile for ease of maneuverability on the ground in the event of crosswinds...whether it will actually make a difference is beyo...

that is frustrating, but I'm sure it will arrive eventually. At least you have some projects to handle in the meantime, which will be made easier without the extra weight hanging off the nose. Keep us updated on the Oratex covering process. Everyone I've talked to has been really pleased with the ea...

"Hit us with any questions you have and jump into conversations. We're glad you joined the group and look forward to chatting with you." Also, feel free to post a build log when you start construction on the Airbike. I'm sure there will be applicable tricks and tips that translate to all U...

Welcome Tom! Much like you, I was aware of the design long before Badland came into being - first in the form of the Kitfox Lite, and then as the Belite that James Weibe was manufacturing for a short time. A good looking bird, and it met my specs (most importantly the folding wings). No matter that ...

Agreed - all good words to live by for sure.

Haha you are probably right...now, what side of that equation am I on???

Ouch. That's a tough blow. And covid didn't help, as in most cases. But very true about Ultralights. I feel like the field just keeps expanding. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, to be honest.

What problems is Vans experiencing?

Good news! On to the next phase!

First, welcome to the forum! Nice to have you here. I really like your current hangar. Where in Vegas do you fly them? (And have you landed one on the F1 start/finish line yet? haha) I wish I had that kind of space for my RC planes, but sadly (well, not really) my garage is mostly occupied by my Bad...

It seems that we all want to stay within the parameters of Part 103, and I would say we all have an understanding of what those parameters are. In cases where we don't fully understand, we all seem to prefer to err on the side of caution. I don't view any of this as misinformation, but rather a heal...

Interesting in regards to using a UL for game spotting, etc. Does it really matter, at the end of the day? It sounds like a very gray area for sure. It would be one thing to carry a passenger or charge to transport goods via the UL. But the scenario in this case seems somehow different. Are you real...

On the bright side, you have the Oratex project to occupy you while you wait for the engine to be returned in a running state. But why aren't you using the shipping box and metal frame you received the engine in to ship it to London?

I was just about to post the same thing after reviewing your pictures again. The image on the relay itself would suggest that the big wires are for the starter (hence the large gauges) and the small wires trip the switch. I believe the easy way to test the relay would also have been to remove it and...

Kurt you were asked to add an extra wire to the new relay when connecting it...as I recall Polini was unable to provide too much info in regards to why the wire was added (or am I misremembering)? I wonder if any harm would come from trying it WITHOUT that "new" wire connected.

Haha, I wouldn't know...I don't speak Italian, street or otherwise!

As someone who went with the "1/4 naked" look, I say "go for it"! But I may be a bit biased. The weight difference is likely only a few pounds in my case, since I went with the Oratex covering, which is quite light. Not having flown my UL yet, I can't speak to the wind noise. But...

Yes, I caught the section that was still in Italian. I jumped over to the Italian manual to see if that section was in English, but no love to be had there. In regards to the rest of the manual, most of it probably wasn't worth the translation anyway. When you have such detailed gems like "Engi...

I'll need to check the manual for the 303 before I run it. As I recall the 200 calls for 50:1.

I'm glad you posted this question, because I was about to do the same! I'm curious to know as well. The Polini "manual" (after several scans) doesn't seem to address this. I intend to run Amsoil in mine, but don't intend to mix with extra oil. (From what I've heard, adding oil to the premi...

MC, the 122 main jet might be too large, but the run-in should tell me. I've added a foam pod air cleaner (which may breathe a bit better than the stock airbox) and am at a lower elevation than you (I believe) so we will see!

I have to say I was pretty pleased.

Kaveman, if you do find the legalese, please share!

So today was finally the day that all of the pieces of my Polini 303 have been affixed to the aircraft. As of now I am just short some safety wire and coolant. Engine In.jpg I also recently completed the bracket for the ignition switch (a rather large box for what it does, it seems). I spent some ti...

The colors both look good, if the photo is any kind of fair representation. Looking forward to hearing of a successful engine start.

After the I take it the fun of covering begins?

Welcome to the group Kaveman! Your story sounds similar to mine in many regards, including the Hyundai saga. In my case it's a Mitsubishi Eclipse, the only car I've ever bought new, and still my daily driver (out of the four cars and several motorcycles I own) with over 313k miles on it. I intend to...

By the way, Bob, welcome to the forum!

Search found 503 matches