Low-cost flying at its best...

Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

Looks like a lot of fun, Jesse.

That reminds me... I need to finish up my HP endorsement, and the instructor I flew with last time (club CFI, sorry Jesse) was all for doing some grass landings in the 182. :) Looks like fun! I've always wanted to land on grass, and most instructors look at you like you just brought up overhead breaks if you mention it.
 
ROFL! Grass is fun. Hard on wheel pants if ya have 'em. Easier on brakes.
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

DaleB said:
Looks like a lot of fun, Jesse.

That reminds me... I need to finish up my HP endorsement, and the instructor I flew with last time (club CFI, sorry Jesse) was all for doing some grass landings in the 182. :) Looks like fun! I've always wanted to land on grass, and most instructors look at you like you just brought up overhead breaks if you mention it.
Click to expand...

You'll enjoy it. Not much different about it really.

In the Flybaby I just land on whatever surface is more aligned with the wind.
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

denverpilot said:
ROFL! Grass is fun. Hard on wheel pants if ya have 'em. Easier on brakes.
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Both the 172 and the 182 have the wheel pants sitting in the hangars. :)
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

Nice short field landing, although I suspect almost every Fly Baby landing is a short field landing.
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

jesse said:
https://vimeo.com/54174677
Click to expand...

Cool video. Looking forward to more of those. I think this was addressed in another thread when you first bought your FlyBaby but can you give a quick summary on engine, cruise speed, gph at cruise, empty and gross max weight?
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

ATL-Steve said:
Cool video. Looking forward to more of those. I think this was addressed in another thread when you first bought your FlyBaby but can you give a quick summary on engine, cruise speed, gph at cruise,
empty and gross max weight?
Click to expand...

Engine is Continental O-170 (A75) at 75 HP
Cruise is about 80 knots. Maybe 85.
Fuel burn on a cross country works out to 3.9 GPH of 87 octane Mogas
Empty weight is 700-ish. Gross is 1000. In theory one can push that 1000 if they're not too worried about aerobatic load margins.
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

ATL-Steve said:
Cool video. Looking forward to more of those. I think this was addressed in another thread when you first bought your FlyBaby but can you give a quick summary on engine, cruise speed, gph at cruise, empty and gross max weight?
Click to expand...
Jessie gave the numbers for his plane, here's my web page that covers the design itself:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/

Ron Wanttaja
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

denverpilot said:
ROFL! Grass is fun. Hard on wheel pants if ya have 'em. Easier on brakes.
Click to expand...

I've done grass in my R182. No wheel pants of course. It was fun, and a good learning experience. Got to practice short and soft at the same time taking off because we didn't want to hit the "bump" that the paved runway created. Gosh I learned a lot in a short amount of time.
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

Awesome landing right at the line Jesse! Keep the videos coming. =D

denverpilot said:
ROFL! Grass is fun. Hard on wheel pants if ya have 'em. Easier on brakes.
Click to expand...

Yep, grass is great. I've done quite a few grass landings in the Apache (rwy 4/22 at KJOT and grass is all they have at 0C8).
 
Re: Low-cost flying at it's best...

Lawreston said:
Nice video, but the title translates as, "Low-cost flying at it is best..."

Proof before publishing.

HR
Click to expand...
Yeah..I noticed within about 30 seconds of posting but didn't care enough to fix it.

Feel better now?
 
Very cool. Thanks for posting!
 
I still say some sort of warbird paint job would look really good on that thing. :D
 
Jesse, any chance of posting a video on folding the wings on that bird? I'm kicking around the idea of getting one and found almost all the info I was looking for online except that.
 
Steve Foley said:
Jesse, any chance of posting a video on folding the wings on that bird? I'm kicking around the idea of getting one and found almost all the info I was looking for online except that.
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No video, but about 15 years ago, I put together a series of cartoons illustrating the procedure:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/FOLDING.HTM

Note that the Fly Baby is not a near-automated wing folder like most modern homebuilts. You have to manually disconnect the aileron pushrods and the pilot/static line, you have to have something to support the wingtip while the rigging is slackened (Bowers used a broomstick), and, more important, you have to reassemble everything properly when you want to fly. Takes 10-15 minutes, once you're practiced.

The original approach was to tow it on its own gear, tail-first, with the hitch attached to the tailwheel. This gave really too rough a ride for any distance. Though the prototype had taillights installed in the wing roots and a trailer license....

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
No video, but about 15 years ago, I put together a series of cartoons illustrating the procedure:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/FOLDING.HTM
Click to expand...

I already found that, however I've also seen other assembly instructions/drawings that make something look easier than it really is. :)

you have to reassemble everything properly when you want to fly.
Click to expand...

"Close enough" doesn't work, huh? :D

The original approach was to tow it on its own gear, tail-first, with the hitch attached to the tailwheel. This gave really too rough a ride for any distance. Though the prototype had taillights installed in the wing roots and a trailer license....
Click to expand...

I'd be looking for an enclosed trailer for moving and storage.
 
Nice. But a question about your pattern......most pilots I see lately seem to be training for A380s, three mile finals and dragging the plane in. I noticed you keep altitude(energy) in the bank and then pay it out with the result a nearly continuous turn to a perfect spot landing. You seem to be an old soul in a young body....nice touch. :thumbsup:
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
For wing folding, the Avid Flyer (copied by Kitfox and others) seems to be the winner.
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Got a guy at the home drome with one of the LSA production Avid clones. He keeps a trailer chained down on a tie down spot, and just runs the plane into it at the end of his flight and leaves it there.

There are a lot of folding-wing airplanes, but the number of people who tow their planes home after every flight seem durn few. Folding wings do make it handier when you're going to share a hangar with somebody, or if you want to drag it into your garage in the winter for some long-term work.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Steve Foley said:
RWanttaja said:
No video, but about 15 years ago, I put together a series of cartoons illustrating the procedure:
Click to expand...
I already found that, however I've also seen other assembly instructions/drawings that make something look easier than it really is. :)
Click to expand...
If my drawings made it look EASY, then I obviously blew it. :)

Ron Wanttaja
 
Steve Foley said:
Jesse, any chance of posting a video on folding the wings on that bird? I'm kicking around the idea of getting one and found almost all the info I was looking for online except that.
Click to expand...

Honestly if you are thinking about folding the wings as being a regular operating procedure you'll be disappointed and I would discourage that. There is just too many details and messing with flight controls.

The wing folding is a nice option for maintenance and if you ever need to transport it via the ground for one reason or another.
 
Threefingeredjack said:
Nice. But a question about your pattern......most pilots I see lately seem to be training for A380s, three mile finals and dragging the plane in. I noticed you keep altitude(energy) in the bank and then pay it out with the result a nearly continuous turn to a perfect spot landing. You seem to be an old soul in a young body....nice touch. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Well, I've spent too much time watching airplanes land as a kid and probably spend too much time teaching people to land. Can't say I put much thought into the pattern--just landed. The Flybaby is a high drag aircraft that makes the profile in the video the most desirable, IMO.
 
jesse said:
Honestly if you are thinking about folding the wings as being a regular operating procedure you'll be disappointed and I would discourage that. There is just too many details and messing with flight controls.

The wing folding is a nice option for maintenance and if you ever need to transport it via the ground for one reason or another.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't plan to fold it up after every flight. Probably once each in the spring/fall. Hangar space is scarce and expensive around here. I'd probably leave it outside during the summer and in the trailer for the winter.
 
Steve Foley said:
I wouldn't plan to fold it up after every flight. Probably once each in the spring/fall. Hangar space is scarce and expensive around here. I'd probably leave it outside during the summer and in the trailer for the winter.
Click to expand...

I really would discourage leaving an open-cockpit, fabric covered, wooden construction airplane outside for a summer at a time.

As to folding it once every spring/fall that'd be no big deal.
 
Trying to remember if I ever flew a single-seater. Seems like one was so configured, but can't remember details or why anybody would have owned such a bird. Maybe one of the Robins or Parakeets?
 
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