My Homebuilt Idea

bqmassey

bqmassey

Line Up and Wait
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Sep 18, 2006
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Central Oregon
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Brandon
Ok. I just had an idea pop into my head completely randomly. After watching SkyHog's progress with his plane, I've been thinking about how cool it would be to build your own airplane.

What I'd like to do is.. build a STEALTH experimental! Wouldn't that be awesome? Obviously, it'd be hard to achieve the stealth efficiency that the military is able to. I doubt you'd be able to gain access to the special coating they use, but perhaps that difference could be made up in the much smaller size and much less power output. I wonder if that'd even be legal?

Two big problems I see would be 1.) creating a stealth-friendly design that doesn't require fly-by-wire and 2.) choosing a powerplant that doesn't require a big spinning blade of wood or metal hanging out in the open.

Any thoughts? I think it'd be a lot of fun to try. I just don't know what'd I'd use it for!

TRACON: "Uhh. N123SA Experimental, Negative Radar Contact"

I guess you'd have to make sure you have Mode S!
 
Someone did build an experimental that looked a lot like an F-117. I think it was before the F-117 came out of the closet.
 
Build a Cozy w/ a wood prop and you're pretty close to stealth. When doing my PPL checkride, the DE told a story of a 'near miss' with some sort of composite homebuilt. He was on flight-following with ATC and when he said "I need to report a near-miss!" The controller replied "When and where!?" And the DE said "30 seconds ago! Don't you see anything?" The controller apparently didn't even have a blind blip on his scope.
 
This one?

6aa9e437eb80542a38a91364e7d9f7130_large.jpg





Graueradler said:
Someone did build an experimental that looked a lot like an F-117. I think it was before the F-117 came out of the closet.
Click to expand...
 
How does the image get placed in the message area, as opposed to the thumbnail routine? That's what I was trying to TEST in my Just a TEST - IGNORE THIS THREAD sequence, earlier tonight. ????????????

HR

EDIT: Just forget I asked the question!!

:yes: :yes: :yes:
 
Last edited:
bqmassey said:
Ok. I just had an idea pop into my head completely randomly. After watching SkyHog's progress with his plane, I've been thinking about how cool it would be to build your own airplane.

What I'd like to do is.. build a STEALTH experimental! Wouldn't that be awesome? Obviously, it'd be hard to achieve the stealth efficiency that the military is able to. I doubt you'd be able to gain access to the special coating they use, but perhaps that difference could be made up in the much smaller size and much less power output. I wonder if that'd even be legal?

Two big problems I see would be 1.) creating a stealth-friendly design that doesn't require fly-by-wire and 2.) choosing a powerplant that doesn't require a big spinning blade of wood or metal hanging out in the open.

Any thoughts? I think it'd be a lot of fun to try. I just don't know what'd I'd use it for!

TRACON: "Uhh. N123SA Experimental, Negative Radar Contact"

I guess you'd have to make sure you have Mode S!
Click to expand...


The only trick to building a stealth GA plane would be the engine cover and the instrument capsule and even that wouldn't be very difficult. The rest is simply in materials, wood and fabric have very very very low signature qualities, for that matter same for fiberglass.
 
Henning said:
The only trick to building a stealth GA plane would be the engine cover and the instrument capsule and even that wouldn't be very difficult. The rest is simply in materials, wood and fabric have very very very low signature qualities, for that matter same for fiberglass.
Click to expand...

So it would be feasible?

I wonder if the design of the Facetmobile thing has any stealth characteristics. It sure resembles the F117. From what I read, the Facetmobile flies pretty well and is pretty efficient. I wonder if one built out of wood and fabric would be pretty invisible on radar. The propeller might still be a problem. I wonder how small of a jet engine would be required to put out similar thrust as the engine they have on it.
 
bqmassey said:
So it would be feasible?

I wonder if the design of the Facetmobile thing has any stealth characteristics. It sure resembles the F117. From what I read, the Facetmobile flies pretty well and is pretty efficient. I wonder if one built out of wood and fabric would be pretty invisible on radar. The propeller might still be a problem. I wonder how small of a jet engine would be required to put out similar thrust as the engine they have on it.
Click to expand...

Sure, you wouldn't even need to use facets. The only reason they use them on the Pave Blue and later varients is because they're metal. Build from wood and fabric and the airframe is invisible.
 
bqmassey said:
I wonder how small of a jet engine would be required to put out similar thrust as the engine they have on it.
Click to expand...

It's experimental, right? Just hang as many hobby jet engines under it as you need. Then you could do the dreaded 7 engine approach a la B-52. :rofl:
 
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