Homemade aircraft, drawings of machines and a brief description of them built by amateur designers
PHOENIX M-5
A model that is equipped with two Vikhr-25 motors modified for air cooling. The design of the handle and the control scheme of the machine have no analogues in the world. Eminent test pilots did not hide their delight, and even recommended its use on military fighters.
The take-off weight of the machine is two hundred and fifty-five kilograms, and the wing surface area is five point six square meters.
VOLKSPLAN
The model was designed by an amateur American designer, with a pulling screw, which consists of the following units:
Shaft (1), made of duralumin pipe
fuselage spar (2), the material of which is made - pine
hull sheathing (3), made of plywood 3 mm thick
wing spars (4)
arc (5)
tank (6) that holds thirty liters of fuel
frame (7), made of plywood thirty millimeters thick
automobile engine (8), the power of which is sixty horsepower
hood (9), made of fiberglass
spring (10)
technological holes for installing wings (11)
wing braces (12)
his racks (13)
his braces (14)
strut bolt (15)
Specifications:
Takeoff weight is three hundred and forty kilograms
the wing area is nine point twenty-nine tenths of a square meter
speed - one hundred and seventy kilometers per hour
This model passed certification tests and was found fit for use, moreover, it was possible to perform aerobatics and even a “corkscrew” on it.
AGRO-02
Created by Tver designers. The main material used in its manufacture is plywood, canvas, pine and the domestic RMZ-640 engine. The take-off weight of which was two hundred and thirty-five kilograms and the wing area was six point three square meters.
KhAI-40
Designed by students of the Kharkov Aviation Institute. The model has a beam fuselage.
SINGLE-SEAT BI-PLANES
SINGLE BEAM AIRCRAFT
Flying in your own plane is not cheap. Few people can afford to buy a factory light-engine aircraft for their own money. As for used factory aircraft, they also require a number of additional investments from their new owners: despite previous technical revisions, the new owner inevitably faces other people's problems. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem. Home built aircraft with an EEUA certificate in the experimental category have become increasingly popular at aviation gatherings.
Aside from the extra time it takes to build, the hobbyist-built RV, Sonexes, Velocity, and many others have received well-deserved high marks for low cost, with excellent performance that rivals factory counterparts. But, as is often the case, there is back side homemade: for every finished amateur project, there are a few abandoned ones. So, in order for the project to become successful, it is necessary to take the right steps, have certain knowledge and be able to apply it.
Step 1. Choosing an aircraft model
Perhaps the purpose of the project is the main factor influencing the success of the entire event before the construction starts.
The beginning of an airplane project can be ranked in importance with a marriage proposal, an important deal, and even the choice of a pet. As in all previous cases, here you need to think through all the subtleties before making a final decision.
Most of those who do not reach the finish line burn out because of trifles. The grace of the Falco, the aerial acrobatics on the Pitts 12, and the mischievous flight of the Glastar: all of these can fuel a future builder's interest in making a decision based on looks alone. The simplicity of this solution can be deceiving. The essence of the right decision is not in external attributes, but in the purpose of construction.
Making the right decision requires completely honest and sincere introspection. Of course, many people dream of flying like Viktor Chmal or Svetlana Kapanina, but is it true or is it? Each person has his own individuality and his own style of piloting, and it is impossible to live on someone else's experience. You can build a plane for air tourism and long cross-country flights, but then you find that a country picnic on a green lawn with friends is closer to you 60 kilometers from the flying club. It is important to resolve all your doubts and sincerely think through the dream of a “home plane”. After all, the main thing is to improve your life and do more of what you really like.
Once you decide on your dream, choosing a plane is not difficult. After choosing an aircraft model, it will be time for an examination. A quick look at the 15 year issue of Modelist-Constructor magazine will have a slightly sobering effect - perhaps because most of the aircraft models offered there have already gone out of fashion. The world of home cockpit builders has its niche in the market, but even with a strong motivation to do business in such a territory, it will not be an easy task from the economic side, because the market is very individualized, and trends follow each other like swimwear fashion. Before you start building, you should preparatory work: analyze the design of the aircraft in detail, call the people who were already involved in this project and review the list of accidents. Starting work on an outdated project, in which parts and assemblies are difficult to obtain, in principle, is an expensive and costly undertaking.
Step 2. Time planning
There are hardly a few people who have managed a project that requires the same attention, effort and time as building an airplane from scratch. This activity is not for amateurs. It requires constant and measured efforts over a long period of time.
In order for there to be fewer delays along the way, and progress on the project does not stand in one place, you can break all the work into many small tasks. Working on each task will not seem so difficult, and success will come gradually as you complete each task. The average builder will need 15 to 20 hours a week to complete a simple aircraft project in a reasonable amount of time.
For passionate builders, most aeronautical projects take two to four years to complete. On average, the construction of an aircraft can take five or even ten years. That is why experienced aircraft builders will never set an exact date for the first flight, despite the constant inquiring glances of friends. As an excuse, you can say "it's not worth it" or "as soon as possible."
Idealists have no place here
Not all builders realize the importance of proper timing. Aircraft building is not a social activity and in fact it can be pretty damn lonely at work. Sociable natures may find this activity more difficult than one might imagine. Therefore, everyone who has devoted himself to this work should find pleasure in working alone.
The next aircraft to be built without mismatches in the holes will be the first ever. Robert Piercing, in his cult novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, talks about drilling mistakes. These mistakes can discourage a builder from working on a project for a long time. Such mistakes often accompany aviation projects and if the builder does not have the personal qualities that would push him to cope with such difficulties, the project may be closed.
Perfectionists who strive for perfection in everything should look elsewhere. If all aircraft had to perfectly comply with the laws of aerodynamics, hardly anyone would dare to take off. Perfectionism is often mistaken for a craft, but they are very different things. It doesn't matter how good a thing is: you can always improve something, make it brighter and better. The task is not to make the best aircraft - the task is to make a practical aircraft so that the builder will not be ashamed of him, and he will not be afraid to fly on it.
Step 3. Workshop Equipment
Next important point- construction site. Not everyone can afford to have a workshop like Cessna production hangars. Size, in fact, does not play a decisive role in this case.
Light aircraft are built in basements, trailers, sea containers, village sheds, as well as in adobe huts. In most cases, a two-car garage is sufficient. A single garage can also suffice if you have a dedicated storage area for the wing assemblies.
Most people believe that the best place to build an airplane is in the city airport hangar. In fact, hangars are the least suitable for aviation projects. Most often, hangars are much warmer in summer time year and colder in winter than outside. They are poorly lit everywhere and are rarely near your home.
Regardless of where the aircraft is being assembled, amenities should be considered. An investment in comfort, some semblance of climate control, good lighting and a work desk at a comfortable height, rubber floor mats concrete floor- will more than pay for themselves.
Here is how Martin and Claudia Sutter describe their experience building an RV-6 in the living room: “In Texas, where the temperature is always too high, the air conditioning system in the hangar would cost us more than the construction of the aircraft itself. We thought about working in a garage, but as it turned out, our cars couldn't stand exposure to the open sun for long. Therefore, breakfast in the bar, accommodation in the bedroom, and construction in the living room - this is how our work was organized. Amenities include domestic air conditioning, heating and large sliding doors, which allowed the aircraft to roll out. The most important thing was that everything was always at hand"
Step 4. Where can I get money for the plane?
In second place after time is the question of money. How much will it cost to build an aircraft? There is no one-size-fits-all answer here: on average, such projects cost between $50,000 and $65,000, and the actual cost can be much lower or much higher. The construction of an aircraft is like a phased payment of a loan, it is important to correctly assess the entire amount of required resources, both financial and temporary, before the start of the active phase of investment.
The allocation of costs for the project begins with the definition of the tasks that the aircraft will solve. Modern aircraft manufacturers are ready to install anything you can wish for on their products. Home aircraft builders, on the other hand, know exactly what they want. If the aircraft will not fly according to instruments, then there is no need to put equipment for instrument flight on it. No need to fly at night - why put $1,000 runway lights. A constant pitch propeller costs three times less than a constant speed propeller, and in most cases does not lose much to the constant speed propeller in terms of flight efficiency.
The right question is where to get the money from? The rich aunt Praskovya will not leave a will in time to finance the construction, so you will have to postpone your trip to the south, or increase your income.
Van's Air Force website owner Doug Reeves suggests the first approach. His book "Ten Steps to Get an Airplane" includes shelving a new car, cutting out cable television, switching to light, healthy foods made from fruits and vegetables, ditching unlimited phone calls in favor of economical plans. All in all, Doug estimated that taking and following these steps saved him about $570 each month. He conscientiously saved this amount in a piggy bank every month and now flies an RV-6.
Bob Collins, an RV builder, took a different path (not everyone who builds an airplane builds an RV). His work as an editor for public radio provided for him and his family, but it was not enough to buy an airplane. In general, he became "the oldest paperboy." Seven days a week, from two to six in the afternoon, he delivered the local press. This occupation, combined with his usual work, family life and plans for the plane did not leave him much time to sleep, but in the end he became the proud owner of an RV-7A.
Step 5. Where to get smart?
“I have never riveted, boiled, or painted anything, and in general I am not a master of golden hands,” an inexperienced builder may object. Can I even build something as complex as an airplane?
Actually, it's not that difficult. Home built aircraft are ordinary mechanical devices. Mechanical control units, a simple and understandable electrician, almost no hydraulics - everything can be studied and assembled by yourself. A typical aircraft engine, for example, consists of four hoses, three cables, and two wires. Well, if knowledge is not enough, you can always draw the missing gaps from textbooks and manuals.
The technique of aircraft construction is simple and obvious. Riveting can be mastered in one day, welding will take more time, but it's fun and almost for nothing. In everyday life, a lot of things are made of wood, wood processing techniques and tools have been brought to perfection, and everything can be mastered via the Internet and Youtube.
If while studying new information if you are best suited for a structured presentation of the material, then you can take mastery lessons in aircraft construction. Similar events are held by kit kit manufacturers and some private builders.
Comprehensive support needed
If the dream of flying your own plane does not leave you, and enthusiasm overwhelms you to the very top, then support from like-minded pilots will help speed up the work on the project.
- First of all, it is worth enlisting the support of the family. Working hours in the workshop can be long and tiring, including for the rest of your family. Spousal and family support in such cases is essential. Any aircraft projects that get in the way of a relationship are doomed: “He spends all his time on this fucking plane. She nags me all the time about my project,” is it worth starting a project in this state of affairs. Mitch Locke has a simple tactic: “Before I start building a new plane, I go to my wife and ask her for a list of all the benefits that she wants her life to get better while I spend less time on her." And it works: Mitch built seven planes on his own. At the same time, there are many projects that are run by family teams: parents with children, spouses. When teamwork brings people together, aircraft assembly becomes additional opportunity spend time with loved ones.
- Support outside the family circle is also important.
When choosing a solution in favor of a particular project, it is also important to take into account the service support and experience of previous builders. Is it possible to change the thickness of the ribs without compromising the safety of the structure? Can the aircraft model company answer this question? How quickly will the answers come? Is there an aircraft builders forum that can help newbies?
Tips on how to speed up the work on the project - help from professionals and KIT kits
One of the reasons for the growth in the number of home aircraft builders is the emergence of KIT kits. Most aircraft in the past were built from scratch. The builders purchased a set of drawings for the aircraft of their choice (or designed it themselves at their own peril and risk), and then ordered materials for the manufacture of parts and assemblies.
Here are some tips for those who decide to go this route:
- You can use virtual design programs such as X-Plane: Aircraft designer David Rose uses this program to design his models, supplementing it with the Airplane PDQ package (total cost - $198). The cost of the package is low, and the capabilities are at the level of industrial systems for $30,000.
- The design can be designed: To do this, you can study the book by Martin Hollman "Modern Aircraft Design" (Modern Aircraft Design) or Gorbenko K. S. "We build aircraft ourselves."
If you are not ready to make a plane from scratch, then it makes sense to think about buying a KIT kit. A kit maker can provide accurate, ready-to-assemble aircraft parts at a significant cost and material savings compared to building from scratch. Assembly instructions, unlike engineering drawings, can save you countless hours of thinking about how parts fit together. Such time savings will lead to the fact that it will be in your power to assemble more complex and high-tech aircraft. Today's KIT kits cover an astonishingly wide range of models, ranging from wooden and fabric models like the Piper Cub to composite models at prices comparable to the Citation.
Here is a list of kit manufacturers that aircraft manufacturers may find useful:
KIT - sets of Piper Cub PA-18 and its replicas
SKB Vulkan-Avia
ZAO Interavia
KIT - RV aircraft kits
KIT - sets of aircraft C.C.C.P.
Your plane.ru
KIT - Ultra Pup aircraft sets
KIT - sets of aircraft CH-701, as well as Zenith, Zodiac and Bearhawk
Avia-comp company
In order to legalize flights on a home-built aircraft, you will have to go through the procedure for obtaining a certificate of a single copy of the aircraft (EEAS, more details).
The building may not be for everyone. If you like to work with your hands and head, know who to turn to for support, have enough money to buy a pickup truck and have space to store it, you should be able to make your own plane. Of course, this activity is not for everyone, but those who do it consider this experience one of the most exciting and joyful moments in their lives.
useful links
Websites dedicated to the construction of aircraft:
- www.stroimsamolet.ru
- www.reaa.ru
- www.avia-master.ru
- vk.com/club4449615 - VKontakte group with a lot of useful information
- www.avialibrary.com - library of aircraft designers
Drawings of a radio-controlled model of a biplane (seaplane) aircraft
Read also: DIY snowmobile: and
Tail booms glued to the ribs of the central section of the wing. Cut off the ailerons from the extreme sections. I glued flexible strips from a film of a computer diskette into the wing in the places where the ailerons were suspended. They will serve as loops (photo 8). The plane of the rear plumage was also reinforced with carbon rods.
Previously, before assembling the model, I tried on the upper wing to the lower one and the details of the tail unit.
Tail booms glued to both wings (both upper and lower). Wings with beams combined with the help of 4 struts. The tail unit was assembled on glue separately. Once the wings were glued together, I attached the tail to them.
I mounted the control servos traditionally. I cut a hole in the foam plastic for the servo drive and glued rectangles from pieces of a ruler approximately 7 × 15 mm in size, having previously drilled 01 mm holes in them for the screws. After waiting for the glue to dry, I screwed the servo machine with the screws that are included in its kit (photo 10).
The blanks for the hinges of the rocking chairs of the drives were cut out with a clerical knife from the ruler. Between the rectangles 5 × 10 mm I inserted a square 5 × 5 mm and glued this package with Moment superglue. I rounded the upper part of the workpiece on the skin, and then drilled a hole in it (photo 11). I glued the finished loop to the aileron (photo 12).
The rod from a carbon strip with a section of 3 × 1 mm, connecting the ailerons of both wings, was fixed in a loop with a piece of a bar (from the same carbon) (photo 13). Then I started adjusting the dimensions of the rods, since the lower and upper wings have different transverse angles. Two rudders were also connected (photo 14).
Since carbon fiber cracks and it is difficult to drill it, the idea arose to make rods from an ordinary Soviet wooden ruler, and to make axles from a paper clip.
The model would have turned out a little heavier, but with an overestimated power-to-weight ratio of the model, such weight gain would have been justified.
Two rudders are also connected by a similar link (photo 15). The struts between the wings and the articulated rods that link the ailerons together are clearly visible in the photograph of the model from the side.
I covered the lower part of the fuselage with yacht varnish and left the entire assembly to dry for a day.
Making thrust biplane hydroplane
The tips for carbon rods were bent from 01 mm steel wire (you can buy such wire in Moscow at the E-Fly store. Of course, you can also make them from a paper clip.
Bent the wire with pliers (photo 16). trying to keep the step height about 5 mm. I bit off the tip with side cutters (photo 17). To the carbon rod (rod 01.5 mm), the tip was screwed with a thread (photo 18). The connection was impregnated with Titanium glue.
First, I installed the thrust on the “boar” of the rudder plane, then put the servo arm on it and then fixed it on the drive axis.
Installing the engine on a model aircraft
The foundation of the engine was a segment of the ruler. To attach the engine flange of the model to it, I was looking for micro screws for a long time, but then I decided to glue it with cyacrine glue (photo 19, 20). I tried to tear off the flange after fastening - it was not possible.
The frame with the “2730” engine mounted in advance looks quite good to itself.
The power unit was put in its place. Photo 21 shows the location of the servos, they control the rudders and elevators.
Making floats
Since it was decided to assemble a seaplane, it was necessary to make floats for it. By the way, they can also serve as skis for takeoff and landing of the model in winter.
I chose the width of the floats at 30 mm, and the height - 40 mm. Picked them up in one go. I glued the patterns to the box. But with the size, it seems, missed. Subsequently, it turned out that the biplane did not want to take off from the fresh loose snow.
Float skis needed to be made wider and longer. The bent skid of the float had to be glued under the load. Floats painted acrylic paint. Then he covered them with two layers of domestic Bor yacht varnish.
I was hoping to just glue the floats to the bottom of the tail booms, but it seemed that such a mount would be unreliable. I had to glue another rib under each float. Now each of them rests in two places: one on the tail boom, and the other on a rib from a single ceiling (photo 22).
The Korona receiver, which has 4 channels in the 35 MHz band, is installed in the fuselage.
The antenna was held under the tail, initially leading under the wing and passing along the tail beam. (photo 23).
The fuselage was originally designed to accommodate an 8,610 mAh battery. But it's good that it turned out to be wider, and larger batteries for 750 mAh and 1000 mAh fell into it by surprise (photo 24). In practice, they did not even need to be additionally fixed.
Control weighing showed that the flight weight of the model (with a battery capacity of 750 mAh and a voltage of 11.4 V) was 340 g.
The flight of the model took place on Saturday, in mid-March. The ice on the pond turned out to be strong and had not yet begun to melt, although the temperature was already above zero - +2 C. The most disturbing thing was that the breeze was at three meters per second. Therefore, in order to carry out a vertical take-off, it was necessary to guess the moment when the wind subsided.
A couple of times before the start, the model filled up with gusts.
I was afraid to lift the hydroplane myself. Mainly because I wanted to objectively evaluate how it flies and whether it is generally suitable for flying. An experienced pilot was needed, able to determine the flight qualities of the model.
The tests were carried out by an experienced modeler and pilot Konstantin Ivanishchev (photo 26). First, he launched from the hand, then - from a well-trodden path, and only then - vertically.
After several test flights on a 750 mAh battery, we changed it to a more capacious (1000 mAh) and heavy one. The centering has improved somewhat, because its center has moved to the edge of the wing in front.
The tests continued until the accident: the float was torn and the nose was torn off.
As in large aviation, the "human factor" played a fatal role.
The damage to the hydroplane was still minor. They were eliminated in a matter of minutes.
In order for the reader to receive an objective conclusion on the results of the flights, I will give an assessment of the tester.
Impressions of this radio-controlled model
Yuri's radio-controlled models are always very unusual. Even the appearance of his new model was unlike any other.
Biplane-Hydroplane turned out just wonderful: he flew confidently.
After I got used to its reaction to control, I began to try taking off and landing on snow.
Despite the looseness of the snow, all the skid floats confidently kept this radio-controlled aircraft model on it. It turned out to be possible and vertical takeoff, which allows you to run the model from any site.
In the air, the hydroplane is stable, a large angle of the transverse "V" of its planes provides controllability only with the help of elevators and rudders.
The motor of the biplane model even has excessive power. In principle, you can perfectly "fly" at a third of its power. If you increase it to two thirds, then the propeller flutter begins, which can be corrected by installing another type of propeller - for example, DD.
The model is so stable in flight and obedient to the rudders that it can be a “desk” for beginner aircraft modellers.
Do-it-yourself radio-controlled seaplane - a detailed photo of the manufacture
Equipment of the radio-controlled model
You decide to build an airplane. And immediately before you the first problem - what should he be? Single or double? Most often it depends on the power of the existing engine, the availability necessary materials and tools, as well as the size of the "hangar" for the construction and storage of the aircraft. And in most cases, the designer has to opt for a single-seat training aircraft.
According to statistics, this class of aircraft is the most massive and popular among amateur designers. For such machines, a variety of schemes, types of structures and engines are used. Equally common are biplanes, low-wing and high-wing monoplanes, single- and twin-engine, with pulling and pushing propellers, etc.
The proposed series of articles contains an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the main aerodynamic schemes of aircraft and their design solutions, which will allow readers to independently evaluate the strengths and weak sides various amateur designs, will help you choose the best one and the most suitable for construction.
WITH AIRCRAFT - ONE TO ONE
One of the most common schemes for an amateur single-seat aircraft is a strut-braced monoplane with a high wing and a tractor propeller. It should be noted that this scheme appeared in the 1920s and has not changed much over the entire period of its existence, becoming one of the most studied, tested and constructively worked out. Characteristic features aircraft of this type - a wooden two-spar wing, a welded steel truss fuselage, linen sheathing, a pyramidal landing gear and a closed cockpit with an automobile-type door.
In the 1920s - 1930s, a variation of this scheme became widespread - a parasol-type aircraft (from the French parasol - an umbrella from the sun), which was a high-wing aircraft with a wing mounted on racks and struts above the fuselage. "Parasols" in amateur aircraft construction are still found today, however, as a rule, they are structurally complex, less aerodynamically perfect and less convenient to operate than classic high-wing aircraft. In addition, such devices (especially small ones) have very difficult access to the cabin and, as a result, the difficulty of its emergency escape.
Single-seat high-wing aircraft:
Engine - LK-2 with a power of 30 hp. designs L.Komarov, wing area - 7.8 m2, wing profile - Clark, takeoff weight - 220 kg (pilot - 85 kg, power plant - 32.2 kg, fuselage - 27 kg, landing gear with skis -10.5 kg , horizontal tail - 5.75 kg, wing with struts - 33 kg), maximum speed- 130 km / h, flight range with a fuel reserve of 10 l-180-200 km
Engine - Zündapp with a power of 50 hp, wing area - 9.43 m2, take-off weight - 380 kg, empty weight - 260 kg, maximum speed -150 km / h, rate of climb near the ground - 2.6 m / s , flight duration -8 h, stall speed - 70 km/h
The advantages of high-wing aircraft include the simplicity of piloting technique, especially if the specific load on the wing does not exceed 30 - 40 kg / m2. High-wing aircraft are distinguished by good stability, excellent takeoff and landing characteristics, they allow rear centering up to 35-40% of the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC). From the cockpit of such an apparatus, the pilot is provided with an optimal downward view. In short, for those who are building their first aircraft, and besides, they are going to master its piloting on their own, there is no better scheme to come up with.
In our country, amateur aircraft designers have repeatedly turned to the scheme of a strut high-wing aircraft. So, at one time a whole squadron of “parasol” aircraft appeared: “Kid” from Chelyabinsk, created by the former pilot L. Komarov, “Leningradets” from St. .Frolov from the village of Donino near Moscow.
The last device should be told in more detail. Having studied well the most a simple circuit strut high-wing, the designer carefully planned his work. The wing was made of pine and plywood, the fuselage was welded from steel pipes and these elements of the aircraft were covered with canvas according to classical aviation technology. I chose large wheels for the landing gear so that I could fly from unprepared unpaved grounds. The power unit is based on a 32-horsepower MT-8 engine, equipped with a gearbox and a large-diameter propeller. Aircraft takeoff weight - 270 kg, flight centering - 30% MAR, specific wing load - 28 kg / m2, wing span - 8000 mm, propeller thrust in place - 85 kgf, maximum speed - 130 km / h, landing - 50 km /h
Test pilot V. Zabolotsky, who flew around this device, was delighted with its capabilities. According to the pilot, even a child can control it. The aircraft was operated by V. Frolov for more than ten years and participated in several ULA rallies.
The PMK-3 aircraft, created in the city of Zhukovsky near Moscow by a group of amateur aircraft designers led by N. Prokopts, caused no less delight among the test pilots. The car had a peculiar forward fuselage, a very low landing gear and was designed according to the scheme of a strutted high-wing aircraft with a closed cockpit; a door was provided on the left side of the fuselage. The wing is slightly beveled back to provide the necessary centering. The design of the aircraft is solid wood, covered with fabric. The wing is single-spar, with pine shelves, a set of ribs and a wing forehead are sheathed with plywood.
Wing area - 10.4 m2, wing profile - R-Sh, takeoff weight - 200 kg, fuel capacity - 13 l, flight centering - 27% MAH, static propeller thrust - 60 kgf, stall speed - 40 km / h, maximum speed - 100 km / h, flight range - 100 km
The basis of the fuselage - three spars, and therefore the fuselage had a triangular cross section. The plumage and control system of the PMK-3 aircraft are made as in the well-known training glider B. Oshkinis BRO-11 M. The basis of the power plant is a 30-horsepower liquid-cooled outboard motor "Whirlwind"; while the radiator protruded slightly from the starboard side of the fuselage.
An interesting variety of amateur-built strutted high-wing aircraft was the Don Quixote, developed in Poland by J. Yanovsky. FROM light hand amateur aircraft industry enthusiast, famous glider test pilot and journalist G.S. Malinovsky, who published the drawings of Don Quixote in the Modeler-Constructor magazine, this, in general, not entirely successful scheme, has become very widespread in our country - at times there were more than four dozen similar devices at ALS rallies. True, professional aircraft designers believe that amateur aviators in this scheme were attracted primarily by the unusual appearance of the aircraft, but it was in it that some “pitfalls” lurked.
A characteristic feature of the "Don Quixote" was the forward cockpit, which provided excellent visibility and comfortable accommodation for the pilot. However, on an extremely light aircraft weighing up to 300 kg, the balance changed significantly when a more slender pilot, weighing 60 kg, sat in the cockpit instead of an 80-kg pilot - while the device suddenly turned from excessively stable into absolutely unstable. It was necessary to avoid such a situation even when designing the machine - it was only necessary to install the pilot's seat in the center of its gravity.
Aircraft with a pusher propeller, designed according to the scheme of the Don Quixote aircraft:
Engine power - 25 hp, wing area - 7.5 m2, empty weight - 150 kg, takeoff weight - 270 kg, maximum speed - 130 km / h, rate of climb near the ground - 2.5 m / s, ceiling - 3000 m, flight range - 250 km. Machine structure - solid wood
Engine power - 30 hp, wing span -7 m, wing area - 7 m2, empty weight - 105 kg, takeoff weight - 235 kg, maximum speed - 160 km / h, rate of climb - 3 m / s, flight duration - 3 h
Construction - fiberglass, engine power - 35 hp, wing span - 8 m, wing area - 8 m2, wing profile - Clark YH, takeoff weight - 246 kg, empty weight - 143 kg, flight centering - 20% MAR, maximum speed - 130 km/h
Another feature of the Don Quixote is the tailwheel landing gear. As is known, such a scheme, in principle, does not ensure the directional stability of a light aircraft when it moves along the airfield. The fact is that the movements of an aircraft with a decrease in its mass and moments of inertia become fast, sharp, short-term, and the pilot has to concentrate all his attention on maintaining the direction of the run or run.
The A-12 aircraft from the Aeroprakt club (Samara), which was one of the copies of Don Quixote, had exactly the same birth defect as the first-born of this galaxy, but the designers, after testing the machine by professional pilots V. Makagonov and M Molchanyuk quickly found an error in the design. By replacing the tail wheel with a nose wheel on the A-12, they completely eliminated one of the main drawbacks of the Polish aircraft.
Another significant drawback of Don Quixote is the use of a pusher propeller, shaded in flight by the cockpit and wing. At the same time, the efficiency of the propeller dropped sharply, and the wing, which was not blown by the air flow from the propeller, did not provide the calculated lift. As a result, takeoff and landing speeds increased, which led to a lengthening of the takeoff run and run, and also reduced the rate of climb. With a low thrust-to-weight ratio, the aircraft could not take off from the ground at all. This is exactly what happened at one of the ALS rallies with the Elf aircraft, built according to the Don Quixote scheme by students and employees of the Moscow Aviation Institute.
Of course, it is not forbidden to build devices with a pusher propeller, however, the need and expediency of creating an aircraft with such a power plant in each specific case should be carefully evaluated, since losses in thrust and wing lift are inevitable.
It should be noted that designers who creatively approached the use of a power plant with a pusher propeller managed to overcome the shortcomings of such a scheme and create very interesting options. In particular, several successful devices according to the Don Quixote scheme were built by a machine operator from the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk P. Atyomov.
Wing area - 8 m2, takeoff weight - 215 kg, maximum speed - 150 km/h, stall speed - 60 km/h, rate of climb near the ground - 1.5 m/s, operating overload range - from +6 to -4
1 - metal toe of the wing; 2 - tubular spar of the wing; 3 - flap; 4 - tubular spars of the aileron and flap; 5 - aileron; 6 - engine control handle; 7 - entrance door of the cockpit (right); 8 - engine; 9 - aileron control rod; 10 - brace in the plane of the wing; 11 - riveted duralumin fuselage beam; 12 - tubular spars; 13 - speed indicator; 14 - ignition switch; 15 - altimeter; 16 - variometer; 17 - slip indicator; 18 - cylinder head temperature gauge; 19 - flap control knob; 20 - dorsal parachute
A well-flying aircraft with a pusher propeller was created by a team of amateur aircraft designers from the Flying club of the Samara Aviation Plant under the leadership of P. Apmurzin - this machine was called the Crystal. Test pilot V. Gorbunov, who flew around it, did not stint on high marks - according to his reviews, the car had good stability, was light and easy to operate. Samarans managed to ensure high efficiency of the flaps, deviated by 20° on takeoff and 60° during landing. True, the rate of climb of this aircraft was only 1.5 m / s due to the shading of the pusher propeller by the wide cockpit. Nevertheless, the named parameter turned out to be quite sufficient for an amateur design - and this despite the fact that its takeoff was somewhat difficult.
Attractive appearance"Crystal" is combined with the excellent production performance of the all-metal monoplane. The airframe fuselage is a duralumin beam riveted from 1 mm D16T sheets. The power set of the beam also included several walls and frames curved from sheet duralumin.
It should be noted that in amateur designs, instead of metal, it is quite possible to use plywood, pine bars, plastics and other available materials.
In the bend of the fuselage beam, in its bow, there was a cockpit, covered with a large transparent faceted lantern and a light fairing made of sheet D16T 0.5 mm thick.
The strut wing is of an original single-spar design with a spar made of a 90x1.5 mm duralumin tube, which takes loads from bending and torsion of the wing. A set of ribs made of 0.5 mm D16T, stamped into rubber, was fixed to the spar with rivets. The wing brace is made of 50x1 duralumin tube and ennobled with a D16T fairing. In principle, duralumin spars and struts can be replaced with wooden, box-section ones.
The wing was equipped with ailerons and flaps with a mechanical manual drive. Wing profile - Р-ІІІ. The aileron and flap had spars made of duralumin tubes with a diameter of 30x1 mm. Wing forehead - from 0.5 mm sheet D16T. The surfaces of the wing were covered with canvas.
Plumage - free-bearing. The keel, stabilizer, rudder and elevator are also single-spar, with spars made of D16T pipes with a diameter of 50x1.5 mm. The plumage was covered with linen. The aileron control wiring had rigid rods and rocking chairs, the wiring to the rudders was cable.
Chassis - tricycle, with a steerable nose wheel. Depreciation of the landing gear on the aircraft occurred due to the elasticity of pneumatic wheels with dimensions of 255x110 mm.
The basis of the power plant of the aircraft is a 35-horsepower two-cylinder engine RMZ-640 from the Buran snowmobile. The propeller is of wooden construction.
When comparing pulling and pushing propellers, it must be borne in mind that for vehicles with low power of the power plant, the first is more efficient, which at one time was superbly demonstrated by the French aircraft designer Michel Colomban, an employee of the Aerospasial company, the creator of a small and very elegant Cri-Cri aircraft. "(cricket).
It will not be superfluous to recall that the creation of small-sized aircraft with engines of minimum power has attracted both amateurs and professionals at all times. So, the designer of large aircraft O.K. Antonov, who has already built the flying giant An-22 "Antey" with a take-off weight of 225 tons, in his book "Ten Times First" spoke about his old dream - a tiny aircraft with an engine of 16 hp. Unfortunately, Oleg Konstantinovich did not have time to create such an apparatus ...
Designing a compact aircraft is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Many conceived it as an ultralight machine with extremely low wing loading. As a result, ultra-light devices were obtained, capable of flying only when total absence wind.
Later, designers came up with the idea of using wings of a small area and with a large specific load for such vehicles, which made it possible to significantly reduce the size of the machine and increase its aerodynamic quality.
Twin-engine low-wings:
B - the plane "Pasya" by Edward Magransky (Poland) is a good example of the creative development of the "Kri-Kri" scheme:
Power plant - two KFM-107E engines with a total power of 50 hp, wing area - 3.5 m2, wing aspect ratio - 14.4, empty weight - 180 kg; takeoff weight - 310 kg; maximum speed - 260 km / h; stall speed - 105 km / h; flight range - 1000 km
1 - air pressure receiver of the speed indicator; 2 - duralumin propeller (maximum rotational speed - 1000 rpm); 3 - Rowena engine (cylinder displacement 137 cm3, power 8 hp, weight 6.5 kg); 4 - resonant exhaust pipe; 5 - membrane carburetor; 6 - fuel intakes - flexible hoses with weights at the ends (one per engine); 7 - gas sector (left side); 8 - the handle of the trim effect mechanism (reconfiguring the spring loader of the elevator); 9 - discharged part of the lantern; 10 - unsupported rocking chair in cable wiring for rudder control; 11 - hard wiring control stabilizer; 12 - cable wiring of the rudder drive; 13 - all-moving horizontal tail; 14 - rocking rudder; 15 - keel spar; 16 - chassis in the compressed position of the damping; 17 - main chassis spring; eighteen - drainage tube fuel tank; 19 - aileron-flap hover control knob (left side); 20 - fuel tank with a capacity of 32 l; 21 - cable wiring for controlling the nose landing gear; 22 - adjustable pedals; 23 - pedal loader (rubber shock absorber); 24-rubber shock absorber right landing gear; 25 - engine installation frame (steel V-shaped pipe); 26 - bow control rocker; 27 - wing spar; 28 - hovering aileron (deviation angles from -15° to +8°, hovering - +30°; 29 - foam frame; 30 - wing skin; 31 - hanging aileron mounting bracket; 32 - foam ribs; 33 - stabilizer tip (balsa ); 34 - stabilizer spar; 35 - toe of the aileron (sheathing - duralumin, filler - foam)
Building my own homemade plane - a biplane - has been a dream of mine since childhood. However, I was able to implement it not so long ago, although I paved the way to the sky in military aviation, and then - on a hang-glider. Then he built an airplane. But the lack of experience and knowledge in this matter also gave the corresponding result - the plane never took off.
Failure not only discouraged the desire to build aircrafts, but cooled the ardor thoroughly - a lot of time and effort was spent. And to revive this desire helped, in general, the case when it became possible to inexpensively purchase some parts from the decommissioned An-2 aircraft, more popularly known under the name "Corn".
And I bought something just ailerons with trim tabs and flaps. But from them it was already possible to make wings for a light biplane aircraft. Well, the wing is almost half a plane! Why did you decide to build a biplane? Yes, because the aileron area for the monoplane was not enough. But for a biplane - it was quite enough, and the An-2 even shortened the wings from the ailerons a little.
Ailerons are only on the lower wing. They are made of twin aileron trimmers of the same An-2 aircraft and are suspended on the wing on conventional piano hinges. To improve the efficiency of aircraft control along the trailing edge of the ailerons, wooden (pine) triangular rails 10 mm high are glued on top and covered with strips of sheathing fabric.
The biplane aircraft was conceived as a training aircraft, and according to the classification it belongs to ultralight devices (ultralights). By design, the homemade biplane is a single-seat single-pillar biplane with a tricycle landing gear with a steerable tail wheel.
I could not pick up any prototype, and therefore I decided to design and build according to the classical scheme and, as motorists say, without additional options, that is, in the simplest version with an open cabin. The upper wing of the Grasshopper is raised above the fuselage (like a parasol) and fixed a little ahead of the cockpit on a support made of duralumin pipes (from An-2 aileron rods) in the form of an inclined pyramid.
The wing is detachable, consists of two consoles, the joint between which is covered with an overlay. Wing set - metal (duralumin), sheathing - linen impregnated with enamel. The tips and root parts of the wing consoles are also sheathed with a thin duralumin sheet. The upper wing consoles are additionally reinforced with struts extending from the attachment points of the inter-wing struts to the lower fuselage spars.
The air pressure receiver is fixed at a distance of 650 mm from the end of the left console of the upper wing. The lower wing consoles are also detachable, attached to the lower fuselage spars (on the sides of the cockpit). The gaps between the root part and the fuselage are covered with linen (impregnated with enamel) fairings, which are attached to the consoles on sticky tapes - burdocks.
The installation angle of the upper wing is 2 degrees, the lower one is 0. The transverse V of the upper wing is 0, and that of the lower wing is 2 degrees. The sweep angle of the upper wing is 4 degrees, and that of the lower wing is 5 degrees.
The lower and upper consoles of each wing are interconnected by racks made, like the struts, of duralumin pipes from the control rods of the An-2 aircraft. The frame of the fuselage of a homemade biplane is truss, welded from steel thin-walled (1.2 mm) pipes with an outer diameter of 18 mm.
Its basis is four spars: two upper and two lower. Along the sides, a pair of spars (one upper and one lower) are connected by an equal number and equally spaced uprights and struts and form two symmetrical trusses.
Pairs of upper and lower spars are connected by crossbars and braces, but their number and location at the top and bottom often do not match. In the same place where the location of the crossbars and racks coincides, they form frames. Forming arcs are welded on top of the front rectangular frames.
The rest (rear) fuselage frames are triangular, isosceles. The frame is covered with unbleached coarse calico, which was then impregnated with "enamelite" home cooking- celluloid dissolved in acetone. This coating has proven itself among amateur aircraft designers.
The front part of the biplane fuselage (up to the cockpit) on the left side in flight is sheathed with thin plastic panels. Panels - removable - for easy access on the ground to the controls in the cockpit and under the engine. The bottom of the fuselage is made of duralumin sheet 1 mm thick. The tail unit of an aircraft - a biplane - is classic. All its elements are flat.
The frames of the keel, stabilizer, rudders and elevators are welded from thin-walled steel pipes with a diameter of 16 mm. Linen sheathing is sewn to the details of the frames, and the seams are additionally glued with strips of the same calico fabric impregnated with enamel. The stabilizer consists of two halves that are attached to the keel.
To do this, an M10 pin was passed over the fuselage through the keel near the leading edge, and a tubular axle with a diameter of 14 mm was passed at the trailing edge. Lugs with sector grooves are welded to the root rods of the halves of the stabilizer, which serve to set the horizontal tail at the required angle, depending on the mass of the pilot.
Each half is put on a stud with an eyelet and secured with a nut, and the trailing edge tube is attached to the axle and is attracted to the keel with a brace made of steel wire with a diameter of 4 mm. From the editor. To prevent spontaneous rotation of the stabilizer in flight, it is advisable to make several holes for the pin instead of the sector groove in the ears.
Now on the plane - a biplane there is a propeller unit with an engine from the Ufa Motor Plant UMZ 440-02 (the plant completes the Lynx snowmobiles with such motors) with a planetary gear and a two-blade propeller.
431 cm3 engine with 40 hp. with a speed of up to 6000 per minute of air cooling, two-cylinder, two-stroke, with separate lubrication, runs on gasoline, starting with AI-76. Carburetor - K68R Air cooling system - although self-made, but effective.
Made according to the same scheme as the aircraft engines "Walter-Minor": with an air intake in the form of a truncated cone and deflectors on the cylinders. Previously, on an airplane - a biplane, there was a modernized engine from the outboard boat motor "Whirlwind" with a capacity of only 30 hp. and V-belt transmission (gear ratio 2.5). But even with them the plane flew confidently.
But the pulling two-blade monoblock (made of pine plywood) home-made screw with a diameter of 1400 mm and a pitch of 800 mm has not changed yet, although I plan to replace it with a more suitable one. A planetary gearbox with a gear ratio of 2.22 ... the new engine got from some foreign car.
The silencer for the engine is made from a ten-liter cylinder of a foam fire extinguisher. The fuel tank with a capacity of 17 liters is from the tank of the old washing machine- It is made of stainless steel. Installed behind the dashboard. The hood is made of thin sheet duralumin.
It has grilles on the sides for the exit of heated air and on the right there is also a hatch with a cover for the output of the cord with a handle - they start the engine. The propeller unit on a self-made biplane is suspended on a simple motor mount in the form of two consoles with struts, the rear ends of which are fixed on the racks of the front frame-frame of the fuselage frame. The electrical equipment of the aircraft is 12-volt.
The main landing gear legs are welded from sections of a steel pipe with a diameter of 30 mm, and their struts are made from a pipe with a diameter of 22 mm. The shock absorber is a rubber cord wound around the front tubes of the struts and the trapezium of the fuselage frame. The wheels of the main landing gear - non-brake with a diameter of 360 mm - from a mini-mokik, they have reinforced hubs. The rear support has a spring-type shock absorber and a steerable wheel with a diameter of 80 mm (from an aviation ladder).
Aileron and elevator control is rigid, from the aircraft control stick through rods made of duralumin tubes; rudder and tail wheel - cable, from the pedals. The construction of the aircraft was completed in 2004, and pilot E. V. Yakovlev tested it.
Aircraft - biplane passed the technical commission. He made quite long flights in a circle around the airfield. A fuel reserve of 17 liters is enough for about an hour and a half of flight, taking into account the air navigation reserve. Very helpful tips and consultations during the construction of the aircraft were given to me by two Eugenes: Sherstnev and Yakovlev, for which I am very grateful to them.
Homemade biplane "Grasshopper": 1 - propeller (two-blade, monoblock. diameter 1400.1 = 800); 2- muffler; 3 - cockpit fairing; 4- hood; 5 - brace of the upper wing console (2 pcs.); 6- rack (2 pcs.); 7 - pylon of the upper wing; 8- transparent visor; 9 - fuselage; 10-keel; 11 - rudder; 12 - tail support; 13 - tail steering wheel; 14-main landing gear (2 pcs.); 15 - main wheel (2 pcs.); 16 - right console of the upper wing; 17-left upper wing console; 18 - right console of the lower wing; 19-left console of the lower wing; 20-air pressure receiver; 21 - lining of the joint of the consoles of the upper wing; 22 - stabilizer and keel brace (2 pcs.); 23 - engine hood with air intake; 24 - gas baffle shield; 25 - stabilizer (2 pcs.); 26 - elevator (2 pcs.); 27-aileron (2 pcs.)
Steel welded frame of the biplane fuselage: 1 - upper spar (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, 2 pcs.); 2- lower spars (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, 2 pcs.); 3 - aircraft control stick support; 4 - spinal beam (2 pcs.); 5- - quadrangular frame (pipe with a diameter of 18, 3 pcs.); 6- shaping arc of the first and third frames (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, 2 pcs.); 7 - braces and braces (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, according to the drawing); 8- eyelets and lugs for fastening and suspension structural elements(on demand); 9 - trapezium for fastening the rubber cord shock absorber of the main landing gear (pipe with a diameter of 18x1); 10 triangular tail frames (pipe 18x1 x 4)
The angles of installation of the wing consoles (a - upper wing; b-lower wing): 1 - transverse V; 2-swept wings; 3 - installation angle
Motor mount of a homemade biplane: I - spar ( steel pipe 30x30x2.2 pieces); 2-spar extension (pipe with a diameter of 22.2 pieces); 3 - cross member (steel sheet s4); 4 - silent blocks (4 pcs.); 5-eye for fastening the strut (steel sheet s4.2 pcs.); 6 - hood support bow ( steel wire diameter 8); 7 brace (pipe diameter 22, 2 pcs.)
The main landing gear of the biplane: 1 - wheel (diameter 360, from a mini-mokik); 2- wheel hub; .3 - main post (steel pipe with a diameter of 30); 4 - main strut (steel pipe with a diameter of 22); 5 - shock absorber (rubber band with a diameter of 12); 6 - travel limiter of the main rack (cable with a diameter of 3); 7 - shock absorber mounting trapezium (fuselage truss element); 8- farm fuselage; 9 additional landing gear (coarse steel with a diameter of 22); 10- shock absorber grip (pipe with a diameter of 22); 11 - additional strut (steel pipe with a diameter of 22); 12 connection racks (steel pipe diameter 22)
Instrument gloss (below, the rudder and tail wheel control pedals are clearly visible on the trapezium and the rubber hole shock absorber of the main landing gear): 1 - carburetor throttle control knob; 2 - horizontal speed indicator; 3 - variometer; 4 - screw for fastening the dashboard (3 pcs.); 5 - turn and slip indicator; 6-light bulb signaling engine failure; 7 - ignition switch; 8-cylinder head temperature sensor; 9 - rudder control pedals
On the right side of the hood - a window air filter carburetor engines and starting device engine
The UM Z 440-02 engine from the Lynx snowmobile fit well into the contours of the fuselage and provided the aircraft with good flight performance.
