Iocane Powder I'd bet my life on it!

I’d trust my life to chromoly long before I’d trust it with a 3D printed frame, although I’d tune up my gas welding techniques before starting. I’d recommend a construction method with a long history, leave the new stuff for somebody else that has a good test lab and a thesis project.

I’ve seen too many failures with hobby 3D printing. It only takes one to be a splat and make the ten o’clock news

There are established ways to work with carbon fiber. I’ve got a couple cf spars out with the Q2 parts, commercially made with prepregs iirc

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If you haven’t seen it yet, this ought to at least give you some inspiration!

DIY ULTRALIGHT PeterSripol:

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Actually I plan on doing it the opposite way. I plan to build it 1:1 scale and test fly it under RC in unpopulated territory before I get in it. I do like that - I have seen a 1/4 scale model of the ultralight I’m building.

Thank you

Howard Hughes crashed multiple times and walked away. I do not wish to crash but I’ve survived sever types of crashes many people would not walk away from. The most difficult crash I tried to walk away from not knowing my right knee had a complete lateral plane fracture. So I was able to stand up but the first step was my next to last. You see the top half of my leg went right and the bottom half left. I folded like a house of cards. I was in shock and not sure I was registering it right, so I didi it one more time before asking some to get me a few card board boxes and some packing tape to fix things up while waiting for a ride to the ER. My wife had been in an accident totaling a car 9 months pregnant 2 days before and took a $600 ride 2 blocks to the ER. When asked if they should call me an ambulance I told them no, sat up and set my own leg and told them I wasn’t dying. At 15 I left a broken jaw unset for 4 hours. Having it set back in place was the most painful experience of my life. Having made that mistake once, every time since I’ve broken a bone I set it immediately… While waiting in the ER I diagnosed a guy that fell down a flight of stairs with surfboard side ways, he had ruptured his spleen. My point is I’m no stranger to folding, breaking and healing. I was involved in many forms of racing since I was a kid. Getting broken is just part of it. The older I get the more protective I am of my parts. I’m more driven to explore than I am to not and be safe.

If I don’t try to explore this 2 things will happen. I’ll know I didn’t do something I could have and 2nd we might never go there.

It is my goal not to be something a firefighter has to come scrape up.

I do appreciate the love. I’ve been doing stuff like this all my life. * Audience warning *

DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS. I say the same thing to anyone trying to get on a motorcycle for the first time over the age of 22.

DON’T DO IT

I’m a trained professional until I’m not. My intentions are good and I go to great lengths to only involve myself in any enterprise of questionable safety.

I’ve said it here before. I judge a good day by ending it the way I began, with all 10 fingers and 10 toes.

This is just fun stuff to read - I couldn’t find a published number of times Howard crashed, just the time he did it in Beverly Hills. For anyone not old enough to know those scenes of hearings in Iron Man are about Howard Hughes.

Thank you

So I just met up with a Legal Eagle XL Owner. It was very inspiring to meet Charles. He had never built anything before he started. He got a set of plans and set out to learn to weld. I took 5 years for him to complete and he has been flying it for over a year now. I’m considering joining the local Ultralight club. I certainly could cut the wing spars with the Maslow. He seemed quite interested when I explained what the Maslow is.

My journey to fly begins

Thank you

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Do it! I also highly encourage you to join the Experimental Aircraft Association at www.eaa.org and take advantage of our free Technical Counselor program throughout your journey.

The Legal Eagle XL and Aerolite 103 are both great choices for any aspiring aviator :sunglasses:

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Here’s the direct link for the EAA ultralight community as well:

I appreciate the input. I’m a Noob in the area of flight. I’m excited to work on projects that I feel are deeply compelling. It is very cool to see the Legal Eagle XL in person. Charles had an engine problem and had to set down in a field. He has been flying ultralights for 20 years. Because he landed perpendicular to the direction of the tilled rows he bent the landing gear and it flipped over. No other damage then pride. My point it is it’s an example that no one wants to crash but not every crash is tragic. He had me at it’s like a 3D motorcycle.

Thank you

Fun fact, people always say “yeah, it’s pretty rare that an airplane crashes, but if it crashes you’re dead” actually you’ve got a 95% survival rate. It’s just that crashes where everyone survives get very little coverage.
Don’t know if that statistic includes ultralights though :wink:

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@Bee, I came across this post and thought it might inspire both your ultralight and Maslow ambitions :slight_smile:

http://www.lonesomebuzzards.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1380494147

gedc0348_4547

gedc0346_9253

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@Weps

That is Awesome! I appreciate that. I’m going to share that with my Legal Eagle forum buddies. I may have to get a set of plans and do it up on the Maslow.

Thank you

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