Do GRM projects have to be cars?

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/

I've seen two Fly Babies up close and personal, pretty nice. Small, 20 ft. long, 28 ft. wing span powered by a 65hp engine.

One was built in a college wood shop but came out well. Costs for everything was about $6k.

I like the German motif.

Any of you ever attempt something like this?

Dan

My wife has banned me from anything that flys, floats, or.....something else, but I whole heartedly endorse YOU building one. I'd love to follow along.

I've seen some of everything on here. Why not a plane? Are you thinking about building one from scratch?

Is $6000 including an aircraft engine? Registration? Don't forget the costs of getting a sport pilot license. Avgas aint cheap either.

I think the more GRM aircraft solution would be an ultralight.

Question for Kenny - I know a lot of experimentals run car engines. Is there any reason you can't run pump gas in them? Obviously jerry cans would be involved.

In Canada, the Fly Baby is considered an ultralight, so that usually means that you might be able to get it registered as a LSA in the US of A. And those use VW engines, so no need for avgas. I will agree that 6000$ is on the cheap side of what I think is acheivable, but this is GRM...

I know a guy who built an autogyro with a WRX engine.

Woody wrote: I know a guy who built an autogyro with a WRX engine.

My research into autogyros is what led to my ban from flying things.

There was a guy named Bernard Peitenpol who lived not far from where I grew up in SE Minnesota. He designed an airplane called the Air Camper back in 1928, and I think people are still building them from the plans he sold. They mostly used Model A Ford engines, but later models used Corvair engines. He was still flying into the late 1970s, I remember seeing him at fly-in breakfasts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietenpol_Air_Camper

I have a Private Pilot License with a Glider Cert also an LSA (light sport) so that's done.

Avgas hell, it runs on 87. I know of a Continental 65 in a basement for <$1800. The rest of it is Spruce and determination. Based on (can't think of is name) boat build and facing retirement with no car project, what is a mother to do?

Sorry Wood, the only gyro I do is between slabs of bread. Gliders glide, planes kinda coast, gyros drop something less than terminal velocity gravity, but not by much.

mazdeuce wrote:

Woody wrote: I know a guy who built an autogyro with a WRX engine.

My research into autogyros is what led to my ban from flying things.

Hahahaha!

The project can be a plane, you just need to have "plane" or "aircraft" in the title of the thread.

914 motor?

Just change user name to 914Flyer

mazdeuce wrote: My wife has banned me from anything that flys, floats, or.....something else, but I whole heartedly endorse YOU building one. I'd love to follow along.

I've been told to rent all those things on your list, even the something else.

I'm surrounded by water and don't really like boats. The wife does let me fly though, she falls asleep by the time we are off the coast of Sarasota after taking off from Albert Whitted in St Pete. It's fun doing dutch rolls to make her head roll back and forth to wake her up

Looks like a cool project. I consulted on a rotary install on a Zlin a few years back. I've had dreams of a Lancair project but money isn't flowing like it used to.

I was in a flying club back in junior high school and we were building a glider. Unfortunately I never got to see it completed and I'm not sure it ever did after our shop teacher got hurt messing with some equipment.

I did a project for a husband and wife team who where building something that looked like thisin their attached two and a half car garage that was powered by a VW engine. Not exactly grassroots monetarily but building it yourself certainly is.

I am hoping that something that flies will be my next build.

Woodman, I know a guy that has one! They used to fly them around Lake George and Frontier Town, they smacked into each other and then got rid of them. My buddy's dad was the maintenance guy.

He dragged it home, removed the Gyro overhead and let the kiddies blast around the field with just the pusher and some questionable steering.

Ahhh the memories .....