Grassroots airplane

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I like this man's project. I wish him well with the FAA.

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2019112738_airplane10m.html

errrmmm.....

Why wait for Alzheimer's to take you slowly when you can go down in flames?

My guess is to register it as home built Experimental like an Ultralight.

Pretty cool engine even if it never leaves the ground.

Dan

Wouldn't it go in under the ultralight category? Seems like virtually everything is blessed in that group.

i came in here expecting this: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1412424

I was expecting Flugtag, this is the record holder

I suspect its too heavy for the ultralight category.

The engine is worth some real moolah.

So do they call it grassroots because soon you will be eating grass and looking at roots?

This is what he was aiming for. Looks like he came pretty close.

My father briefly entertained notions of building a plane many years ago. I wish he had. The big hangup (after lack of money, time, and spousal approval) was that he wanted a two-seater. That drives the weight and cost up.

pinchvalve wrote: Why wait for Alzheimer's to take you slowly when you can go down in flames?

LAWLZ!

slantvaliant wrote: This is what he was aiming for. Looks like he came pretty close. My father briefly entertained notions of building a plane many years ago. I wish he had. The big hangup (after lack of money, time, and spousal approval) was that he wanted a two-seater. That drives the weight and cost up.

I love it. It's those same hang ups that prevent me owning a historic F1 car to race

Neat old engine for sure.

He could have probably just bought a used Weedhopper for $5000 or so and been better off. I've flown them and they aren't that bad.

Isn't a grassroots airplane also known as a zip-line?

aeronca65t wrote: Neat old engine for sure. He could have probably just bought a used Weedhopper for $5000 or so and been better off. I've flown them and they aren't that bad.

I think it was the building part he was after, more than the flying part.

I see nothing wrong with that. With the proper documentation, inspection and log book, neither will the FAA.

It's a Dormoy Racer "Flying Bathtub" - a predecessor of the Pietenpol Air Camper and the various other stone-axe simple DIY aircraft that were the beginnings of general aviation.

Video of a Dormoy Racer in flight

I think it's made of awesome. I spent time at the Labor Day Double at Summit Point talking with Larry Kropp - master machinist, builder of beautiful, innovative sports racers in the pre-tunnel car days, and flyer of a Pietenpol. I'd really like to build one myself someday. Perhaps when the garage is no longer full of race cars and motorbikes...

Pietenpol Aircamper, below. BTW - they go about 75 mph.

This is the Pietenpol built by my friend Walt. He lives down the street from me and built this in a crawl space that is barely 5 feet tall.
Original Pietenpols were powered by Model A Ford engines. This one is obviously Continental powered.

Here's a VIDEOof takeoff in the Piet (the date on the vid is way wrong....it's only about 3 years ago).

I too would like to build a Pietenpol.

I suspect the Dormoy Racer also glides about like a bathtub with the power off.

I've been Jonsing about a Pietenpol for years. Tough little mother to get into the front seat though.

I actually met Mr. Pietenpol once - he lived in Cherry Grove, MN which is about 20 miles from my home town. One time in the late 1970s he showed up at a fly-in breakfast at a friend's farm; it was kind of funny as most of the planes there were run of the mill Cessnas and such, but then this ancient plane with an ancient pilot comes in for a landing. He had the leather helmet and goggles and everything.

Pietenpol built a smaller airplane (Sky Scout) for the Model T engine. The Aircamper used the Model A.

Don't look on Barnstormers.com, cause there's some going for real cheap.