Last summer, the head of the aviation club of the Vnukovo House of Culture (Moscow), amateur pilot Andrei Chernikov, demonstrated quite complex figures aerobatics over the Razdolye airfield in the Vladimir region.
The aircraft does not yet have an airworthiness certificate due to financial and organizational difficulties. However, it was built in accordance with the requirements for aircraft of this type. Today Andrey Aleksandrovich presents his plane to the readers of our site.
Before we begin to describe the design of the aircraft, we will have to tell a little about the history of its creation. An ultra-light aircraft (SLA or ultralight) was created in the aircraft design circle at the Vnukovo Palace of Culture. The guys, as in other similar circles, built various sports models and performed (and not without success) in competitions. Mastering the basics of the theory and practice of creating aircraft, the circle members came up with the idea of building a real airplane - albeit small, but on which one could take to the skies.
The next stage was the choice of the aircraft layout, its layout and design.
The first thing that guided the choice of design was its cost. It is clear that what simpler design, the cheaper it is. But the main criterion was still reliability, and therefore safety. For this purpose, they chose both a biplane design and a power plant with a pusher propeller. With this arrangement, the rotating propeller is protected in front by wings with struts and struts, and on the sides by braces. In addition, with this arrangement of the propeller-engine installation, nothing limits the pilot’s forward view, and the engine exhaust from the muffler remains behind. Savings were achieved by using inexpensive and non-scarce, but repeatedly tested materials, components and assemblies.
Frankly speaking, most of the work on the construction of the aircraft, fearing that the first pancake would not come out lumpy, and to speed up the process, I did myself, in my free time from circle duties.
The power structure of the aircraft is flat truss, assembled mainly from duralumin pipes with a diameter of 60 mm and a wall thickness of 2 mm. Wings, plumage, power point, fuel tank, instrument panel, landing gear, seat and pilot fairing. The truss pipes are connected to each other by means of plate linings with shaped radius washers and bolts with self-locking nuts.
In the places where the struts or braces are connected, the tail boom of the truss is reinforced, and bougies are put on it - tubular bushings with brackets.
Wings and plumage. According to its design, as already noted, the aircraft is a single-strut biplane (actually there are two struts - between the upper and lower half-wings on both the right and left sides). The racks are V-shaped, the front branch is made of an oval-section duralumin pipe, the rear one is made of a round pipe.
1 - fairing with windshield,
2 - upper left wing (right - mirror image),
3 - engine,
4 - propeller,
5 - keel brace (cable Ø 1.8), 6 - brace,
7 - rudder cable wiring,
9 - rudder,
11 - power set,
12 - spring of the main landing gear wheels (steel plate);
13 - main landing gear wheel,
14 - left lower half-wing (right mirror image);
15 - aircraft control stick;
16 - engine control lever,
17 - front (steer and brake) wheel,
18 - brake mechanism,
19 - front wheel stand,
20 - air pressure receiver,
21 - biplane stand (2 pcs.),
22 - strut of the upper half-wing (2 pcs),
23 - front braces (cable Ø 1.8),
24 - stabilizer and keel strut (D16, pipe Ø 14x1, 2 pcs.),
25 - additional biplane stand (2 pcs),
26 - headlight and navigation light (2 sets),
27 - aileron (2 pcs),
28 - stabilizer,
29 - elevator,
30 - cover (duralumin s0.5)
The wings, both upper and lower, are single-spar; they have the same biconvex profile РІІІА with a relative thickness of 18%. This profile, developed at TsAGI in the early 1930s, is still widely used today, as it has high load-bearing characteristics. Technologically, the wings are divided into left and right detachable parts.
The spar has a channel-shaped cross-section, the shelves are made of pine slats with a cross-section of 10×10 mm, and the wall is made of plywood 1 mm thick.
The ribs are assembled from pine slats with a cross-section of 8×4 mm. Each half-wing is assembled by threading ribs onto a spar.
(material of parts - duralumin):
1 – main beam (pipe Ø 60×2),
2 - front strut (pipe Ø 35×1.5),
3 - pylon for attaching the upper wing (pipe Ø 60×2),
4-central post (pipe Ø 60×2),
5-seat frame (pipe Ø 30×2);
6 - tail boom strut (pipe Ø 35×1.5),
7- tail boom (pipe Ø 55×2);
8-long bougie (pipe Ø 60×2.5, 2 pcs.);
9-short bougie (pipe Ø 60×2.5);
10 - motor mount strut (pipe Ø 16x 1, 2 pcs).
Connecting everyone wooden parts- on epoxy glue. The skin of the nose of the wing is made of 1 mm plywood - it, together with the spar, forms a closed loop and absorbs torque. The rest of the wing is covered with percale and covered with enamel. By the way, they used it to glue the percale lining to wooden elements power set.
The upper wing, unlike the lower one, has ailerons and a slightly larger span. The ailerons have the same single-spar design as the wing. Only the ribs are arranged in a zigzag manner, and the profile is symmetrical.
Upper wings with an installation angle of 4° are mounted on a pylon B-pillar without transverse V The gap between them is closed with a duralumin overlay. Additionally, each upper half-wing is attached to the main beam of the truss with a strut and a cable brace.
1-front wheel (steered, braked, Ø 280, b90, kart),
2- front wheel strut,
3 - fairing (fiberglass),
4 - air pressure receiver,
5 - dashboard,
6 - aircraft control stick,
7 - windshield;
8 - seat frame,
9- front strut,
10- engine mount strut (duralumin pipe Ø 16×1),
11 – pylon for attaching the upper wing,
12 - motor frame,
13 - Rotax 582 engine, N = 64 l s,
14 - radiator,
15 - propeller shaft,
16 - electronic unit,
17 - muffler,
18 - central pillar,
19-battery,
20- fuel tank V = 20 l (aluminum canister),
21 - tail boom,
22 - spring of the main wheels,
23 - main wheel (Ø 280, b90, from map, 2 pcs.),
24-seat,
25 - seat belts (car),
26 - tool box,
27 - engine control lever,
28 - brake mechanism.
The lower half-wings are docked to the main beam of the truss with a transverse V = 4.5°. The installation angle of the lower wing is also 4.5°.
The horizontal tail (HT) consists of a stabilizer and an elevator.
The vertical tail (VT) includes a keel and a rudder (RN). The rudder is one-piece with a knife deflected on the ground. The keel and stabilizer are connected to each other by brackets and struts, and the upper ends of the struts with the interwing struts are connected by cable braces.
1 - engine control lever,
2 - toggle switch for turning on headlights,
3 - gas station generator 1,
4-light generator failure 2,
5 - generator failure lamp 1,
6-ignition switch 1st circuit,
7 - variometer (ascent and descent speed indicator),
8 - ignition switch of the 2nd circuit,
9-horizontal speed indicator,
10 - accelerometer,
11 - signal lamp for engine malfunctions,
12 - slip indicator,
13 - complex device engine operation control,
14-altimeter,
16 - cigarette lighter socket,
17 - fuel gauge,
18 - power switch,
19 - rudder and front wheel control pedals (2 pcs.),
20 - gas station starter,
21 - gas station generator 2,
22 - toggle switch for turning on the beacon and signal lights,
23-stick airplane control,
24-button engine start,
25 - toggle switch for turning on instrument lighting,
26 - brake lever.
The force set of the fin and stabilizer is similar to that used in the wings, and at the rudder and elevator - as in the ailerons with a zigzag arrangement of ribs. The profile of all tail elements is symmetrical TsAGI-683. The toe covering is made of millimeter-thick plywood, and behind the spar is linen (percale). The coating is also enamel.
Power point
First, the aircraft was equipped with a two-cylinder RMZ-640 engine with a power of 32 hp. from the Buran snowmobile and a two-bladed pusher monoblock propeller with a diameter of 1600 mm of constant pitch. And with such an installation, the plane flew well for many years and handled confidently. But one day I found out that a Rotax 582 two-stroke liquid-cooled engine was being sold relatively inexpensively. It turned out that the engine was in a disassembled state: the owners wanted to repair it, but then they could not assemble it. So I bought it in bulk, and then assembled it, eliminating the faults along the way.
Upper right half-wing (left - mirror image):
1 - spout trim (plywood s1),
2 - spar,
3 - covering the plane (percale impregnated with enamel),
4 - rib,
5 - fairing for aileron control cable wiring (4 pcs),
6 - incomplete rib,
7 - ending,
8 - aileron nose trim (plywood s1),
9 - crown-mounted aileron (2 pcs),
10 - aileron cover (percale impregnated with enamel),
11 - end rib of the aileron (root - mirror image),
12 - oblique rib of the aileron,
13 - trailing edge of the aileron,
14 - aileron bracket,
15 - trailing edge of the wing,
16 - wing tab,
17 - root rib,
18 - attachment point for the half-wing to the pylon bracket (2 pcs.),
19 - bracket for fastening the inter-wing strut,
20 - “wall” - additional spar,
21-aileron spar,
22 - aileron control rocker,
23 - aileron swing axis (2 pcs.),
24 - visor,
25 - aileron control wiring (cable Ø 1.5, 2 pcs.).
In terms of dimensions, weight, and the volume of two cylinders, the Rotax is approximately the same as the RMZ-640, but its power is almost twice as high (there is even a version that the second engine is not an entirely successful copy of the first). In addition, Rotax has a dual-circuit ignition system (two spark plugs per cylinder) and liquid cooling of the cylinders. The fuel is not scarce - AI-95 motor gasoline mixed with motor oil in a ratio of 50:1.
(unspecified material of position parts - duralumin):
1 - central post (pipe Ø 60×2),
2 - plate for attaching the pylon to the main post (sheet s4, 2 pcs.),
3 - front strut mounting bracket (stainless steel, sheet s2.5),
4 - radius washers,
5 - aileron rocker,
6- aileron rocker bracket,
7 - pylon (pipe Ø 60×2),
8 - upper wing console mounting brackets (4 pcs.),
9 - fastening the brackets to the power elements (M12 bolt, 2 pcs.),
10-fastening plates to power elements (M8 bolt, 3 pcs.).
And if when replacing engines it was almost not necessary to redo the fastening units, then the propeller had to be purchased: a new one: with a diameter of 1680 mm, also pushing, but three-bladed, pitch adjustable on the ground. A reduction gearbox with a gear ratio of 3.47 is combined with the engine and provides the propeller with up to 1900 rpm.
With the new propeller-engine installation, the aircraft acquired higher flight characteristics and became capable of performing quite complex aerobatic maneuvers.
(a - profile. b - rib, c - root rib and end):
1 - rib nose (pine strip of variable section),
2 - spar post of the opening (pine slats 8×4, 2 pcs.),
3 - strut (pine slats 8×4),
4 - bracket (plywood s1),
5 - upper arch of the rib (pine strip 8×4),
6 - end bracket (plywood s1),
7 - lower bow (pine slats 8×4),
8 - sidewall (plywood s6),
9 - upper bow (gluing together of two 12×6 pine slats),
10 - nose of the root rib (pine liner with variable cross-section),
11 - lower bow (glued together from two 12×6 pine slats).
The fuel reserve is small - only 20 liters. After all, the plane is designed for training flights near the airfield, but this fuel lasts for an hour and a half. Fuel is poured into an aluminum canister mounted on a platform behind the driver's seat.
The aircraft landing gear is three-post with a front steered wheel. Shock absorption is carried out by a rubber cord with a diameter of 8 mm, wound in a loop behind the pendulum crossbar. The ends of the cord are connected and secured to the upper transverse post.
1 - sheathing (plywood s1),
2-root rib (s6 plywood),
3 - rack bracket (stainless steel s2),
4 - bracket boss (plywood, s10),
5 - boss of the half-wing fastening unit (s12 plywood, 2 pcs),
6 - cover (duralumin 2, 4 pcs.),
7 - bushing (tube Ø 8×0.5, 2 pcs.).
The front wheel is controlled by pedals through flexible (cable) wiring. The brake mechanism is also mounted on the same wheel, which is activated by a lever mounted on the aircraft control handle. The rear main support wheels are mounted on a transverse spring made of steel strip.
All wheels are the same, with an outer tire diameter of 280 mm and a width of 90 mm. They are used from the map. The rear wheel track is 1150 mm, and the base (the distance between the axles of the front and rear wheels) is 1520 mm.
1 - trim of the stabilizer spout (plywood s1),
2 - stabilizer cover (percale),
3 - trim of the elevator nose,
4-covering the elevator (percale),
5 - front part of the stabilizer rib (plywood s1),
6-spar stabilizer,
7- stabilizer rib,
8 - stabilizer wall,
9 - stabilizer hinge bracket (2 pcs),
10 - axis of the elevator suspension hinge (Zsht),
11-elevator suspension bracket (2 pcs),
12 - front part of the elevator rib,
13 - elevator rib,
14 - trailing edge of the elevator.
To protect the tail boom from damage when it touches the ground, a heel is provided.
From the very beginning, the plane was conceived without a cabin - only in this case can you fully experience the flight and feel the machine. However, later it was still equipped with a homemade fiberglass nose fairing with a bottom and a transparent visor of a 5-mm plexiglass sheet.
2 - rudder,
3 - rocking chair (D16, sheet sZ),
4 - bracket for attaching the keel to the stabilizer (4 pcs.),
5 - rudder hinge (2 pcs),
6 - hinge ear of the rudder (duralumin, sheet sЗ, 2 pcs),
7 - rudder hinge eye (stainless steel sheet s1, 2 pcs),
8 - bushing (stainless steel, pipe Ø 6×0.5, 2 pcs.),
9- brace mounting bracket (2 pcs).
The seat is also homemade. Its basis is nylon belts sewn to an inclined frame, which serves as an additional brace for the central pillar. The base is covered with a foam cushion and back, covered with thick fabric - avisent. Seat belts - car seat belts.
(details of positions I, 2, 7, 11, 15, 17 are made of steel pipe 20x20x1.5):
1 - fork stand,
2 - upper cross member of the fork,
3 - drum of rubber band (pipe Ø 10×1, 2 pcs.),
4 - rubber band roller (circle 8. 2 pcs),
5 - bushing for the support column axis (pipe Ø 12×2, 2 pcs),
6 - shock absorber (rubber cord Ø 8, 4 pcs.),
7 - lower cross member of the fork,
8 - cross member of a double-arm lever (pipe Ø 20×2),
9 - bandage (nylon threads),
10 - axle eye (steel sheet s2, 4 pcs),
11 - rack reinforcement (2 pcs),
12 - eye bolt for fastening control wiring (2 pcs),
13 - stop (2 rubber pieces),
14 - fastening the stop (M4 bolt, 2 pcs),
15 - upper bend of the double-arm lever (2 pcs),
16 - gusset (steel sheet s2, 4 pcs),
17 - lower knee of the double-arm lever (2 pcs),
18 - wheel axle bushing (2 pcs),
19 - double arm axis of the lever (Ø 8 roller with washer and cotter pin, 2 sets),
20 - bushing for the axis of the two-arm lever (2 pcs),
21 - rack axis.
The aircraft control system is a cable with intermediate rods from the control stick (RUS), located on the farm in front of the pilot. The engine control is a lever installed to the left of the pilot. Deflection of the rudder and rotation of the front wheel while taxiing is done using pedals. The aircraft is equipped necessary devices, ensuring flight in simple meteorological conditions (SMC), controlling engine operation. All of them are located on the instrument panel in front of the pilot. There are headlights on the upper wing, and also navigation lights on the tail. As for the flight characteristics of the aircraft, some of them are given in the table, while others, such as rate of climb and maximum flight altitude, have not yet been measured.
1 - stand,
2 - main beam,
3 - bougie (D16T, pipe Ø80×10),
4 - rack axis (M10 bolt with castle nut and washer),
5- upper support sleeve (bronze),
6 - lower support sleeve (bronze),
7 – cable Ø 1.8,
9 - pedal,
10 - lever,
11- rocking chair,
12 - axis of the lever and rocker,
13 - lever tip,
14-axis lever tip and rod,
16 - tander,
17 - stand earring,
18- eye bolt,
19-axis traction,
20- bracket for fastening the rod and rocker,
21 - rocking axis,
22-rocking earring,
23 - roller with cotter pin (4 sets),
24 - cable termination.
A significant advantage of the design is that it is collapsible. For transportation (or storage), the aircraft is disassembled into several parts: the half-wings, the tail boom, and the empennage are disconnected from the aeromodule. The tail unit is transported on the roof rack of the car, and the remaining parts are transported in a two-wheeled trailer for a passenger car, mounted on a special platform. The structure is stored together with the trailer in a regular car garage, and assembled in field conditions in less than an hour by one person.
Airplane control diagram (a - rudder, b - elevator, c - ailerons).
From the editor. The editors warn that flights on homemade aircraft are allowed only if you have the appropriate certificate and pilot's license.
Flying on your own plane is not a cheap pleasure. Few people can afford to buy a factory light-engine aircraft with 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 that have an EEBC certificate in the experimental category have become increasingly popular at gatherings of aviation enthusiasts.
Apart from the additional time spent on construction, amateur-built aircraft RV, Sonexes, Velocity and many others received well-deserved high marks for a low cost with excellent flight qualities that are not inferior to their factory counterparts. But, as often happens, there is back side homemade: For every completed hobby project, there are several that are abandoned. So, in order for the project to become successful, it is necessary to do right steps, have certain knowledge and be able to apply it.
Step 1. Selecting an aircraft model
Perhaps the goal of the project is the main factor influencing the success of the entire event before construction begins.
Starting an airplane project can be ranked in importance with a marriage proposal, the conclusion of an important deal, and even the choice of a pet. As in all previous cases, here you need to think through all the details before making a final decision.
Most of those who don't reach the finish line burn out over trifles. The grace of the Falco aircraft, the aerial acrobatics of the Pitts 12 and the mischievous flight of the Glastar: everything can whet the interest of the future builder to make a decision based only on appearance. 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.
For the right decision it requires completely honest and sincere self-examination. Of course, many people dream of flying like Viktor Chmal or Svetlana Kapanina, but is this true or not? Each person has his own personality and his own style of piloting, and it is impossible to live by someone else's experience. You can build an airplane for air tourism and long cross-country flights, but then discover that you would rather have a country picnic on a green lawn with friends 60 kilometers from the flying club. It is important to resolve all your doubts and sincerely think through the dream of having 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 will not be difficult. After selecting the aircraft model, it will be time to conduct an examination. A quick glance at the 15th summer 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 own niche in the market, but even with a strong motivation, doing business in such a territory will not be an easy task from the economic side, because the market is very individualized, and trends replace each other, like swimsuit fashion. Before you start building, you should preparatory work: Analyze the aircraft design in detail, call people who have already worked on the project and look at the list of accidents. Start working on outdated project, in which parts and components are difficult to obtain, in principle, an expensive and costly undertaking.
Step 2: Planning your time
There are hardly a few people who have handled a project that requires as much attention, effort and time as building an airplane from scratch. This activity is not for amateurs. It requires constant and measured effort over a long period of time.
To ensure that there are fewer delays along the way and that progress on the project does not stand still, you can break down 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. On average, a builder will need 15 to 20 hours per week to complete a simple airplane project in a reasonable amount of time.
For keen builders, most aeronautical projects take between two and four years to complete. On average, building an aircraft can take five or even ten years. This is why experienced aircraft builders will never prescribe the exact date first flight, despite the constant questioning glances of friends. As an excuse, you can say “it’s not worth it” or “as soon as possible.”
There is no place for idealists here
Not all builders realize the importance proper planning time. Aircraft building is not a social endeavor, and in fact it can get pretty damn lonely while working. Sociable people may find this activity more difficult than one might imagine. Therefore, everyone who devotes himself to this work should find pleasure in working alone.
The next plane to be built without any gaps in the holes will be the first of all time. Robert Piercing, in his cult novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, talks about mistakes when drilling holes. These mistakes can discourage a builder from working on a project to the best of his ability. 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 abandoned.
Perfectionists who strive for perfection in everything should look for another occupation. If all airplanes had to perfectly comply with the laws of aerodynamics, hardly anyone would dare to take off. Perfectionism is often mistaken for 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 goal is not to make the best airplane - the goal is to make a practical airplane so that the builder would not be ashamed of it and would not be afraid to fly it.
Step 3. Workshop equipment
The next important point is the construction site. Not everyone can afford to have a workshop like the Cessna hangars. Size doesn't really matter in this case of decisive importance.
Light aircraft are built in basements, trailers, shipping containers, country sheds, and adobe huts. In most cases, a two-car garage is sufficient. A single garage may also suffice if you have a dedicated storage area for winged units.
Most people believe that the best place for the construction of the aircraft is located in the hangar of the city airport. In reality, 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 assembled, you should think about amenities. Invest in comfort, some semblance of climate control, good lighting and a work desk at a comfortable height, rubber mats on concrete floor- will more than pay for themselves.
Here's how Martin and Claudia Sutter describe their experience building an RV-6 in their living room: “In Texas, where there are always extreme temperature changes, air conditioning in the hangar would have cost us more than building the airplane itself. We thought about working in a garage, but as it turned out, our cars couldn't stand being exposed to the open sun for long. Therefore, breakfast in the bar, housing in the bedroom, and construction in the living room - this is how our work was organized. Amenities include household air conditioning, heating and large sliding doors, which allowed the plane to be rolled out. The most important thing was that everything was always at hand."
Step 4. Where can I get money for the plane?
Second only to time is the issue of money. How much will it cost to build an airplane? 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 lower or much higher. The construction of an aircraft is like a phased repayment of a loan; it is important to correctly assess the entire volume of required resources, both financial and time, before the start of the active investment phase.
Allocation of project costs begins with determining the tasks that the aircraft will solve. Modern manufacturers aircraft We are ready to install everything you could possibly want on your products. Home aircraft builders, in turn, know exactly what they want. If the aircraft will not fly by instruments, then there is no need to install instrument flight equipment on it. There is no need to fly at night - why install runway lights for $1000. A constant pitch propeller costs three times less than a constant speed propeller, and in most cases is not much inferior to a constant speed propeller in terms of flight efficiency.
The right question is where to get the money? 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 Getting a Jet" includes putting off buying new car, giving up cable television, switching to light, healthy meals of vegetables and fruits, giving up unlimited phone plans in favor of economical plans. Overall, Doug estimates that adopting and following these steps allowed him to save about $570 each month. He faithfully put this amount into his piggy bank every month and now flies an RV-6.
Bob Collins, an RV builder, took a different route (not everyone who builds an airplane builds an RV). His job as an editor for public radio supported him and his family, but it wasn't enough to buy a plane. In general, he became “the oldest newspaper delivery man.” Seven days a week, from two to six in the afternoon, he delivered the local press. This activity, combined with his regular work, family life and plans for the plane didn't 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’ve never riveted, welded, or painted anything, and in general I’m not a master of gold,” an inexperienced builder may object. Am I even capable of building something as complex as an airplane?
In reality, it's not that difficult. Home-built airplanes are ordinary mechanical devices. Mechanical control units, simple and easy-to-understand electrics, almost no hydraulics - you can study and assemble everything yourself. A standard aircraft engine, for example, consists of four hoses, three cables and two wires. Well, if your knowledge is not enough, you can always find out the missing gaps from textbooks and manuals.
The aircraft construction technique is simple and obvious. Riveting can be mastered in one day, welding will require more time, but it is fun and almost free. IN Everyday life a lot of things are made from wood, wood processing techniques and tools have been brought to perfection, and everything can be mastered via the Internet and Youtube.
If a structured presentation of the material suits you best when learning new information, then you can take lessons in aircraft manufacturing. 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 fills you to the very top, then support from like-minded pilots will help speed up work on the project.
- The first step is to enlist the support of your 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 simply necessary. Any aircraft projects that interfere with the relationship are doomed: “He spends all his time on this damn plane. She nags me all the time about my project,” whether it’s worth starting a project in this state of affairs. Mitch Locke adheres to a simple tactic: “Before I start building a new airplane, I go to my wife and ask her for a list of all the benefits that she wants her life to be better while I spend less time on her.” And it works: Mitch built seven airplanes on his own. At the same time, there are many projects that are carried out by family teams: parents with children, spouses. When shared teamwork brings people together, building an airplane becomes additional opportunity spend time with loved ones.
- Support outside the family circle is also important.
When choosing a decision 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? Will the aircraft model company be able to answer this question? How quickly will the answers come? Is there a forum for aircraft builders that can help newbies?
Tips on how to speed up work on a project - help from professionals and 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 structure can be designed: To do this, you can study Martin Hollman’s book “Modern Aircraft Design” or K. S. Gorbenko’s “We Build Airplanes Ourselves.”
If you are not ready to make an airplane from scratch, then it makes sense to think about buying a KIT kit. The kit manufacturer can provide accurate and ready-to-assemble aircraft parts with significant savings in resources and materials compared to building from scratch. Assembly instructions, as opposed to engineering drawings, can save you countless hours of thinking about how parts fit together. This time saving will lead to the fact that you will be able to assemble more complex and high-tech aircraft. Today's KIT kits cover an astonishingly wide range of models, from wood and fabric models like the Piper Cub to composite models with 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"
CJSC Interavia
KIT – RV airplane kits
KIT – airplane sets C.C.C.P.
Your plane.ru
KIT – Ultra Pup airplane sets
KIT - CH-701 aircraft sets, as well as Zenit, Zodiac and Bearhawk
Avia-Comp Company
In order to legalize flights on a home-built aircraft, you will have to go through the procedure of obtaining a certificate of a single aircraft (EEVS, more details).
Construction may not be for everyone. If you love working with your hands and your 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 airplane. 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 aircraft construction:
- 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
Building my own homemade airplane - a biplane - has been my dream 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 produced a corresponding result - the plane never took off.
Failure didn’t exactly discourage the desire to build aircrafts, but cooled down the ardor thoroughly - a lot of time and effort was spent. And what helped revive this desire was, in general, an incident when the opportunity arose to inexpensively purchase some parts from a decommissioned An-2 aircraft, better known among the people as the “Corn Man”.
And I only purchased 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 the plane! Why did you decide to build a biplane? Yes, because the aileron area was not enough for a monoplane. But for a biplane it was quite enough, and the wings from the An-2 ailerons were even shortened a little.
Ailerons are located only on the lower wing. They are made from twin aileron trimmers of the same An-2 aircraft and are suspended on the wing on ordinary piano hinges. To increase the efficiency of aircraft control, wooden (pine) triangular slats 10 mm high are glued along the trailing edge of the ailerons and covered with strips of covering fabric.
The biplane aircraft was conceived as a training aircraft, and according to the classification it belongs to ultra-light devices (ultralights). By design, the homemade biplane is a single-seat, single-strut biplane with a tricycle landing gear with a steerable tail wheel.
I couldn’t find 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 cockpit. The upper wing of the “Grasshopper” is raised above the fuselage (like a parasol) and fixed slightly in front of the pilot’s cabin on a support made of duralumin pipes (from the An-2 aileron rods) in the shape of an inclined pyramid.
The wing is detachable and consists of two consoles, the joint between which is covered with a cover. The wing set is metal (duralumin), the covering is linen impregnated with enamel. The wing tips and root parts of the wing consoles are also covered with a thin duralumin sheet. The upper wing consoles are additionally supported by struts running 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 upper wing console. The lower wing consoles are also detachable and are attached to the lower fuselage spars (on the sides of the cabin). The gaps between the root part and the fuselage are covered with linen (impregnated with enamel) fairings, which are attached to the consoles with adhesive tapes - burdocks.
The installation angle of the upper wing is 2 degrees, the lower one is 0 degrees. The transverse V at the upper wing is 0, and at the lower one it 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 connected to each other by struts made, like the struts, from duralumin pipes from the control rods of the An-2 aircraft. The fuselage frame of a homemade biplane is a 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, pairs of spars (one upper and one lower) are connected by an equal number and equally spaced posts and struts and form two symmetrical trusses.
Pairs of upper and lower spars are connected by cross members and jibs, but their number and location at the top and bottom often do not coincide. Where the location of the crossbars and posts coincide, they form frames. Above the front rectangular frames form-forming arcs are welded.
The remaining (rear) fuselage frames are triangular, isosceles. The frame is covered with unbleached calico, which is then impregnated with “enamel” homemade- celluloid dissolved in acetone. This coating has proven itself well among amateur aircraft designers.
The front part of the biplane fuselage (up to the cockpit) on the left side in flight is covered with panels of thin plastic. The panels are removable for easy ground access to controls in the cab and under the engine. The fuselage bottom is made of 1 mm thick duralumin sheet. The tail of an airplane - a biplane - is classic. All its elements are flat.
The frames of the fin, stabilizer, rudders and elevators are welded from thin-walled steel pipes with a diameter of 16 mm. The linen covering is sewn to the frame parts, and the seams are additionally taped 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 is passed over the fuselage through the keel near the leading edge, and a tubular axis with a diameter of 14 mm is passed at the trailing edge. Ears with sector grooves are welded to the root rods of the stabilizer halves, which serve to install the horizontal tail at the required angle, depending on the mass of the pilot.
Each half is placed with an eye on a stud and secured with a nut, and the trailing edge tube is placed on the axle and pulled to the keel by 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 a pin instead of a sector groove in the ears.
Now the biplane aircraft has a propeller-driven installation with an engine from the Ufa Motor Plant UMZ 440-02 (the plant equips the Lynx snowmobiles with such engines) with a planetary gearbox and a two-bladed propeller.
Engine with a volume of 431 cm3 and a power of 40 hp. with a speed of up to 6000 per minute, air-cooled, two-cylinder, two-stroke, with separate lubrication, runs on gasoline, starting with AI-76. Carburetor - K68R Air cooling system - although homemade, it is effective.
It is made in the same way as the Walter-Minor aircraft engines: with an air intake in the shape of a truncated cone and deflectors on the cylinders. Previously, the biplane aircraft had a modernized engine from the Whirlwind outboard motor with a power of only 30 hp. And V-belt drive(gear ratio 2.5). But even with them the plane flew confidently.
But the homemade two-bladed monoblock (from pine plywood) pulling propeller with a diameter of 1400 mm and a pitch of 800 mm has not yet been changed, although I plan to replace it with a more suitable one. The planetary gearbox with a gear ratio of 2.22... the new engine came from some foreign car.
The engine muffler is made from a ten-liter foam fire extinguisher cylinder. The fuel tank with a capacity of 17 liters is from the tank of an 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 outlet of heated air and on the right there is also a hatch with a cover for exiting the cord with a handle - they start the engine. The propeller-engine installation on a homemade biplane is suspended on a simple motor mount in the form of two consoles with struts, the rear ends of which are fixed to the struts of the front frame-frame of the fuselage frame. The aircraft's electrical equipment is 12-volt.
The main landing gear legs are welded from sections of steel pipe with a diameter of 30 mm, and their struts are welded from pipes with a diameter of 22 mm. The shock absorber is a rubber cord wound around the front pipes of the struts and the trapezoid of the fuselage frame. The wheels of the main landing gear are non-braking with a diameter of 360 mm - from a mini-mokie, 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 aircraft stepladder).
Control of the ailerons and elevator is rigid, from the aircraft control stick through rods made of duralumin tubes; The rudder and tail wheel are cable driven, from the pedals. Construction of the aircraft was completed in 2004, and it was tested by pilot E.V. Yakovlev.
The biplane aircraft passed the technical commission. He made quite long flights in a circle near the airfield. A fuel supply of 17 liters is enough for about an hour and a half of flight, taking into account the aeronautical reserve. Very useful tips and consultations during the construction of the aircraft were given to me by two Evgenii: Sherstnev and Yakovlev, for which I am very grateful to them.
Homemade biplane "Grasshopper": 1 -air propeller(two-blade, monoblock, diameter 1400.1 = 800); 2- muffler; 3 - cockpit fairing; 4- hood; 5 - upper wing console strut (2 pcs.); 6- rack (2 pcs.); 7 - upper wing pylon; 8- transparent visor; 9 - fuselage; 10-keel; 11 - steering wheel; 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 lower wing console; 20-air pressure receiver; 21 - lining for the joint of the upper wing consoles; 22 - stabilizer and keel brace (2 pcs.); 23 - engine hood with air intake; 24 - gas flap; 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- forming arc of the first and third frames (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, 2 pcs.); 7 - struts and braces (pipe with a diameter of 18x1, according to the drawing); 8- lugs and lugs for fastening and suspension structural elements(as needed); 9 - trapezoid for fastening the rubber cord shock absorber of the main landing gear (pipe with a diameter of 18x1); 10-triangle tail frames (18x1 diameter tube, 4 pcs.)
Angles of installation of the wing consoles (a - upper wing; b - lower wing): 1 - transverse V; 2-swept wings; 3 - installation angle
Motor frame of a homemade biplane: I - spar ( steel pipe 30x30x2.2 pcs.); 2-spar extension (pipe with a diameter of 22.2 pcs.); 3 - cross member (steel sheet s4); 4 - silent blocks (4 pcs.); 5-lug for fastening the strut (steel sheet s4.2 pcs.); 6 - hood support bow (steel wire with a diameter of 8); 7 strut (pipe diameter 22, 2 pcs.)
The main landing gear of the biplane: 1 - wheel (360 in diameter, from a mini-mokie); 2- wheel hub; .3 - main stand (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 trapezoid (fuselage truss element); 8- fuselage truss; 9 additional landing gear (steel coarse 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 rack connection (steel pipe with a diameter of 22)
Instrument gloss (at the bottom you can clearly see the rudder and tail wheel control pedals on the trapezoid and the rubber shock absorber of the main landing gear): 1 - carburetor throttle control handle; 2 - horizontal speed indicator; 3 - variometer; 4 - instrument panel mounting screw (3 pcs.); 5—turn and slide indicator; 6-light engine failure alarm; 7 - ignition switch; 8-cylinder head temperature sensor; 9 - rudder control pedals
On the right side of the hood there is a window for the carburetor air filter, 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
Homemade aircraft, drawings of machines and their brief descriptions built by amateur designers
PHOENIX M-5
A model that is equipped with two Vikhr-25 engines modified for air cooling. The design of the handle and the control circuit of the machine have no analogues in the world. Famous test pilots did not hide their delight, and even recommended its use on military fighters.
The take-off weight of the vehicle 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 American amateur designer, with a pulling screw, which consists of the following components:
Shaft (1), made of duralumin pipe
fuselage spar (2), the material from which is made – pine
casing (3), made of plywood three millimeters thick
wing spars (4)
arc (5)
tank (6), which 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)
fender braces (12)
its racks (13)
his braces (14)
bolt for installing the strut (15)
Specifications:
Take-off weight is three hundred and forty kilograms
wing area is nine point twenty nine square meters
speed - one hundred seventy kilometers per hour
This model passed certification tests and was found fit for use; moreover, it was possible to perform aerobatic maneuvers 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 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 AIRCRAFT BIPLANES
SINGLE BEAM PLANES