28 May 2025, 13:54 [ UTC - 5; DST ]
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Post subject: Registering an RV-7 or Pitts Biplane as a motor glider  Posted: 25 Jul 2020, 02:29 |
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Joined: 07/10/17
Posts: 82
Post Likes: +39
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I was curious if there was a rule against registering an RV-7 or even a Pitts Biplane as a motor glider? (I'm not confused about how well an RV-7 glides with the engine off .. I'm just curious what the FAA rule is.)
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Post subject: Re: Registering an RV-7 or Pitts Biplane as a motor glider Posted: 25 Jul 2020, 08:30 |
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Joined: 09/29/10
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Company: USAF Simulator Instructor
Location: Wichita Valley Airport (F14)
Aircraft: Bonanza G35
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Username Protected wrote: The link mis-quotes AC 21.17-2A on the weight to wingspan formula. Find AC 21.17-2A here. The actual formula is weight / wingspan squared cannot exceed 0.62. So, a light sport aircraft at 1320 lbs must have a wing span of approximately 46 feet to qualify as a motor glider. If you keep the weight down to under 1,000 lbs, you need a 40 foot wing span. If you build an almost-ultralight at 556 lbs, you can use a 30 foot wingspan. NB: numbers are approximate as my phone’s calculator doesn’t do square roots.
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FTFA RTFM
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Post subject: Re: Registering an RV-7 or Pitts Biplane as a motor glider Posted: 25 Jul 2020, 15:13 |
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Joined: 07/10/17
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Username Protected wrote: The link mis-quotes AC 21.17-2A on the weight to wingspan formula. Find AC 21.17-2A here. The actual formula is weight / wingspan squared cannot exceed 0.62. So, a light sport aircraft at 1320 lbs must have a wing span of approximately 46 feet to qualify as a motor glider. If you keep the weight down to under 1,000 lbs, you need a 40 foot wing span. If you build an almost-ultralight at 556 lbs, you can use a 30 foot wingspan. NB: numbers are approximate as my phone’s calculator doesn’t do square roots.
I'm surprised the FAA incorporates the JAR rules to define motor glider. I thought they were very invented-here-only. Good for them.
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Post subject: Re: Registering an RV-7 or Pitts Biplane as a motor glider Posted: 03 Aug 2020, 20:52 |
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Joined: 01/15/20
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Aircraft: PIAT Alpha Trainer
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