Joined: 11/03/08 Posts: 14584 Post Likes: +22972 Location: Peachtree City GA / Stoke-On-Trent UK
Aircraft: A33
Username Protected wrote:
With an empty weight well below the ultralight max of 254 lb, doesn't that mean it can't be classified as an MEL aircraft / used as a time-builder? I've always assumed it's just considered an ultralight with all the (lack of) privileges attached.
if "ultralight" in the American sense, is it too fast for part103? It sure looks better than 55kts
Joined: 03/07/18 Posts: 90 Post Likes: +50 Location: Woburn, MA
Username Protected wrote:
With an empty weight well below the ultralight max of 254 lb, doesn't that mean it can't be classified as an MEL aircraft / used as a time-builder? I've always assumed it's just considered an ultralight with all the (lack of) privileges attached.
if "ultralight" in the American sense, is it too fast for part103? It sure looks better than 55kts
Good point. So it does require a N-number and a pilot license.
If I remember correctly, the designer of the Cri Cri did not want the plans sold in the US. I don’t remember if this was for liability reasons or he just didn’t like the US.
It is true; I've a friend who bought a set of plans, but had to buy them with a Canadian address (easily done for him); I am led to understand that there may have been a plaintiffs' suit against the designer, but I have no personal knowledge. Would not surprise me.
I believe the design Mr Columbian got into a deal to sell the plane in the USA with Chris Heintz of zenith. The plane is a real light weight carefully designed plane. Chris made some changes to the design and sold them as a kit with plans copied from mr columban but with his name edited out. The changes were not safe according to the designer and someone died in a crash. They tried to sue the original designer hence he does not want to sell plane to the USA. I also believe the orignal designer never got paid any royalties.There are work around to buy them and if you look around plans are available to download.
I believe the design Mr Columbian got into a deal to sell the plane in the USA with Chris Heintz of zenith. The plane is a real light weight carefully designed plane. Chris made some changes to the design and sold them as a kit with plans copied from mr columban but with his name edited out. The changes were not safe according to the designer and someone died in a crash. They tried to sue the original designer hence he does not want to sell plane to the USA. I also believe the orignal designer never got paid any royalties.There are work around to buy them and if you look around plans are available to download.
Joined: 07/09/09 Posts: 3398 Post Likes: +1375 Company: Progress Technical. LLC Location: Doylestown, PA (KDYL)
Aircraft: B-55
If you do the research on this airframe you are going to find about 12% of them that were once registered, have been destroyed in crashes.
We had a gentleman perish in one at our airport open house. Very sad. I think in his case it was fuel contamination. As someone said, the early models were not capable of flight on a single engine.
Joined: 12/17/13 Posts: 6365 Post Likes: +5545 Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Aircraft: Turbo Commander 680V
They fly fine on one engine with the bigger 15hp JPX engines, no problem. They speak about it in this clip:
Aircraft is small, but rather complex to build, so not a good fit for novices. Like a little Swiss watch. There's a guy right now building one here in the US with small JetCat turboprop engines. He has a whole building VLOG on YouTube.
I've wanted one for years and there are two for sale in France right now on the F-reg. But taking them into the US would pose some problems - you could get it on Exhibiton register most likely, but that has some restrictions. Owner Built will be tough. Option is to leave them on F-reg and just fly them like that (you can own an F-reg as a foreigner and remain on the French register), but then your annual inspection becomes a little more costly as you now have to get an EASA part 145 facility to sign it off each year etc.
_________________ Problem is the intelligent people are full of doubt, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
If you do the research on this airframe you are going to find about 12% of them that were once registered, have been destroyed in crashes.
We had a gentleman perish in one at our airport open house. Very sad. I think in his case it was fuel contamination. As someone said, the early models were not capable of flight on a single engine.
--paul
I remember that Paul (I'm based at Wings and Van Sant). He brought the Cri Cri to Wings a few times. The fuel tank is under the pilot's legs and/or backside as I recall. I understand he was severely burned, RIP. Dave
They fly fine on one engine with the bigger 15hp JPX engines, no problem. They speak about it in this clip:
Aircraft is small, but rather complex to build, so not a good fit for novices. Like a little Swiss watch. There's a guy right now building one here in the US with small JetCat turboprop engines. He has a whole building VLOG on YouTube.
I've wanted one for years and there are two for sale in France right now on the F-reg. But taking them into the US would pose some problems - you could get it on Exhibiton register most likely, but that has some restrictions. Owner Built will be tough. Option is to leave them on F-reg and just fly them like that (you can own an F-reg as a foreigner and remain on the French register), but then your annual inspection becomes a little more costly as you now have to get an EASA part 145 facility to sign it off each year etc.
Operating under experimental airshow/exhibition is not a big deal. You will get issued operating limitations suited for your needs. You typically get a radius for maintaining currency, and you can list a home base and a maintenance base. You will have to submit an annual program letter. Most use a list of all known aviation related events in the Continental US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean and submit a letter referencing the list stating “following is a list of events that I may attend”. There are lots of warbirds and aircraft not eligible for standard airworthiness certificates flown regularly and basically uninhibited. I researched enforcement actions for operating outside of the program letter and could not find any.
Joined: 03/04/13 Posts: 4507 Post Likes: +3274 Location: Hampton, VA
Username Protected wrote:
They fly fine on one engine with the bigger 15hp JPX engines, no problem. They speak about it in this clip:
Aircraft is small, but rather complex to build, so not a good fit for novices. Like a little Swiss watch. There's a guy right now building one here in the US with small JetCat turboprop engines. He has a whole building VLOG on YouTube.
I've wanted one for years and there are two for sale in France right now on the F-reg. But taking them into the US would pose some problems - you could get it on Exhibiton register most likely, but that has some restrictions. Owner Built will be tough. Option is to leave them on F-reg and just fly them like that (you can own an F-reg as a foreigner and remain on the French register), but then your annual inspection becomes a little more costly as you now have to get an EASA part 145 facility to sign it off each year etc.
Operating under experimental airshow/exhibition is not a big deal. You will get issued operating limitations suited for your needs. You typically get a radius for maintaining currency, and you can list a home base and a maintenance base. You will have to submit an annual program letter. Most use a list of all known aviation related events in the Continental US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean and submit a letter referencing the list stating “following is a list of events that I may attend”. There are lots of warbirds and aircraft not eligible for standard airworthiness certificates flown regularly and basically uninhibited. I researched enforcement actions for operating outside of the program letter and could not find any.
That’s one thing to tolerate for a warbird, but a kit plane like that, meh
If one did turbo props wonder if that would avoid that nonsense
Joined: 12/17/13 Posts: 6365 Post Likes: +5545 Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Aircraft: Turbo Commander 680V
And it's aerobatic, so stressed to 6G.
The reason they might have had more accidents probably all down to the unreliable engines. Funny how 2-strokes are so temperamental, when they're so much simpler than OHC engines. Never understood that. Should be the opposite.
_________________ Problem is the intelligent people are full of doubt, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
The reason they might have had more accidents probably all down to the unreliable engines. Funny how 2-strokes are so temperamental, when they're so much simpler than OHC engines. Never understood that. Should be the opposite.
Most 2 stroke engines don't have pressure lubrication and the oil is either premixed with the fuel or mixed with fuel in the engine. Beyond that, controlling RPM often has to be done by varying ignition timing since the mixture has to be very rich at low speeds. Due to the oil in the fuel, plug fouling is a bigger issue.
_________________ -lance
It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
All that and they are prone to seizing during low power extended descent. Inadequate lubrication at low throttle settings with windmilling prop since all the lubricant is in the fuel.
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one of these Airplanes, Cricket or the Bumble Bee 
Think, very large Grapefruit sized........well you know? 
