Flying motorized bicycles
- Thread starter Dan
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Re: Flying MBs
I can't remember now Joe, did you say we would need 25 hp to accomplish flight in a small light weight craft?
How many HT's would it take to get that? Two, three?
My crazy brain is trying to tell me I could use two HT's, syncronized, to power a lawn chair attached to a hang glider!
Yeeeesssss!...........................I know it's dangerous!
I can't remember now Joe, did you say we would need 25 hp to accomplish flight in a small light weight craft?
How many HT's would it take to get that? Two, three?
My crazy brain is trying to tell me I could use two HT's, syncronized, to power a lawn chair attached to a hang glider!
Yeeeesssss!...........................I know it's dangerous!
Re: Flying MBs
I'll let those viewing this imagine how a MB would look and set up in this concept sketch. The idea is that the frame head would secure to the front crossmember, the two black holes in the side braces would have a cross member
that would be inserted thru a point on the seat tube of the frame for a three point connection to the copter frame. When the back brace would close like a
fence gate the seat back support would be in place to support the pilot's back.
This platform would be capable of powered vertical takeoff and landing and thus an airborne carrier for the MB. As it is configured as a "syncropter" aft stabalizers may not be necessary. (But I'm not a chopper designer) The real technology would be in the gear box, starter generator, fuel system, and flight controls. The rest is simply tubing. If it were fitted with floats then perhaps they could house the fuel tanks.
But it's a fun idea to play with. I think I'd call it the "flying phone booth".
I'll let those viewing this imagine how a MB would look and set up in this concept sketch. The idea is that the frame head would secure to the front crossmember, the two black holes in the side braces would have a cross member
that would be inserted thru a point on the seat tube of the frame for a three point connection to the copter frame. When the back brace would close like a
fence gate the seat back support would be in place to support the pilot's back.
This platform would be capable of powered vertical takeoff and landing and thus an airborne carrier for the MB. As it is configured as a "syncropter" aft stabalizers may not be necessary. (But I'm not a chopper designer) The real technology would be in the gear box, starter generator, fuel system, and flight controls. The rest is simply tubing. If it were fitted with floats then perhaps they could house the fuel tanks.
But it's a fun idea to play with. I think I'd call it the "flying phone booth".
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Re: Flying MBs
Except a bicycle down the road.
A dozen may do it. figure 2 hp each continuous power. In reality, the chinese in-frame engine is not a viable consideration for flying anything.
Except a bicycle down the road.
Re: Flying MBs
Yeah, I kinda figured as much considering the reliability of a two stroke motor in flight. Also it would require too many connecting pulleys or gears to combine it all which would add up to being too impractable and too complex, not to mention all that added weight. Nevertheless, I bet someone is gonna try.
Re: Flying MBs
ROFLOL, I thought of painting that tubing red once and thought.... This is going to fly over some heads as it is.
....but if I'm to present myself as Dr Who, I guess I'd better have a big bag of "jelly babies" to offer any onlookers when I land.
ROFLOL, I thought of painting that tubing red once and thought.... This is going to fly over some heads as it is.
....but if I'm to present myself as Dr Who, I guess I'd better have a big bag of "jelly babies" to offer any onlookers when I land.
Re: Flying MBs
You get a more efficient set up with a prop for each engine.
There were several popular early U/L's that ran twins usually 10-12 hp each.
Some even used a Partner chain saws, and the belt drive was a converted/glorified chainsaw bar! Most ran loud, small direct drive props.
I have hours and hours of fying with two stroke engines...the problem of reliability is with our engines, not two strokes in general.
You get a more efficient set up with a prop for each engine.
There were several popular early U/L's that ran twins usually 10-12 hp each.
Some even used a Partner chain saws, and the belt drive was a converted/glorified chainsaw bar! Most ran loud, small direct drive props.
Re: Flying MBs
lympne light plane competition - Google Search
Some of those planes flew on VERY little power.
lympne light plane competition - Google Search
Some of those planes flew on VERY little power.
Re: Flying MBs
Went to the Cove park yesterday. It is an inlet off the CT River just south of Hartford. All the boats and leaves are gone. I watched the seagulls for an hour. Wow, aerobatics in a good breeze with the flick of wing tips. One seemed to be chasing a bug in midair. Both deserved to win that mortal combat, but I certainly could not see who did. Truly poetry in motion.
Reminded me of the book Johnathon Livingston Seagull; "For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Great book.
I sat there planing future flight paths, take offs and landings of a yet to be built marine gyro plane. (and how to disengage safety harness upside down and under water, lol)
This insane moment was brought to you by the EXXON corporation and no other apparent reason...
Went to the Cove park yesterday. It is an inlet off the CT River just south of Hartford. All the boats and leaves are gone. I watched the seagulls for an hour. Wow, aerobatics in a good breeze with the flick of wing tips. One seemed to be chasing a bug in midair. Both deserved to win that mortal combat, but I certainly could not see who did. Truly poetry in motion.
Reminded me of the book Johnathon Livingston Seagull; "For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Great book.
I sat there planing future flight paths, take offs and landings of a yet to be built marine gyro plane. (and how to disengage safety harness upside down and under water, lol)
This insane moment was brought to you by the EXXON corporation and no other apparent reason...
Re: Flying MBs
Speaking of a plane which flew under very little power, the Leeon Davis DA-11.
It uses a 2 cyl 4cycle Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 18 hp lawnmower engine direct driving the prop. On the cowling there is this script: "MOWER POWER TO THE PEOPLE"
It could cruise at 125 mph and red line at 155 mph.
Speaking of a plane which flew under very little power, the Leeon Davis DA-11.
It uses a 2 cyl 4cycle Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 18 hp lawnmower engine direct driving the prop. On the cowling there is this script: "MOWER POWER TO THE PEOPLE"
It could cruise at 125 mph and red line at 155 mph.
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Re: Flying MBs
I found an interesting glider at Basic Ultralight Glider
They offer free plans to download also.
Thinking about a flying MB and also learning that it may take 25mph for flight, I wonder if, after viewing this particular glider, if the HT could be used, but not with a prop.
I think of a recumbent bike with an HT, which moves it down the field. Since this glider only needs a light thermal for lift to achieve flight, wouldn't it be reasonable to say that if you were cruising down the road, into a headwind, liftoff could be achieved?
This way, we wouldn't need a prop for it, but rely on the MB to motor down the road into a headwind to catch a thermal for liftoff.
I found an interesting glider at Basic Ultralight Glider
They offer free plans to download also.
Thinking about a flying MB and also learning that it may take 25mph for flight, I wonder if, after viewing this particular glider, if the HT could be used, but not with a prop.
I think of a recumbent bike with an HT, which moves it down the field. Since this glider only needs a light thermal for lift to achieve flight, wouldn't it be reasonable to say that if you were cruising down the road, into a headwind, liftoff could be achieved?
This way, we wouldn't need a prop for it, but rely on the MB to motor down the road into a headwind to catch a thermal for liftoff.
Re: Flying MBs
You could even go so far as a small emergency oxygen tank that is strapped to your jacket and when you need it, just put the face mask on. I think a floatation device of some sort or even inflatable floats would be an added bonus to your plane.
You could get a gas charged inflatable raft or even a smaller floatation device that can be built around you seat or even the base of the plane. Get that aircraft spruce catalog (free) -they got all kinds of stuff in there for emergency water crashes.
You could even go so far as a small emergency oxygen tank that is strapped to your jacket and when you need it, just put the face mask on. I think a floatation device of some sort or even inflatable floats would be an added bonus to your plane.