Flying motorized bicycles

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Just remember not to run the boat on the rocks when asking for a rum & coke on the rocks......

Hiker, I was on deck on a barge that was working taking down a bridge on Long Island. The wheel guy (Capt.) came to close to a support and "flung" a fender (read a tire off an earth mover taller then 2 men) 40 yards and broke the chains holding it that could lift a house. I was dumbfounded and looked up from the deck in to the wheel house with out stretched hands. He yelled down to me; "see what you done?"

We were sober. Thats our story and we are sticking to it.

 

[mechanickid]

Re: Flying MBs

thats actually how i found this lol

 

[Dan]

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.

All so incredible cool. Really like the look of the double wing. Literally the sky is the limit. I think this is the most exciting project I have ever taken on. I wish I was better at words but watching that seagull chase that bug was amazing. In maybe a 10 X 3 foot vertical space, he did 3 outside loops in a good wind.

Not sure if this has become an obsession or a midlife crises. But man o man I wanted to fly with them gulls.

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

YouTube - gyro crash - gyrocopter crash . . . oh! no Gyro crash. And yet I still dare to dream and build. LOL

Vid of Nazi Uboat launching a gyro plane. YouTube - German submarine launched Autogyro Fa330

 

[eDJ]

Re: Flying MBs

LOL, I've seen one of those U-Boat Helicopters at the Wright-Patterson AFB museum at Dayton, Ohio. Just a little thing but big enough to take a peek over the horizon when towed by the U-Boat staying just over the horizon from a fleet
headed to Europe.

Those Gyro Copters have gotten so many people killed over the years. One Jr High School teacher I knew got killed in one. I used to see him flying it around the air field and one spring I didn't see him flying any more. I figured he sold or got rid of the thing till I inquired about it and someone said, "Oh, didn't you hear ? He was flying it cross country and something went wrong and he crashed and was killed in it". I guess he spent some time flying the pattern of the field and in the river valley and felt up to flying out over the hills. I think those Gyrocopterss may be better flown over flat land in still air.

In the 1950's the Army was intrigued with the ram jet tipped helicopters that
could carry one or two men. Problem was that they were so loud. Later one of the desingers of them (Eugene Gluhareff) in his retirement continued to work with the concept to develop the next generation of rotor propulsion jet which he called the "Pressure Jet". It had many advantages over the ram jet
the military used and was quieter. But the overall benefit of the powered rotor over the Gyro Copter was being able to fly it under power and have control opposed to relying on air pressure to turn the
rotor and provide lift.

http://www.rqriley.com/gluharef.html

Gluhareff called his last project "The Flying Motorbike" or EMG 300, and was flown in the early 90's. It was almost a remake of an earlier army Hiller helicopter which I believe he worked in the development of.

The HOE-1 was the military version in the early 50's using ram jets. (loud)

.

Now, just imagine wearing a back pack copter ? Gluhareff did and and built and flew it. Problem I see is the short travel
distance with the backpack unit and where do you dock the copter pack when you get there before going on with your motorbike ride ? That's why I like my 'Flying Phone Booth" idea as it could sit tied down and keep the rotor up off the ground where it would be safer and better for the rotating asembly.

Here's a 3D CAD view:

3D CAD Browser - 3D Model Preview - Gluhareff MEG-2X Helicopter

But I figure if anyone built the "Flying Phone Booth" they could have a powered copter to fly and or straddle the motor bike while flying it to ride after landing the copter. (and the copter would be in a form that could sit tied down safely an dependably to return to and fly home) With the newer more sophisticated "pressure jets" this is more viable a design than ever.

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

YouTube - gyro crash - gyrocopter crash . . . oh! no Gyro crash. And yet I still dare to dream and build. LOL

Good video! It seems to me that he didn't plan his landing too well. He came down on somewhat of a dive instead of slowly dropping parallel with the ground to land smoothly. Even if you lost power and as long as you're not flying too low, you should be able to glide right in for a smooth landing.

Dan, you're like me......nothing can deture you! Those mishaps by others are provided for us to show us what not to do. What's the percentage? 99% of ALL flight related mishaps are pilot error.

I can also relate to the seegull thing. There is a bluff near my house that's about 320" high and when ever I go up there to look out across the expanse, I am always envisioning spreading my wings and jumping off of it! The thrill to fly and ride the wind with a bird's eye view has a certain grip on me and I'm sure you can relate!

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

Hey EDJ, that Wright-Patterson museum is one awesome place to visit (been there twice) Anytime I have travelled anywhere it's the air museums that always grab my attention..................like their calling me home or something!

On a side note.....I always thought it'd be cool to live in the middle of an airplane junkyard!

 

[eDJ]

Re: Flying MBs

Hiker, I know what ya mean. There are people around here in Ohio who try to get there at least four times a year just to peruse the book store of that place.
It's grown so much since I was a kid.

If ya had a place out in the wilderness......ya could buy an old scrap Airliner and set it up as a house....... If there is a usable aux power plant in it for a generator you could make your own electric for your needs till you could hook up to the grid. Of course living in a airplane scrap yard could be a blast too.

I'm still yearning to get back to the Air and Space Museum/Smithsonian Institute
myself.

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

eDJ, that is one cool picture! I've got a nice strip of land, but I wonder what the township would think about it LOL!

Once I was doing some work on this land and someone asked me what I was doing and I told him that I needed to make some space for the tail section of a DC-10 I just bought! Of course I was kidding but he didn't know that and he looked at me like I needed to be locked up!

Where to get free junked airplanes..................?

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Oh Man! I wanted to make a house out of a junk plane for yrs. Or a house boat out of a marine helicopter or PBY. Cool thing about a PBY is it could be either. Just a weird "some day" thought I've had for a wile.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Re: Flying MBs

DANG-O!!! That is my kinda place!

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Large enough for a flying MB hanger/garage

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Found a kit for a flying boat. Is the right way to go. They have been threw all the "well that didn't work" costs. It has to be a heck of a lot safer then any thing I could build from scratch. All around just more prudent any way I look at it. Just hate losing the "I built it' thing. But again, it is the way to go. Now all I need is $10K plus flight training.

"Honey.....

Flying Boat A cool part of this is it is considered a trainer so have to be extra certified and it has a second seat.

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

Found a kit for a flying boat. Is the right way to go. They have been threw all the "well that didn't work" costs. It has to be a heck of a lot safer then any thing I could build from scratch. All around just more prudent any way I look at it. Just hate losing the "I built it' thing. But again, it is the way to go. Now all I need is $10K plus flight training.

"Honey.....

You're not going to lose the "I built it" thing, no matter what you try to do! In some ways it's better to go with getting one already built because then you always have something to work off, if neccessary.

By the way, those are some cool pics you posted!! I like the jet liner wedged into the trailer park

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Hiker, you are right and thank you.

I am meeting with a buddy today about another matter. He is a pilot, RC and scrap guy. LOL, gonna ask about getting a new "mobile home" Kind of a white trash, high class summer cottage.

(You might be a red-neck if you live in a restored DC10 )

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

Found a kit for a flying boat. Is the right way to go. They have been threw all the "well that didn't work" costs. It has to be a heck of a lot safer then any thing I could build from scratch. All around just more prudent any way I look at it. Just hate losing the "I built it' thing. But again, it is the way to go. Now all I need is $10K plus flight training.

"Honey.....

Flying Boat A cool part of this is it is considered a trainer so have to be extra certified and it has a second seat.

Hey Dan, I checked out that flying boat and that thing looks pretty cool! You know, I wonder how different that is, outside of the boat and the wing, compared to a powered parachute.

Check out EBay for "destiny powered parachute", current bid is $1525.00
I wonder if, if you could get a hold of some flying boat plans, you could incorporate one of these powered parachutes into the mix, because outside of the boat and the wing, all there is left is the engine and the cockpit, and the engine is what will hit your pocket book the most.

Just floating through the clouds of invention..........

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Thanks Hiker. The powered parachute is what started this whole craziness. It would be perfect. Easy to stow, transport tie up to a dock. Not to mention a whole lot safer and cheaper. I had given up on it thinking I couldn't take off from the water. Now I am wondering if facing upstream, could I just pull on the 2 steering lines and get enough chute out of the water to catch the prop wash to hoist it aloft? Could buy a used air boat, add a chute and up, up and away. LOL, like it will be that easy. Am having nightmares about balance.
Now I will have to buy or make a chute with a giant hot-dog. (Makes it a biz expense and tax deductible, snork)

I know I keep saying this but thank you all for your thoughts and knowledge. A good many of my ideas so far would not have worked or worked just long enough to go boom.

 

[hiker472]

Re: Flying MBs

Ya know, in the aircraft world, what they call "annuals" must be done on the engine at a required time and I believe every engine is different. If I remember correctly (Bikeguy Joe, help me out) it has to do with overhauling the emgine at a required number of hours. When you search for used aircraft, you may see "fresh annual", which means to say that they just rebuilt the engine.

My thought here is, is that I bet the price of the engine you may need would be a lot cheaper if you could find one that is close to its required annual. Then you could overhaul it yourself and save a ton of money.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Re: Flying MBs

An annual inspection is for the engine and airframe of Certificated aircraft. Engines have a TBO (time before overhaul). TBO's can range from 1000 to 2300 hrs. Unless the plane is used for hire you don't have to overhaul at TBO. As long as the engine passes the annual inspection. For the engine they check things like compression on each cylinder, they check and gap spark plugs, oil consumption, they check mags and carb. They just look for things that could be going wrong. There are also AD notes. (airworthyness directives). All AD notes have to be complied with in certificated aircraft to pass an annual inspection. It's usually a good idea to comply with said AD's in experimental aircraft. His plane would definitely be home built experimental and if he built it he would receive a repairmans certificate and he could do his own annual inspections. But no an annual is not an overhaul......................

 

[Dan]

Re: Flying MBs

Very cool guys. Good info.

Side note I can not find that any one has built a PPC boat. (Powered Parachute) One company has one in the works but no pics of it flying. I could finaly beat some one to production! LOL, my goal to reinvent the wheel.

This could be good if I am in fact first to fly one. Bad if there is a reason I am the latest last to try.