Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ulose.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!timeinc!phri!pesnta!amd!amdcad!decwrl!decvax!ulose!bob From: bob@ulose.UUCP ( Bob Bismuth ) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Re: Re: Ultralight advice sought Message-ID: <110@ulose.UUCP> Date: Sun, 30-Jun-85 12:09:59 EDT Article-I.D.: ulose.110 Posted: Sun Jun 30 12:09:59 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 08:14:05 EDT References: <188@SCIRTP.UUCP> <800006@pbear.UUCP> Organization: CADMUS Computer Systems, Lowell, MA. Lines: 40 > > There are three simple avionics instruments that would make > ultralights MUCH more safe: > I should preface this with the statement that I don't consider myself any sort of expert on the subject of ultralights. Right, now the lecture: Anyone thinking of buying one should look into a few things. Hidden costs are one particular area people seem to neglect. Specifically, wing cover life. Unlike conventional aircraft tube & fabric construction, ultralights usually only cover the top wing surface and have no aircraft dope. This would seem to imply a relatively short life for the covering since dope is used to protect from sunlight caused deterioration. Can anyone comment on a typical ultralight cover life and cost? Construction techniques should be carefully examined. I have seen cases of load bearing steel bolts put directly through aluminium airframe tubing with no reinforcement of the tubing, not even some fender washers. That sort of thing would seem to be an accident waiting to happen. Finally, either the Army, Navy or both organizations have recently suspended their testing of a particular ultralight (can't remember the name of it) due to failure to recover from a spin. While ultralights are not required to survive a spin (with respect to FARs), the reason this one didn't bears some thought and careful inspection before purchase. It seems that the designers based their control stick movements on a diamond pattern, not a square box as is usually the case. This meant that at full elevator deflection, there was no aileron movement possible and at full aileron deflection there was no elevator movement possible. Interesting situation to get caught in during a steep turn, eh? Perhaps other people on the net could expand on these points, or give some other checks which should be made before purchasing a machine. -- bob (decvax!ulose!bob) *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***