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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)


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