Newbie Greetings from PNW

[Brock]

Greetings All!
I just wanted to sign-in and introduce myself.  Live in Vancouver, WA (NOT BC) and am interested in building a LEXL.  Have been flying since 1979, since I still love aviation but don't really have anyplace to go to (if only OSH was like 1K miles closer) I'm looking to go light for those flights where puching holes in the sky suffices.

If there are any LE's in the area I'd like to get tour of your bird and learn what I can.
Already have a deposit on a Verner 3VL which is going to be months in the making.  Well a build will be at least that long eh?

Good day & Blue skies.
-brs

[pappyadkins]

Welcome... I hear ya about Osh I say the same but farther south... If we can ever help remotely, let us know...

[Brock]

Well, Pappy, since you offered  , I do have a few questions.

Q1. Why Oxy instead of Tig for the airframe?  I do have a nice TIG but don't mind picking up an Oxy rig.

Q2. I was looking at the Badlands Aircraft build and noticed they use CNC router cut ribs.  Has anyone tried this with the LE?  Would it be stronger/weaker, heavier, etc?

Q3. A friend is thinking of selling his C-180 since he doesn't fly it much.  I told him what I was thinking (building a LEXL) and he asked if a 6'4" pilot would fit.  Would he?

[Kamcoman77]

Welcome to the Forum! Yes, a 6-4 pilot will fit in an XL. Watch YouTube videos by Les Homan (big man). Sign up for the Facebook Legal Eagle Ultralight and 1/2 VW Aircraft Engines pages. Search for posts by Josh Duff to see his beautiful XL he flies in Washington & Oregon. I think Josh lives on the coast in Oregon, just South of the Washington border.

[Brock]

Thank you Kamcoman,
Do you know what Josh Duff's screen name is on the forum?  I'd like to send him a PM.
Several years ago I cancelled FB and now it won't let me make another account.  On reason I am so glad this forum is on 'eaglersnest' and not FB.

[Kamcoman77]

I don't think Josh is on this forum. I did a search for his name and came up empty.

[Brock]

Thanks for looking.  That's too bad as it sounds like he is close by.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Q2. I was looking at the Badlands Aircraft build and noticed they use CNC router cut ribs.  Has anyone tried this with the LE?  Would it be stronger/weaker, heavier, etc?

Generally speaking.. routed ribs are quicker to build and a little heavier. It's hard to go wrong with a built up truss rib, IMHO.

[pappyadkins]

Well, Pappy, since you offered  , I do have a few questions.

Q1. Why Oxy instead of Tig for the airframe?  I do have a nice TIG but don't mind picking up an Oxy rig.

Q2. I was looking at the Badlands Aircraft build and noticed they use CNC router cut ribs.  Has anyone tried this with the LE?  Would it be stronger/weaker, heavier, etc?

Q3. A friend is thinking of selling his C-180 since he doesn't fly it much.  I told him what I was thinking (building a LEXL) and he asked if a 6'4" pilot would fit.  Would he?

As far as Q1... I Tigged mine & many others have as well... there have also been many that used gas as well... So I wouldn't buy a gas rig if you already have a tig machine, just my opinion...
Q2... I agree with Chuck... remember 254# is hard to hit if you add weight...
Q3... Yes 6'4" has successfully built & flew... Remember, you're building it, you can 'modify' hight of connection points too...

[Brock]

Well, obviously lite is nice.  However since I have a license and am current I'm going to keep my options of converting to EAB/51% open.  I like that it gives me more options as far as operations, fuel, etc.
Thanks everyone for your good hard earned information.

"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."

[Kamcoman77]

Sounds like you might want to consider building a Double Eagle with a narrowed fuselage (if you only need one seat). It uses the full-size VW, saving a lot of machining. It also has a 4130 tail so the whole plane can be TIG welded. If you build it light, the Verner might work just fine although the VW will save you about $4000.

[Brock]

Sounds like you might want to consider building a Double Eagle with a narrowed fuselage (if you only need one seat). It uses the full-size VW, saving a lot of machining. It also has a 4130 tail so the whole plane can be TIG welded. If you build it light, the Verner might work just fine although the VW will save you about $4000.

Well, the deposit for the Verner has been sent and recieved.  However there is a 1/2 VW on the field that I know can be had for a song.  I struggled with doing the double and even the enclosed Eagle.  Reason being, I've got grand kids who will be, in a few years, old enough to enjoy a flight.  In the end I decided to do the Verner (first) because it is cool and I wanted to build something cool.  Took awhile to settle on the LEXL and what you are suggesting makes sense but I don't want to fly a larger aircraft unless I power it appropriately, which would mean nixing the Verner.  Jumping to a Verner 5 is more than I'm up for.

I wouldn't feel this way if I hadn't something else to fly (Sportsman & Sonex).

Could be that once I get a LEXL under my belt that I might become a repeat builder and go for the Double Eagle.  I could borow the VW from the Sonex.  ;-)

[Chuck in Indiana]

This could be you.. (holding the stick with my knees and taking a picture of pilot's eye view)

As you can see, visibility is awesome, and it's even better out the sides. I've flown open cockpit airplanes a fair amount, but Bullet takes it to another level.
It will take you a year if you stay right at it. Make sure you are getting the latest iteration of the Verner with the cast in engine mounts. I think it is the 3VLA (?)

[Brock]

Nice pic.  Like the wide open fields of the MW.  We had open land like that here 20 years ago.  Is that a standing-lenticular cloud or a reflection.  Thought those needed some sort of mountain.  Nice to see some folks are still using linux.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Fortunately, we don't have lenticulars in the midwest.
So far..