Fantastic article. I`m destined to build one, just get started! My second bedroom is too small, my garage is renovated and I am very motivated to rent it out and it leaves just enough space in my back patio, assuming 1 tenant parks a car there but I digress. I always wanted to get my license, but having recently paid for 1 flight hour (1 flight hour and 3 hours instructor time!), which is somewhat understandable given the ground training, I was able to build this aircraft before I could afford to complete my pilot training. That`s not to say I don`t enjoy private pilot training very much, I`m sure I`ll continue to increase my hours over the years, especially in an LSA rating at a minimum, but the honest truth is that the complexity and cost of an LSA rating is so prohibitive that it drives the majority of the public away from general aviation. Which is a real shame! When I first heard about ultralight aircraft and saw this legal eagle powered by a VW, I knew it was one. I had a sand rail and I like to remember (or so I tell myself) when I got stuck in a bowl near the dunes of Pismo (mostly crappy bare tires…) and the carburetor cover came off one of the carburetors and sucked sand into the engine and grabbed it. Long story short, VW engines are ridiculously easy to use and I remember an old friend and I holding the engine on either side while my mom took a picture. It was the good old days, but I want more good days and I am convinced without a doubt that I have to build this plane. I have the tools, the money, just enough experience to think I can finish it and. I guess I have no excuse not to start now that I FINALLY have a home! At one day, I hope, maybe in Oshkosh or at the next LE meeting 🙂 The best place to check is Barnstormers.com, check out eaglersnest.com too.
Also check with EAA locals and the Legal Eagle Ultralight Facebook group The Legal Eagle is so named because it can be built in accordance with the United States of America FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulation, even if it is equipped with a four-stroke engine. [1] [7] But the most intriguing aspect of the Legal Eagle for this motorhome manufacturer is not the mechanical details, but the extreme simplicity and purity of the small aircraft. This is an aircraft construction, reduced to the simplest elements – no avionics, electricity, interior, hood or expensive paint. Every component of the aircraft is on display for easy access and inspection. The simplicity, slowness and low cost of the Eagle stand in stark contrast to the complexity, speed and cost of the motorhome. Just as the RV is perfectly suited to its use, the minimalism of the Eagle makes it perfect for its mission. Data from Cliche, Better Half VW and Kitplanes[1][5][10][11] A VR-6 owner discovers the simple pleasures of building and flying an airplane that rewards lows and slows. The Legal Eagle XL is the latest version of the classic Legal Eagle ultralight aircraft, first designed by Leonard Milholland 20 years ago. There are many options for tradespeople who want to build light, simple aircraft that meet the parameters of Part 103, but Milholland`s aircraft deviate from the ultra-light convention by being designed around a four-stroke engine.
Two-stroke engines have always been the norm for ultralights, but after 250 hours of Rotax flight, my interest in a two-stroke engine waned. The failure mode of a four-stroke engine is more predictable and the exhaust tone more pleasant. Half of the VW uses the rear two cylinders of a Beetle-based engine to get an engine light enough to fit in Part 103 if careful attention is paid to the design and construction of the airframe. Milholland is fanatical in “giving lightness” to his creations, and the Legal Eagles are exercises in elegance that contain only what is necessary to accomplish the mission – nothing more. These priorities translate into an ultra-light aircraft with conventional design and flight characteristics and the four-stroke reliability that many of us demand. The Eagle is a ticket to the regulatory and medical freedom offered by Part 103 and is appealing to pilots who may already own a heavier aircraft, but also want to enjoy an easy, inexpensive and hassle-free flight. The aircraft was developed in several variants of the basic design, including the XL version for large pilots and a two-seat ultralight trainer and a light sports aircraft. [7] [8] [9] [2] Over the years, I`ve tried several options, the first being the exhaust tips used on a VW engine exhaust at either end of my 1/2Vw engine. Works well except they get clogged and HP goes slightly north of zero. This test shows that the use of two tractor mufflers and aircraft gearboxes reduces noise by about 6 dBa, which equates to a reduction of about 50%, with a total weight of about 3 pounds when exhaust pipe stabilizers are added.