• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Enclosing an Evans Volksplane VP-2

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

cluttonfred

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Messages
10,723
Location
World traveler
I have always liked the VP-2 but it's a bit of an odd bird, quite big for a single-seater but not quite wide enough for a real two-seater. The photos of the original flying two-up show the passenger with an arm literally around the pilot's shoulders. That actually fit the original design brief, which was a successor the single-seat, open-cockpit VP-1 big enough to take a friend up for a short hop.

Of course, builders are always looking to "improve" the design which means there have been dozens of different cabin/canopy modifications to the VP-2. Below are a few that I like, but the problem with all of them is that, by enclosing the previously open cockpit, you have reduced shoulder room from infinity to the width of the fuselage and made it even more cramped flying two-up.

I have been scheming some tricky cushion arrangements to provide staggered seating when flying two-up, and I can easily imagine a removable or convertible canopy or cabin top to fly enclosed when solo and open cockpit when two-up. But neither is a real solution to the basic problem. I'd rather not have to widen the fuselage because of the changes that would then cascade through the whole design.

Does anyone have any suggestions and/or inspirations on how you might enclose the VP-2 cockpit in a way that maximizes width at the shoulders without looking hideous?

Cheers,

Matthew
 

Attachments

  • evans vp-2 sport aviation cover (medium).jpg
    evans vp-2 sport aviation cover (medium).jpg
    68.1 KB · Views: 963
  • VP-IIOpenerWEB.jpg
    VP-IIOpenerWEB.jpg
    27.3 KB · Views: 302
  • 35497d1413730408-looking-build-ultralight-1001_wombplans.jpg
    35497d1413730408-looking-build-ultralight-1001_wombplans.jpg
    75.8 KB · Views: 1,931
  • 1088782F.jpg
    1088782F.jpg
    50.7 KB · Views: 400
  • 27852.jpg
    27852.jpg
    53 KB · Views: 453
  • 1146024M.jpg
    1146024M.jpg
    72.3 KB · Views: 374
Last edited:
Back
Top