rotax618
Well-Known Member
I posted these photos on another thread relating to the Winton Opal, but I think it is interesting enough for a thread on its own.
The photos were captured stills from an old video “Australian Ultralights and their Pilots”, I visited the builder many years ago and inspected the machine - I’m not sure he is still alive as he was more ancient than myself at the time. The airframe is/was in a hangar at South Grafton NSW Australia.
The aircraft is probably classed as a pusher Plank rather than a “Prop in slot” even though the elevator is behind the prop. The engine was an inverted 60hp outboard marine engine using direct drive, the builder estimated 40hp in that configuration, he said that the engine was pretty unreliable which stopped him doing more flight testing.
He reported that the takeoff run was a short 150metres and a similar landing distance, the Plank displayed no vices and had no discernible stall, only a higher sink rate.
The airframe was extremely simple and used a single 100mm tube spar and ply ribs.
I don’t know who I could contact to get permission to put that part of the video on youtube.
The photos were captured stills from an old video “Australian Ultralights and their Pilots”, I visited the builder many years ago and inspected the machine - I’m not sure he is still alive as he was more ancient than myself at the time. The airframe is/was in a hangar at South Grafton NSW Australia.
The aircraft is probably classed as a pusher Plank rather than a “Prop in slot” even though the elevator is behind the prop. The engine was an inverted 60hp outboard marine engine using direct drive, the builder estimated 40hp in that configuration, he said that the engine was pretty unreliable which stopped him doing more flight testing.
He reported that the takeoff run was a short 150metres and a similar landing distance, the Plank displayed no vices and had no discernible stall, only a higher sink rate.
The airframe was extremely simple and used a single 100mm tube spar and ply ribs.
I don’t know who I could contact to get permission to put that part of the video on youtube.
