Aerolite 103 – Aircraft of the month

October 26, 2019October 26, 2019 / Spencer Gould

After going to major airshows like Oshkosh & Sun N Fun since the early 90’s the one ultralight that really stood out to me as a “solid aircraft” is the Aerolite 103. The design is extremely clean with only the bare basics needed for flight.

Brand new fully complete fly away cost are $20 – 25K (circa 2019)

Kits minus engine start at under $14K (circa 2019)

The web site for the 103 is:

https://www.uflyit.com/aerolite_103_specifications.htm

The main distributor is located in DeLand Florida @ KDED

Engine options range from 30 HP Kawasaki’s to 50 HP Hirth’s

at one point Hobby King produced an electric powered RC model of the aerolite 103 cleverly called the aerosport 103.

Model aviation magazine did a write up in 2015:

https://www.modelairplanenews.com/hobbyking-aerosport-103-gpep-scale-ultralight-balsa-2390mm-arf/

You may be able to find one on eBay. With the open frame structure this would be tricky to scratch build as an RC aircraft

Refining Heat-Shrink Covering Techniques – Model Aviation Article.

October 19, 2019October 19, 2019 / Spencer Gould

Found a great Model Aircraft covering article in AMA’s model aviation magazine that may give the old school balsa builder some pointers.

http://www.modelaviationdigital.com/modelaviation/october_2019/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=1520545#articleId1520545

This should get you directly to the article. Content & photo from the AMA.

Looking for a new covering iron? Check out this model from Hangar 9 #ad

Film Covering is still my favorite way to finish an RC plane. learning the craft is the quickest, lightest and most durable method I have seen. Some of my handy work from back in the day:

Don’t forget a covering iron is only half of the effort, the other end is the heat gun work, check out this model also from Hangar 9 #ad

Sea / Rescue Streamer – Product of the Month

October 7, 2019 / Spencer Gould

Quite the clever and practical solution for emergency situations in an Aircraft.

I saw this streamer on Shark Tank the other day and combined with the benefits I can see how this could be a great safety device for your aircraft. Beyond its name targeting marine operations / flying over water its also ideal for the desert and remote areas.

Doing most of my flight training in remote Arizona this a product I wish I had in my flight bag.

Tested and proven by the US Military this rescue streamer offers some advantages over other rescue signaling devices.

Continuous signaling both with the orange streamer and with chem-lights for night time signaling.
No batteries or electronics to fail in your time of need.
Compact and light weight for storage.