Flylight Doodle Bug

Last updated

Doodle Bug
Role Powered hang glider
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Flylight Airsports
Introduction 1999
Status Production completed
Unit cost
US$4000 (2000 price)

The Flylight Doodle Bug is a British powered hang glider that was designed and produced by Flylight Airsports starting in 1999. [1] [2] [3] The aircraft is now out of production.

Powered hang glider

A foot-launched powered hang glider (FLPHG), also called powered harness, nanolight, or hangmotor, is a powered hang glider harness with a motor and propeller in pusher configuration. An ordinary hang glider is used for its wing and control frame, and the pilot can foot-launch from a hill or from flat ground, needing a length of about a football field to get airborne, or much less if there is an oncoming breeze and no obstacles.

Contents

Design and development

The aircraft features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, single-place accommodation in the seated position, foot-launching and landing and a single engine in pusher configuration. [1]

Pusher configuration arrangement of propellers on an aircraft to face rearward

In a vehicle with a pusher configuration, the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). According to British aviation author Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind the engine, so that the drive shaft is in compression.

The aircraft uses a standard hang glider wing, made from bolted-together aluminium tubing, with its single surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. The wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The engine is a lightweight, two-stroke, single cylinder Radne Raket 120 of 14 hp (10 kW). The Doodle Bug differs from other powered hang gliders in that the pilot flies in the seated position. A cloth fairing behind the pilot streamlines drag and provides space for baggage stowage. The propeller is protected on the ground by two support legs that retract automatically when the pilot assumes the normal flying position, though pressure on the foot rest. Electric starting is optional. [1] [2] [3]

Aluminium Chemical element with atomic number 13

Aluminium or aluminum is a chemical element with symbol Al and atomic number 13. It is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic and ductile metal in the boron group. By mass, aluminium makes up about 8% of the Earth's crust; it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon and the most abundant metal in the crust, though it is less common in the mantle below. The chief ore of aluminium is bauxite. Aluminium metal is so chemically reactive that native specimens are rare and limited to extreme reducing environments. Instead, it is found combined in over 270 different minerals.

The Radne Raket 120 is a lightweight single cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine used for powered hang gliders, paramotors and ultralight aircraft that is built by Radne Motor AB of Haninge, Sweden.

Aircraft fairing

An aircraft fairing is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag.

Specifications (Doodle Bug)

Data from Cliche [1]

General characteristics

Aircraft engine Engine designed for use in powered aircraft

An aircraft engine is a component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines, except for small multicopter UAVs which are almost always electric aircraft.

Polyurethane polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links

Polyurethane is a polymer composed of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. While most polyurethanes are thermosetting polymers that do not melt when heated, thermoplastic polyurethanes are also available.

Leading edge

The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one. As an example of the distinction, during a tailslide, from an aerodynamic point of view, the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and vice versa but from a structural point of view the leading edge remains unchanged.

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 25 mph (40 km/h; 22 kn)
  • Stall speed: 14 mph (23 km/h; 12 kn) depending on wing employed
  • Rate of climb: 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)

Related Research Articles

The Blue Yonder EZ Fun Flyer is a Canadian twin-engined ultralight aircraft that was designed by Wayne Winters and is produced by Blue Yonder Aviation of Indus, Alberta. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The LEAF Trike is an American ultralight trike that was designed and produced by Leading Edge Air Foils in the 1980s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

The Lookout Mountain SkyCycle, also marketed as The Freedom Machine, is an American ultralight trike that was designed by Matt Taber, produced by Lookout Mountain Flight Park of Rising Fawn, Georgia and introduced in 1997. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction and also as plans.

The BP Parawing is an American paramotor/powered parachute designed and produced by Spartan Microlights.

The Pegasus Booster is a British powered hang glider that was designed and produced by Pegasus Aviation.

Swedish Aerosport Mosquito

The Swedish Aerosport Mosquito is a Swedish powered hang glider designed and produced by Swedish Aerosport and introduced in 1995.

The Airborne T-Lite is an Australian ultralight trike, designed and produced by Airborne Windsports of Redhead, New South Wales. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Aquilair Kid is a French ultralight trike designed and produced by Aquilair of Theizé. The aircraft is supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

Flylight Dragonfly British ultralight trike design

The Flylight Dragonfly is a British ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and produced by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Flylight E-Dragon is a British electric ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and prototyped by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft was under development in 2011.

Flylight Motorfloater

The Flylight Motorfloater is a British ultralight trike, designed by Ben Ashman and produced by Flylight Airsports of Northamptonshire. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The PowerTrike Light is a German ultralight trike and powered parachute, designed and produced by PowerTrike of Mackenbach. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Bilsam Sky Walker is a Polish paramotor designed and produced by Bilsam Aviation of Poznań for powered paragliding. The aircraft is supplied as a complete ready-to-fly-aircraft.

The Adventure R series is a family of French paramotors that was designed and produced by Adventure SA of Méré, Yonne for powered paragliding. Now out of production, when they were available the aircraft were supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Airtime Explorer is an Australian powered hang glider harness that was designed and produced by Airtime Products of Airlie Beach, Queensland. Now out of production, when it was available, it was supplied assembled.

The Rad MXL is a British paramotor that was designed by John Radford and produced by Rad Aviation of Kidlington for powered paragliding. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Wasp SP Mk2 is a British powered hang glider that was designed and produced by Wasp Systems of Crook, Cumbria. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Winds Italia Raven is an Italian powered hang glider that was designed by champion hang glider pilot Randy Haney and produced by his company Winds Italia of Bologna. Now out of production, when it was available the aircraft was supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

The Winds Italia Orbiter is a family of Italian paramotors that were designed by Randy Haney and produced by his company Winds Italia of Bologna for powered paragliding. Now out of production, when the series was available the aircraft were supplied complete and ready-to-fly.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page C-33. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN   0-9680628-1-4
  2. 1 2 Flylight Airsports (n.d.). "Flylight Doodle Bug" . Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 67. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.