Tandem Canard Alternatives?

[Patchntx]

Years ago I read a suggestion somewhere, that instead of building a modern Long EZ, it might be easier to build a tandem Cozy MkIV and get all the benefits of the upgraded designs. Has this ever been done?

 

I see discussion all the time of builders and dreamers who want to make this longer, or that wider, etc. and of course the never ending discussions of a modern Long EZ with everything that was learned from the CP's, Newsletters, Cozy Mk IV, and Berkut advancements all built in. It does seem intuitive that narrowing a MkIV makes more sense that enlarging and modifying a Long EZ. 

 

Anything like that ever happened?

[Jon Matcho]

I do not know of that actually happening myself, but recall that suggestion being mentioned. Considering the known issues with the Long-EZ gear, an obvious improvement would be to use the Cozy IV main gear mounting design.  I do not know what the Cozy III gear mounting design is, but I suspect it's the same as a Long-EZ.

 

Personally, I would look at an aerodynamic design closer to the Cozy III but with the structural design improvements (whatever they are) found in the Cozy IV plans.  My reasoning is that the Cozy III is essentially a widened Long-EZ (same gear for example) while the Cozy IV introduces a stronger (and heavier) gear bow.

 

Excellent thought IMO, so I moved this post out of the Coffee House... the result would still be a "modern Long-EZ" though. 

 

 

[Kent Ashton]

Years ago I read a suggestion somewhere, that instead of building a modern Long EZ, it might be easier to build a tandem Cozy IV

I think most people who want a bigger EZ enlarge the EZ rather than narrow the Cozy. But the advantage of the Cozy IV is more robust MLG mounted on sturdier bulkheads and better (wider) engine mount points. These can easily be adapted to an EZ. I did this on my Long-ez project. The larger Cozy-IV wing could be used on a big EZ if a (shortened) Cozy centerspar is used but that raises a question of what size canard to use.

 

If one was going to build a heavier EZ, i suppose the big wing would be a plus.

 

The advantage of an EZ over a Cozy is that the copilot doesn't change the CG very much and you don't have to shuffle ballast bags around but many wives are not crazy about riding in an EZ back seat. The EZ is also a thriftier airplane (smaller engine, less fuel used)

 

A bigger EZ still wouldn't have the luggage capacity of a Cozy, though.

 

For my EZ with downdraft cooling, i am planning a centerline travel pod of about 10". I already installed two mount points for it