RaptorAirWorks

Interested in the retract, can you send me info?

Location?

What year built? Were you the builder?

Is this a restoration?

The cap or the trough sounds like the chicken or the egg ? Isn't Everyone is correct? Mark says its the depth of the trough and John says its the cap thickness but I would think your plans SHOULD make it obvious that they are the same. Why don't you call Steve James at Eureka 702-416-8729 and ask him what depth he cuts the spar trough. (obviously its tapered)

It's only destructive testing if it breaks

I don't understand why you are comparing the spar cap lay-up to other aircraft? There could be scaling issues with your drawings. Just follow the spar cap schedule.

Well the frame is only 12" where the GIB's shoulders would be so making it a two seat plane would require major modifications. Right now I see the plane as a concept demonstrator. There are things I want to try out so the modular construction will allow me to try different things. I don't think there is a need for a tandem two seat plane that is just marginally smaller than the LE. In this single seat configuration, 200# lighter than the LE and with 130 fuel injected HP from the most technically advanced engine in experimental aviation, I think it will be a hot rod. The next version could be without strakes or perhaps put the engine in front of the spar an have a single seat E-Racer.

New spar worked as planned. :) You can see the difference between the standard Varieze spar and the one designed for this plane. No anhedral among other things. Wings were a donation for the test.

First attempt at load testing the spar. Didn't go so well, bad spar. (old story)

Fuel cell is 7 layers of Kevlar

Here is the frame completed. The canard mount was changed to a more flexible design to avoid stressing the lift tabs. you could just about complete the plane and run the engine, perhaps even taxi test before putting on the shell.

Thanks! You let the cat out of the bag too soon Weight with the O290 was going to hit around 690 but with the Honda/Viking it is looking to be about 720. It is a little heavy but I guess all prototypes are? I know where to cut the weight on the next one. But I will say that my seat is 25#, it was an extravagant addition... As far as a second seat... my thoughts are that there is a LE for that so why not resurrect the VE as a single. The pilot seat is 8" aft and the fuel is behind the pilot seat, 18 gallons with room for 30 total. the strakes are empty.

When I started I was thinking about kits, but lets see how it flys. I think I am going to build more than one for sure.