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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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 Post subject: Flying Locost
PostPosted: October 12, 2011, 12:28 pm 
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Joined: March 14, 2008, 7:47 am
Posts: 199
http://mavericklsa.com

I'm going to visit these guys later this month to look at this and some other projects they have in the works.

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 Post subject: Re: Flying Locost
PostPosted: October 12, 2011, 12:43 pm 
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Joined: October 8, 2011, 3:53 pm
Posts: 109
Location: Niagara Falls, ON.
Neat!

Oddly (Or naturally?) enough I was thinking about this kind of thing the other night... went something like...

You can build a locost really light... so why not sling it under a large hang glider....

But the rogallo wing works too.


A locost version though, you'd need smooth paved runways I guess, suspension travel wouldn't be enough for grass landings. Which is why I guess they went for more of a buggy type deally.

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 Post subject: Re: Flying Locost
PostPosted: October 12, 2011, 12:50 pm 
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The design evolved from a need to reach remote areas in the desert or jungle, hence the buggy-like stance. They already have FAA approval as an LSA aircraft.

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 Post subject: Re: Flying Locost
PostPosted: October 26, 2011, 3:08 pm 
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Joined: June 20, 2010, 6:14 pm
Posts: 94
Location: San Benito TX
Steve Saint (the bearded pilot in some of the shots) created the Maverick to be useful in the jungle in Ecuador. He is involved with the tribe that killed his father (Nate Saint) and 3 others back in 1956. He wanted some technology that they could understand and use in the jungle to help with transportation and emergencies. He figures that if he can build something that he can sell here, he can use the profits to help the people in the mountains of Ecuador.

Steve drove the Maverick to Oshkosh EAA Flyin last year and got a lot of attention everywhere he went. It drives conventional on the ground (transmission driving the wheels) and uses the prop for flying. Tube frame covered with canvas for strength and light weight.


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 Post subject: Re: Flying Locost
PostPosted: December 11, 2011, 7:16 pm 
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Joined: March 19, 2011, 2:05 pm
Posts: 50
Weight would still very much be an issue with a locost frame or design. Their entire frame is 3/4" and 1/2" tubing, providing hardly more than a scaffolding to hold everything up with as little weight as possible, making it a fraction of the weight of a common locost chassis. Why they still used a car engine (a 2.5 subaru at that), aside from cost (with only 190hp on tap standard), is entirely beyond me, though. That, and I'm not a fan of their single-shear front a-arms on those long bolts, but I suppose it's less of an issue with its weight, low cornering forces (high CoG), and skinny tires that gain camber like crazy, and the fact it's made to spend much of its time in the air instead. :P

But I do love that it exists, and flies/drives as well as it seems to, though I'd personally swap in a motorcycle powerplant (50% less weight with an integrated transmission? yes please) and rearrange their suspension some. Parachute-assisted flying seems like such a logical, cheaper, easier move than a full blown winged/multi-engined car, I'd love to see where they take it from here. :)


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