Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/323139
38 Vol.3 No.6 / June 2014 LIGHT PL ANE WORLD ground to achieve flight captures everyone's imagination. When asked to tally up his total tandem flights this year at Sun 'n Fun, Paul returned a bit surprised to say he had made 35 setups and 33 successful tandem launches. On the other two attempts, the student stopped running or sat down in the harness too soon. PlanetPPG provides year-round train- ing in Cape Coral, Florida, and sells, rents, and leases back equipment. Find them at www.PlanetPPG.com . A lot of excitement also came from the fl ights of fi ve powered paraglider pilots fl ying with Paradrenalin USA of Phoenix, Arizo- na, including the owner, U.S. champion and record holder Ryan Shaw. (See www.Paradrenalin.com .) Spectators were treated to snappy launches, steep turns, foot drags, and knee slides that required very precise fl ying. Paradrenalin USA specializes in the Nirvana line of paramotors. It displayed powered paragliders that could be disassembled and packed into a single, hard-shelled carrying case. Nirvana products and training are also available from Eric Farewell in Florida at www.AviatorPPG.com . M-SQUARED TESTING ZENAIR RETRACTABLE GEAR ON FULL LOTUS FLOATS Paul Mather, manufacturer of the M-Squared Breese , has been chosen as the fi rst dealer to test the new Full Lotus fl oats with an electric retractable amphibious landing gear. Paul has a lot of experience operating Full Lotus fl oats in salt water. Full Lotus was sold about two years ago, and the entire manufactur- ing operation moved to a new plant next to the Zenair Aircraft factory in Ontario, Canada. The new company, Aircraft Floats Manufacturing, works exclusively with Zenair aluminum fl oats and Full Lotus infl atable fl oats to provide a wide range of fl oats for light-sport, experimental, and ultralight aircraft. The new gear retracts inside the fl oat and behind the step to reduce drag compared to earlier designs. Each main gear has individual hydraulic braking for ground steering. The nose wheels caster. Full Lotus fl oats are popular in Canada where they can substitute for skis on snow and be used on partially frozen lakes where thickness of the ice is a concern. The amphibious fl oats are currently available only in the 1,450-pound LSA size, and the price is $12,500 for the "landing gear that can go anywhere." Learn more at www.Full- Lotus.com/amphibious-fl oats . F L A RE A S SIS T ULT R A SONIC A LT IME T ER Searey specialist Jim Ratte of Rec- reational Mobility introduced a low- altitude ultrasonic altimeter to help experimental amphibian and sea- plane pilots judge their height when landing on glassy water. Flare Assist consists of a transducer mounted on the outside of the aircraft that uses pulses of sound waves to measure distance to the surface. The height is announced by software in the pilot's headset through a connection at the intercom, beginning at 15 feet of altitude and then counting down. The unit needs power and a connec- tion to the pitot system so it can sense when you are at fl ying speed. Even though it was conceived for landing on water, Jim said most of the inquiries at Sun 'n Fun came from land-based pilots. The kit is priced at $2,450 from SeareySpecialist.com . NE W BEL I T E F UEL SENSOR Belite Electronics introduced a new fuel sensor with no moving parts that threads into the bottom of any fuel tank. It does not protrude significantly into the tank and is im- mune to temperature, shock, vibration, or the effects of water contamination. The patent-pending new sensor uses micro electromechanical system (MEMS) technology. It's a micro machine with processors and micro sensors sealed in a stainless-steel unit. The sensor works with any liquid and measures pressure with suf cient dampening to allow for the sloshing of fuel. The unit can be calibrated by the user and works on tanks from 6 inches to 48 inches deep. The sensor includes a control module, programming switch, and connection harness. Available for $199.95 at BeliteAircraftStore.com/avionics . Watch for more photos and feature articles about the aircraft at Sun 'n Fun 2014 in upcoming issues of EAA Experimenter. Please send your comments and suggestions to dangrunloh2@gmail.com . Dan Grunloh, EAA 173888, is a retired scientist who began fl ying ultra- lights and light planes in 1982. He won the 2002 and 2004 U.S. National Microlight Championships in a trike and fl ew with the U.S. World Team in two FAI World Microlight Championships. A complete disassembled powered paraglider in a carrying case. Photography by Dan Grunloh E A A E X P _ J u n e 1 4 . i n d d 3 8 EAAEXP_June14.indd 38 6 / 3 / 1 4 8 : 4 2 A M 6/3/14 8:42 AM