Right beside
the Flying Squirrel was another one of Scott Lands
very innovative designs, the all wood Cloudster II. If
you are looking for that "breeze up your pant
legs type of flying" you aren't going to find
anything closer than this.
The Cloudster was introduced at Oshkosh about 3 years ago but only in a
static display. This year it was up and flying. While the plane looked
the same as the previous craft, it has undergone several design changes,
including a shorter wing, thus the new designation Cloudster II. The
clipping of the wings by 3 feet has improved the handling of the plane
and the addition of the 340 liquid cooled Kawasaki 35 hp engine coupled
to Scott's own 2.5 to 1 belt reduction drive has given the plane a
little more zip.
The major components of the plane are all
wood with metal struts. The plane is available in plans or as sub
component kits. According to the pilot I interviewed the planes
construction is very similar to that of a wood model aircraft kit, and
can be built by anyone using standard hand tools, in an area about the
size of a two car garage, over 400 to 500 hours.
Once up and ready to fly the plane gets
off the ground in about 75 feet, lifting off at about 25 mph. With the
340 Kawasaki engine a climb out speed of 45 mph with give a climb rate
of about 900 feet per minute, with cruise coming in at around 55 mph.
Weight as equipped at the show came in at
245 lbs. making it a legal ultralight weight wise in the U.S. The
"flying crotch rocket" as one bystander described it, uses
conventional stick and rudder for controls, in a tail dragger
configuration, with the pilots legs going up the side of the
fuselage to the rudder pedals.
A flying "Cloudster" will run
the average pilot about $4500.00 to build, which would include the kit,
engine, some instruments, paint etc.
For more info contact:
Scott Land
Pop's Props
R.R. # 1 Box 98 Cooksville IL
61730
|
