Incredible ultralight short field takeoff! 

Thanks! Always trying to find new ways to make the video interesting

Total gross was close to 550 pounds. The Ultracub with the 1/2 VW is known as a poor performer, partially due to wing loading, partially due to design, and partially due to the inherent performance limitations of the engine.

Thank you - great tip! Not all engine/prop combinations give the same ground clearance.

@@JimPfarr As you say, not enough ground clearance: I probably should have gotten the 3 blade 55" prop but the weight and thrust were so so much better with the 2 blade than anything I have ever used I just couldn't resist. Wheel landings require care when I shove the stick forward but a little muscle memory comes with practice and I've only dinged one blade if my luck holds:-)

Sorry, I don't have that data. Sadly I don't have a team of engineers on hand, and aside from that nobody typically provides this kind of hard information for ultralights.

I'm not sure since I didn't have someone there to help me measure, but I'm going to say it was around 700 ft. I'll have to put out markers for myself to find out

It’s hard to think of this as a short field capable ultralight when the quicksilver is about a 3 Mississippi from stationary to airborne.

This is a Belite Ultracub, it is no longer being made. It has flaperons, combined flaps and ailerons. You asked me this before on another video, why are you asking me again?

With an emergency parachute and careful weight management you can build an UC to stay below 278 pounds (Part 103 compliant). The 1/2 VW is on the heavy side but that's the price we pay for having a 4 stroke engine.

There's a half VW forum on Facebook, lots of helpful folks there who can help you.

Makuni carbs are simple and easy to adjust. Hard to sink because there spread out. Check valve lash, timing, advance mec. Idle air screw. To big of prop. 4 strokes like it lean. I'll be there because I have a 45hp to mount an run. Wondered the same.

I have a 54 x 24 with a slight modification to narrow the tip by 1/4 inch or so. My engine is a 86 x 94 (bored and stroked) so I'm getting around 42 hp.

@@JimPfarr what rpm is ur cruise and what speed are you getting?

@@Frank-uj5cr @3500 rpm I'm seeing 65 mph or a little more. I cruise at 3300 (I'm high on the gross weight) and get 60 mph or so

@@JimPfarr appreciate it, is your prop a culver? I have a old woods and was told the pitch from some of the older manufacturers was not as precise as those like prince or culver.

@@Frank-uj5cr Yes a Culver prop. I've spoken to Alaina Lewis there on several occasions, she'll customize a prop for you to meet your unique performance requirements.

How many hours of ultralight time do you have? Always looking for more enthusiasts, and we are in dire need of instructors.

Not at all. You have to pay attention to your airspeed in the climb. You're not going to get very high, but it will work nicely for 50 ft obstacle avoidance

Oh yah, built it from scratch. Ok design, but the company (and the owner) was as sketchy as the day is long. Flew good when the engine was in proper tune, but I had to fly at max gross wt. Crashed last August with an engine problem and sold the whole thing for peanuts.

@@JimPfarr yea it's an awesome look but the way the fuselage attached to to cab area is sketchy James put a used prop on it and it was way out of balance you could see an imprint from a different hub on it the fuselage was twisted the left wing root had 3/8 inch slack up and down on takeoff you would hear a clunk when the air lifted the wing all the wiring had loose connections and it caught fire 4 times underdash before I found the problem needless to say just the Texas heat destroyed the sailcloth and even melted the cheap glue the wings were put together with I only had 2 wright brothers flights and 1 2 mile round thru the pattern at 250 ft before I had to pretty much give up and park the junker sad I really like James and Cathy but they saw a sucker and capitolized

Sorry to hear that you got sucked into the Weibe charade. Come join my Badland/Ultracub page on Facebook, the Badland planes are a cousin to the UC and a huge improvement (owned by Chris Deuel - an outstanding indivdual)

@@JimPfarr yea iv seen the planes on RU-vid after I got weibed lol new word for screwed

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FImGxphcRkU.htmlsi=wxM8L01hNv8jtE8X

my plane flown by others, with either a kawaski 400 or rotax 503, i dont know, 9 seconds. 2 stroke 4 stroke doesnt matter. thats proven by the thumpair and briggs (top rpm 4400 with 1.8 to 1 redrive). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fn2hEtDPB8k.htmlsi=TYpCyTWmYApzs-Kd

same legal eagle briggs 23 much lighter pilot 11 seconds ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S20GaT-fRuk.htmlsi=-AlRXuwQNqlv15HF

What you see is typical for the 1/2 VW engine which is known to have an anemic climb rate of about 400 ft per minute, and I will grant you this configuration with me at the seat is hitting max gross weight. All that said, I have been making best use of the kit I bought knowing full well the limitations of the VW engine. This kit turned out to be a near total pig, once I got it flying I was pretty unhappy with it and made a big boy decision to make the best of what I had. I know full well the capabilities of 2 stroke engines and went for the vintage sound of the 1/2 VW. Building and flying planes is all about tradeoffs, and I as a fully informed builder made the decision I was happiest with. Consider me fully considered, and thanks for the comment.

@@JimPfarr thanks