Long-EZ N916WP - Project Update: Winglets, Rudders & Cowlings 

You can find used plans on places like Barnstormers or search for TERF plans, which are PDFs of the original plans. If you can't find anything let me know. Good luck!

I only reduced the height of the lower winglet (vertical stab). Many builders remove the lower winglet altogether and there are a ton of canards out there flying with no lower winglet... a very common mod. The upper winglet is stock size and position. That being said, the rudder is modified with the top and bottom cut level with the ground/wind, versus 90° to the rudder trailing edge (top & bottom rudder lines angled). This too has proven to be stable with a virtually imperceptible affect on flight characteristics in canard aircraft configured so. And yes, the LEZ rudders only deflect outward, and are separate in operation. This allows for deploying both out while on final approach as airbrakes to slow the plane down. Also, the configuration is such in the rudder/brake pedal that you cannot push on the brakes without outward deflection of the rudder: thus, airbrake always before wheel braking to save brake pad wear and minimize brakes getting hot.

I bet he has some cool machining toys! His name is Sam from Saber Machining while I said Vance, who is a well-known canardian in TX that makes stuff as well. Cheers!

My bird will be a bit heavy, estimated around 1050 lbs, but that is my choosing to throw all the "goodies" in at the beginning. A lot of builders start with lighter planes but within 3-5 years add in extra stuff, like a cockpit heater, etc. and the weights typically go higher. The original Long-EZ had an O-235 and a short nose. Most these days have an O-320 sized motor and a longer nose (like mine) with the battery farther forward to offset the engine weight. When you say max gross weight of 1325 lbs. I think you're mistaking the Long-EZ for an LSA. It's not. The max gross weight is higher than that. I haven't gotten into all the particulars on that and W&B just yet as at this point I'm just trying to get the plane built in the lightest way possible. Thanks for watching!

The original LEZ pilots manual shows design gross wt. 1,325lbs. Maximum landing weight is the same. Takeoffs up to 1,420lbs are acceptable off smooth surfaces with 6ply tires at 80psi. Inflight limits become 3.8g at this weight. Cautions that off-airport landings above 1,325 become exponentially less survivable as weight increases. Owners Manual pages 30, 39. For all the "Experimental" in the Long-EX community. The fact nobody has increased the main spar cap and shear-web thickness by several plies, or used S2-Glass as Melvilles used, or increased the strength of landing gear legs either, is beyond me. These are simple mods that require no dimension changes to the aerodynamic surfaces on the aircraft. No change to any dimension anywhere, other than spar depth in foam. Or simply using S2-Glass. Or adding 8-10 unidirectional S2-Glass plies to the gear legs. Any one of these would improve structural safety and bring the stress/strain back into spec for fatigue and allow for the original G-limits at higher gross weights.

Thanks Dave! I talked a good bit with Buly and my engine shop owner (a former LEZ driver) when I was having the engine assembled, and both had a lot of time with their respective spiders up top and both claimed no issues over a ton of flying hours. Still, I've already recon'd the low-side engine and have a mounting spot, rough mount specs and approximate tube lengths ID'd. Not gonna lie though, my curiosity wants to know how this high vs low spider mount thing really compares given various examples. I've never seen anything in print before though other than in forums, so thanks for the Airflow Performance reference!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Yessir! ;) I should have given you a shout out for your work too on those rudders... thanks Bro!

Thanks!