Fly Our FrankenPlane: The PopMech AeroDream

In real life there's no such thing as a perfect airplane. Every design element must balance benefits and disadvantages with regard to the nature of the intended mission. But never mind all that. PM decided to build the ultimate fantasy plane by choosing our favorite parts from different aircraft and kluging them together to create a Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) that can operate year-round. We call this hot little number the PopMech AeroDream.

Not content to simply illustrate the PopMech AeroDream, we solicited X-Plane flight simulator creator Austin Meyer for advice on the design?and a chance to see the aircraft soar onscreen.

Our first design had problems with the tail. Meyer recommended enlarging both the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. "It would fly a little better if you could lower the prop and engine and lower the base of the tail down an equal amount to allow the prop clearance," he advised.

That accomplished, we sent the new configuration to Meyer so that he could model the notional aircraft in flight. He does this by breaking the plane into about 100 sections and analyzing the aerodynamics of each part. These figures form the basis of the simulation.

The Flyer is airworthy but has its drawbacks. "Stability and control are good, but the prop is well above the center of gravity," Meyer says. "You must add power gently, pulling the stick aft, to avoid nosing over."

He also notes that the aircraft's twin vertical stabilizers are not in the wash of the propeller. "As a result, the vertical stabilizers are of very limited effectiveness at low speeds," Meyer says. "This means that the nose will pull to the side during takeoff."

So it's not perfect?but it's fun! Try flying it yourself at popularmechanics.com/xplane.

SPECS

1300 TAKEOFF WEIGHT (POUNDS)
28 FUEL (GALLONS)
950 TAKEOFF DISTANCE (FEET)
1250 MAX CLIMB (FEET PER MINUTE)
135 MAX SPEED (KNOTS)
125 CRUISE SPEED (KNOTS, 70% POWER)
650 RANGE (KNOTS, AT CRUISE SPEED)

1: LANDING GEAR

We, ahem, borrowed the landing gear from the Akoya luxury LSA, which has skis for backcountry snow. With the flick of a switch, the craft also converts to a seaplane with hydrofoil blades.

2: TAIL

In 1933 a young designer named Kelly Johnson solved instability problems in the Lockheed Electra by swapping its conventional tail for a striking H-shaped one. The AeroDream enjoys the same benefit at high speeds.

3: WINGS

Long, thin wings generate lift and save fuel. Pilots can shut off the engine and ride updrafting thermals as if in a glider. On the downside, moving the nose of an airplane with long wings up or down too much can cause a stall.

4: CANOPY

A bubble canopy offers all-around visibility and great situational awareness. Today the Evektor SportStar LSA is among the many recreational planes with a similar design.

5: ENGINE

When landing on seas, glaciers, or sand dunes, it's necessary for the propeller to be out of the way. We mounted ours atop the fuselage. The three short propeller blades generate the same power as two longer ones.

6: COCKPIT

Glass panels display synthetic vision maps that mesh satellite location with terrain databases. Collision avoidance is as easy as looking at the flight path overlaid on the moving map on the screen and taking appropriate action.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/diy-flying/fly-our-frankenplane-the-popmech-aerodream-14817596?src=rss

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