Woodhopper
ultralight aircraft, Woodhopper experimental aircraft, Woodhopper experimental light sport aircraft (ELSA), Light Sport Aircraft Pilot News
newsmagazine.
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Light Sport Aircraft Pilot is a directory of aircraft that generally fit
into what are described as ultralight aircraft, advanced ultralight
aircraft,
light sport aircraft, experimental light sport aircraft, experimental
aircraft, amateur built aircraft, ELSA or homebuilt
aircraft in the United States and Canada. These include
weight shift aircraft, more commonly known as trikes,
powered parachutes, and powered para-gliders.
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Woodhopper ultralight, experimental
lightsport, amateur built aircraft.
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Yes Martha, there is a wood
hopper! On July 3,
1981 Popular Mechanics would offer the Wood Hopper. Number
33 in the long line of flying machines designs offered in
plans form. It was built and flown by John Chotia.
After a brainstorming session with editors of Popular
Mechanics magazine, while at the 1980 E.A.A Oshkosh air
show, John set out to design and build a low cost airplane
using readily available materials and simple but proven
construction techniques.
The result was a delightful
blend of the modern and the traditional, a nostalgic all
would taildragger, sporting a wider range 32 foot wing and
tail feathers reminiscent of the Wright Brothers era. |
Ad Code TwoHere |
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A tractor mounted engine, two
axis control system and ample dihedral combine to make the
wood hopper. A stable yet responsive wire, the ideal formula
for an ultralight aircraft.
Weighing in at 149 pounds, the wood hopper is a foot
launchable, part 103 legal ultralight aircraft. Top grade
wood spars are teamed with fiberglass capped Styrofoam ribs
to form the light weight, but incredibly strong wing and
tail surfaces, which are then covered with ceconite using
the time honored dope and fabric method of aircraft
covering. The fuselage boom is a hefty spruce spar
reinforced with fiberglass, and plywood sheet.
Affectionately dubbed Big Bird
by the Weedhopper flight testing team, the all yellow
airplane was ruled out of the hangar on a July evening for
the first series of flight tests. After a skitterish
high-speed taxi test down the strip, test pilot John Chotia
poured the coal to the 460 CC powered craft and rolled a
scant 75 feet before lifting off into a perfect sky.
After a few preliminary
solo passes for the camera, the Woodhopper was joined by a
pair of Weedhoppers for some formation flying. The new
airplane, demonstrated an excellent climb rate, so good in
fact, that the Weedhoppers were hard-pressed to keep up.
After 45 minutes of effortless hands-off flying, John eased
the Big Bird into an approach wide. At 25 mph indicated
airspeed and greased her on in a near perfect three point
landing with a landing roll of about 125 feet.
Further flight tests proved
the Woodhopper to be an outstanding performer, with a rate
of climb exceeding 400 ft./m. Although the prototype was
powered by a 460 cc engine, the airplane will fly nicely on
as little as 15 hp, especially at lower elevations. The
Woodhopper was displayed at Oshkosh, 1981 and was featured
in the November issue of Popular Mechanics. |
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Woodhopper ultralight -
experimental lightsport aircraft |
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