alternative wings (minimax) for LE XL

[milanesa711]

Hello everyone, a few days ago I found a boy who sells minimax wings, uncover, same wing chord, same airfoil, but 15 "shorter.'m doing an LE XL and if you read this post ( yahoo forum)will know that I consult .... I can use for my project?       
  http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EaglersNests/conversations/messages/28848       
  http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EaglersNests/conversations/messages/22884
   http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EaglersNests/conversations/messages/19402
Thanks
And I like the new forum!!!!!
Martin Bianco
Argentina

[Steve]

Hi Martin,
What does the Minimax wing weigh?... I saw a LE being built out in the Imperial Valley with (HighMax) wings but I don't think they ever flew it - those boyz got too old ((right there it was -(below sea level) and I would have flown it))... Anyway, you can see at this link what my wings weighed at various stages and they weren't particularly light:  http://www.angoraaffaire.com/leu/whatdoesitweigh_.htm
Steve

[milanesa711]

Hi Steve, I upload a photo, I'm asking for more data on the wings, would believe that I can lighten, spars and ribs are solid leading edge, leading edge fiber could do either light ...
My LE is an XL with a full vw 1600
Thaks!!!!
Martin Bianco

[Steve]

Martin:
Have you inquired of Minimax flyer's if anyone is flying a lightened version of the wing?...

Over the years many people have wanted to make the Minimax fit in the UL category but you have departed the UL class with the 1600 engine and can conceivably haul a beefier wing...

Be sure you do the XL empennage Mods that Sam Buchanan has done and documented on his webpages, a more robust empennage (You need that)...
Steve

[Steve]

On the 1600 4 cyl VW, the Texas Super Legal Eagle has a 1600 motor if IIRC... This plane was flown a lot and by several people (plane currently in rehab from a runway incident)... To get the W&B right and handle the prop blast from a bigger motor they built a 4130 steel empennage as seen on the DE... You too are going to have a W&B challenge with the 4 cyl motor - it is prudent to end up with a CG very near the 25-28% of chord mark...
Now is the time to figure that out - mount your motor & prop on the fus with the estimated weight of the empennage added at the back of the fus and hang it - Graham Lee of Neiuport fame has said that the wingless hanging CG will be very near the wing mounted CG on most airframes...

[milanesa711]

Hi Steve, sure are heavier, the seller not weight, I will give more information soon.
My LE XL, does not enter the far103, I'm not worried about the weight, watch what I needed, when can I do the steel tail group.
A few days i dodownload the plans for the minimax from the manufacturer's website to study ....
Greetings!

[buzzypeterson]

Sorry for the late reply, I had a himax that I put a 1700cc vw on. Flew it for 100 hours weighing in at 460 lbs before fuel and my 220 lbs. it flew great. The vmax designed for a vw and the ultralight  himax wing is the same. They do make changes to the fuselage to facilitate the extra engine weight though. The wing can carry a hell if a load. A friend had one on floats. If you look the wing on the legal eagle is basically a copy of the max. Only serious difference is full span ailerons and the max uses telex push pull tubes instead of the nice pulley up the strut. I also had a plane with a 1600,  it sucked,  buy the slip in 1700cc cylinders that extra 100 really makes a difference and it's an easy change.