AndyB Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 Finished making my trike. The whole thing wheels up backwards to my towball mounted carrier. Tie it on, then the axles and main tube unplug using pip pin quick releases. I have 2 different sets of axles, one with wheels for hard ground and one with balloon wheels for the beach. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_k Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Very nice Andy. That's a good wide wheelbase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 9 hours ago, alan_k said: Very nice Andy. That's a good wide wheelbase! I asked on the Paramotor FB page about width and consensus seemed to be go wide then it is less likely to tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackburn Mark Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 15 hours ago, AndyB said: I asked on the Paramotor FB page about width and consensus seemed to be go wide then it is less likely to tip. Let us know if it bottoms out on a hard landing...… And you will have to do us a report on how much of a bitch / or how easy it is to transition onto a trike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Blackburn Mark said: Let us know if it bottoms out on a hard landing...… And you will have to do us a report on how much of a bitch / or how easy it is to transition onto a trike Will do. I am currently looking for a bigger field! The one I fly from on foot is challenging - power cables and cows to be avoided. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 Update. I flew my home made trike 2 days ago. Superb to be back in the air after 5 months. It flew great, but was really uncomfortable. I had adjusted the hang points to give the correct angle with me and the trike attached.....which put the hang points at their heaviest setting. In the air this has the effect of feeling like it picks up the front edge of the seat and tries to fold me up in a ball!. So, I have redesigned the attachment of the trike so that the CoG of the trike is directly under my normal hang point setting. This way I don't have to make any hang point adjustment for the trike. I also found the front wheel annoying as without both feet on it, it would turn round. In the air this puts the wheel sideways on the air and is like a brake. On the ground it means I can't put a foot down. So I have added a big spring. Idid some tests with a luggage weighing device first to calculate the requited spring size and spring rate and have managed to get it spot on in one go. The other thing I have added is line holders to keep the lines form pulling into the prop during initial inflation. These worked so well that when I landed all the lines end ed up back on the holders! The hang test is after my CoG mod and with my hang points in my normal foot launch position. Trike flight 2 is on for tomorrow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackburn Mark Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Splendid! Was this your first flight on a trike? …. Was it pretty straight forward, launching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 Are you thinking of having a trike? Yes, this was my first trike flight ever. I watched lots of Youtube videos first to get an idea of what to do. The best video was actually the US twit "Super Dell". The only problem with his video is you have to fast forward past the bull-shit he adds in, in between the good stuff. I had a run round the field without wing first, to get a feel for how much throttle gets me rolling on the very rough ground. Then 2 key things, layout and use of power. As well as normal wing layout you have to think about warming the trike up facing away from wing, then switch off and connect it all up. Then finally, get the A's pulled taught (Dell video good), then collect all the other lines and pull all the slack down to the wing end....I also made line holders so that the lines are already half way up the hoop AND pulled taught in that positon. Power is critical because you HAVE to get the trike moving. If you power on and trike doesn't move, or moves too slowly, then the wing will go up, then come back down on the prop. Too much power and you could bend the hoop. Now, I have a slight advantage here because being 6'4" tall my arms reach further than the cage. I am pretty strong, but If I use too much power my arms get shoved back against the cage (I have been power launching for the past year). So before having a go on the trike I practiced quickly applying 3/4 power to get me used to sound and movement. One good thing about trike launch is you can look up at the wing and watch what is happening. If it doesn't look good, just power off a little (still need trike to keep moving!) get in shape and go. I took off in nasty twisting wind, switching 180 deg. I waited for initial launch to get wing off the ground into wind, but I did some distance at partial power to get into shape. I have also made the wheelbase narrower now. It didn't bottom out at all, even on the really rough stuff, but it was more difficult to steer because if a rear wheel got in a hole it would try to turn the whole trike. It is 50 cm narrower now. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackburn Mark Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Cheers for that Andy... Ill have to bite the bullet at some point if I cant find other means of getting airborne. 5 hours ago, AndyB said: Are you thinking of having a trike? I am reluctant but my legs are getting old and I want to be able to get off in nil winds.... land out... eat a buttie… have a smoke and fly back, but I fear the wind dropping while I'm out in the middle of nowhere 5 hours ago, AndyB said: "Super Dell" The one and only! He is not a bad pilot, he has a very unfortunate character 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumble56 Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Blackburn Mark said: The one and only! He is not a bad pilot, he has a very unfortunate character That is probably the most understated remark you have ever made. 'Douchebag who would keep a hundred psychiatrists employed for many years' would be most other peoples reaction 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackburn Mark Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 7 hours ago, grumble56 said: That is probably the most understated remark We are SUPER civilised here old bean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelmesh Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Very cool Andy! For the rear axles, is that a flexible material to act like a suspension? Or do those balloons do a good job soaking up the earth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 21 minutes ago, steelmesh said: Very cool Andy! For the rear axles, is that a flexible material to act like a suspension? Or do those balloons do a good job soaking up the earth? The rear axles are 25 mm solid GRP rod, so act as suspension. I have been using the solid rear wheels. Can't use baloon wheels in the field I use as its too rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Hi Andy, where did you get the wheel retainers from for the 25mm GRP shaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 3 hours ago, Garry said: Hi Andy, where did you get the wheel retainers from for the 25mm GRP shaft? Here https://www.bearingsrus.co.uk/other-products/shaft-collar/25mm-double-split-shaft-collar More expensive than single split but much better for making sure they stay put. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 I have now done a few flights on my trike, the first I have ever flown. I am really getting to like it. Today I took off from wet grass, over a foot long in absolutely nill wind. With the trike everything can be done slowly. The wing pulled up slowly, but I was able to feed power on, pulling the wing up and just take take my time. And landings, what a joy. I was bothered before using the trike that it would hurt my back (I am fully fused from thoracic to hips) as the slightest bump is very painful. But its just like landing an aircraft, flare a little, rear wheels start to touch, ease off flare and let the front wheel drop. The friction then slows the trike, keep hands up and just let wing land nicely in front. So gentle. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 On 03/06/2020 at 18:21, AndyB said: Here https://www.bearingsrus.co.uk/other-products/shaft-collar/25mm-double-split-shaft-collar More expensive than single split but much better for making sure they stay put. Thanks Andy, I'm currently using jubilee clips but will swap out when I have the trike complete. Previously I have modified a kite buggy but it is not very forgiving on a hard landing so I am doing a rebuild using 25mm GRP. Do you mind letting my know what length you finaly settled on for you rear axle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.