{"id":10171,"date":"2015-07-21T14:46:36","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T21:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=10171"},"modified":"2015-07-21T14:46:36","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T21:46:36","slug":"belite-going-electric","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/belite-going-electric\/","title":{"rendered":"Belite \u2013 Going Electric?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even to the casual observer, interest in electric flight is growing.\u00a0 Major news outlets followed Solar Impulse, especially as it began its journey from Japan to Hawaii.\u00a0 The fluster of cross-English-Channel attempts combined daring and rivalries \u2013 great for a public appetite voracious for sensation.\u00a0 With big companies investing significant sums in the new technology, and with demonstrated efficiency of small craft that won 2011\u2019s Green Flight Challenge, designers can\u2019t help but respond to the ongoing challenge.<\/p>\n

James Wiebe, founder and owner of Belite Aircraft,<\/a> has a response that will be welcomed by aviators who might not be able to fly because of their budget.\u00a0 He\u2019s introduced the SkyDock low-wing ultralight at Oshkosh\u2019s AirVenture 2015 this week at an introductory price of $3,995 for the basic kit.\u00a0 Basic means no wheels, tires, cables, brakes, fabric, paint, glue or instruments. \u00a0Wiebe explains on his Facebook page<\/a>, \u201cWe plan to have an option package for most of that stuff. It’s all off the shelf stuff from other vendors (so you can buy it without us marking it up, if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Belite's<\/a>

Belite’s SkyDock prototype undergoing taxi tests<\/p><\/div>\n

He takes questions on Facebook, and gives at least one surprising answer.\u00a0 \u201cI selected an electric motor for a couple of reasons: there’s been a lot of electric airplane talk in the news, so the timing was right from a market perspective. I already owned the motors and controller. (I have a nice collection of electric motors.) The use of electric would draw attention to this new design (which can fly quite nicely on gas as well).\u201d\u00a0 Happy is the man with more than one electric motor in his shop.\u00a0 The Lynch-type motor currently installed is a brushed unit, not quite as efficient as brushless motors also available.<\/p>\n

\"Belite<\/a>

Belite SkyDock’s Lynch-type brushed motor with reduction drive – which may be removed soon for weight reduction. \u00a0Note carbon fiber and core-based airframe structure<\/p><\/div>\n

He plans on going beyond this initial experiment to try different motors, re-drives, and propellers.\u00a0 His prototype, and the center section and wing stubs for prototype number 2 are shown at Oshkosh this week.\u00a0 Number 1 weighs 247 pounds without batteries, with \u201ca couple of things\u201d still to add to the airframe.\u00a0 He notes this is \u201cdisappointingly high, but is in the general neighborhood of what happens to first prototype airplanes. They get heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first craft will fly using a 66.6 Volt, 30 Amp-hour lithium-polymer battery pack weighing 22 pounds.\u00a0 That won\u2019t give great endurance, but with further airframe lightening, might keep the airplane within FAR Part 103 limits \u2013 254 pounds empty weight.<\/p>\n

This might be doable with a light battery pack, because Wiebe\u2019s previous efforts have shown his ability to trim weight and stay within ultralight regulations.\u00a0 He explains, \u201cWe copied what was working really well from the ProCub (tail design) and married it to a completely new wing design featuring enhanced span, chord, and thickness. This was to enable higher lift at lower speeds, such as loitering while under electric power.\u201d\u00a0 His heavy use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining of parts enables quick mass production of parts and may be part of the reason for the low cost of the proposed kit, available soon at the introductory price of $3,995 as part of a Kickstarter campaign.<\/p>\n

\"Prototype<\/a>

Prototype number 2 center section and wing stubs to be displayed at Oshkosh<\/p><\/div>\n

Wiebe avoids a strong commitment on whether batteries should considered part of an ultralight\u2019s empty weight.\u00a0 \u201cI am very aware that some FAA’ers think that the batteries are part of the aircraft weight, while some independent types think that the battery weight should be part of the fuel. YMMV (your mileage may vary \u2013 wise advice in so many areas of life). That’s a debate for a future point in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

This gives him \u201can incentive\u201d to remove the re-drive and replace the current motor controller with a lighter unit.\u00a0 Doubtless all the lessons learned will be incorporated in prototype number 3, now under development.<\/p>\n

His familiarity with programming and electronics probably accounts for his line of lightweight, electronic aircraft instruments, providing digital, rather than analog feedback on engines, flight feedback, and liquid levels.<\/p>\n

\"It<\/a>

It must be an ultralight. Short video on Facebook page shows wing being plugged in<\/p><\/div>\n

Wiebe\u2019s blog shows a fascinating background story<\/a>.\u00a0 His firm, WeibeTech, pioneered the field of digital forensics, kind of a reverse hacking that helps track down and block the sources of malware and deconstruct hard drives in digital investigations. \u00a0His clients include federal, state and local customers interested in protecting data.\u00a0 He sold the company in 2008, but is still in demand as a speaker on digital forensics.<\/p>\n

We’re just happy he’s producing low-cost ultra-light aircraft, and becoming a pioneer in budget electric flight.<\/p>\n