Added: 3 years ago
From: miffy126
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  • Power to weight ratio :)

  • My favorite part of aviation lies at the crossroads of creativity and insanity. Good luck and Godspeed

  • I would encourage dad to try another hobby before he kills himself.

  • Damn trees.I own a firewood business and I think your dad needs to hire me to clear the runway for him,lol

  • Awesome. Will be waiting to see Mk2 attempt 1 :)

  • Don't give up, pops, it'll fly eventually!

  • I can appreciate your Dad wanting to do something special and built with his own hands. Actually

    he has already accomplished that. Things just went in a different direction, which happens in

    life. He would probably enjoy taking a break and giving himself a second hand para glider for

    a reward. He'd still have fun. If you haven't already seen it, there was a pretty neat documentary

    in the 80's called "Plane Crazy" about a guy who wanted to build his own plane by himself. Check

    it out.

  • He needs to take some money out of his 401K like I did, and contact Mike at paratoys.com He will steer you in the safe direction

  • @violentflow Mike and Brian absolutely rock, I completely agree. They'll keep you safe and hook you up with the best gear on the market.

  • your dad is flipping high

  • big boss

  • Cool, don't give up!

  • The parachute needs to be bigger and he needs to work on getting the center of gravity right. These flying machines are very difficult to construct because there is little margin for error in design.

  • I don't know much about building planes and such, but maybe longer wings and possibly a stronger engine would do the trick.

  • Your dad is pretty rad, to be sure! He just needs a little more surface area. I hope he achieves the dream!

  • i think

    

  • i know you're problem it's not weight or power...it's you're pitch on the prop it's either too much or not enuf. try playing with that

  • @reeceshift How do you know that? There's no way anyone can tell from this video if the prop has the wrong pitch. You'd need to know a lot more of the facts than you can tell from watching a video. The wing could be the wrong size. Too small and you need a higher speed to generate the required lift. Too large and it has too much drag. Paraglider wings are not one size fits all. That's why it's vital to get with an instructor first.

  • lose some weight on the air frame and add more power it will fly

  • Is that plywood???

  • think it needs more power

  • He should keep trying .he got air born but run out of run way.keep trying but HAY be careful .good luck!

  • so, was there an 8th attempt, or did ole #7 scare pops into retirement? ( this was an awesome attempt by the way)

  • that is seriously badass.

  • This is so god damn cool!

  • You know what! The wright brothers didn't have flight training and where would we be without them... how about the first guy to try base jumping? Don't think he had training either. My point is your dad could die however what he's doing is SO AWESOME and as long as he understands the risks he should try and try again.

  • needs more power, the design is perfect

  • He got off the ground!!!

  • I hate this man. This is satanic. If G-D intended us to fly, evolution would have granted us wings. He is Shaitan... Beelzebub... the prince of darkness. His son is the antichrist.

  • Comment removed

  • random engineering note: i would attach the front end of the "cockpit" to the parachute for a better center of gravity and perhaps you should place control surfaces behind the propeller and use those instead of the manipulating the parachute canopy.....just a thought 

  • @Adam6161992 Control surfaces aren't needed. The wing is all the control you need. It's just a bad design with way too little HP. I fly a quad with a similar size wing and about 25HP. CG is very important, you always do a hang test before you fly a powered paraglider. The front should be about 6" higher than the back.

    This isn't something to be applauded. Many have died trying to teach themselves to fly PPG. He's damn lucky he didn't get too far off the ground.

  • @MikeCR7513 i guess i should have s questioned weather or not he had any training i think that should be priority one for him indeed, in terms of the actual "aircraft" if the parachute is all you need then this guy seems like an idiot for trying to rig up the controls the way he did, presumptuously the parachute came with controls

  • Better to be impossible to launch than impossible to land.

  • Yes, he needs an aluminum frame!! Or 2130 chromoly steel!

  • Wow, I build rotorway helicopters from scratch, check out Brad Lenart Rotorway Build Video # 6 .  tell your dad to be careful! I applaud him! Maybe he should Just build a Rotorway! : )

  • Your dad is a legend!!

  • great to see people doing original things!

  • wouldnt that just slow him down?? :P nice try though keep it up day!

  • it flew about four feet higher than my homemade ultralight

  • It sounds like a go-cart I built when I was 14 with a 2hp clinton engine.The look is thouroughly un-aerodynamic .He should try again ,this time using basic principles than men died for-- to find out what works.That's what disturbs me most about this video,that he could've died simply because he didn't do his homework.In a certain way your opening comment about only posting positive comments paralells perhaps your dad's ,e.g., I'll only listen to what I want to hear.

  • man! i was hoping he would make it.

  • lawn mower engine?

  • I'd love to see 1-6!

  • Wow! Gutsie-est move I've ever seen Maverick! 

  • try an aluminum frame. I dont know what he has for steering but that looks like it needs redone as well, maybe talk to an engineer.

  • Good to see genes like these passed on :)

    People still taking chances!

  • well he made in the air :) i thing good enough for a start

  • very brave

  • Crosswind?

    

  • That is inspiring!! Totally freaking awesome to build something from scratch, try it and never let go of a dream! Your dad is a true pioneer!

  • i think he can do it on his 8th attempt lol

  • for his sake I'm happy he never got into the air - he would never ever had survived -

  • glad your dad survived that

  • True aviation experimentation a real aviator ....good job he has already become a father ...

  • well, he might have failed, but he's got grandes huevos.

  • I think he could fly if there was head wind,even though it looks bit heavy for that wing.

  • @onamvannu Headwind will shorten your takeoff but lack of it won't prevent it. You'll just have a longer take off roll. The other problem I see is he's taking off towards the trees. Assuming there is a headwind he'd experience rotor (turbulence) big time over the tops of those trees. Probably would have crashed because of it. This is why you NEED training.

  • he needs a prop system with counter rotating props

  • LMFAO ! this guy is going to kill himself.

  • SOOOO CLOOSSSEEEE!!!! thats accually awesome

  • Is this guy fuckin' serious?

  • you fuckn NUTTT 

  • what a badass

    

  • dude that is cool , doing something like that when you know nothing at all & risk it wow that is an explorer beyond man , awsom :)

  • Your father is one of the GREATEST persons I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He has a brilliant mind and NO FEAR what a great combination,

    plus he a really nice guy!

  • Your dad need's professional instruction.......many people have been hurt this way. Case in point, he still had the power on when he was left of center and could never clear the tree line. IMHO

  • mom's cookin must have been god awful

  • awww dnt wrry dad u make it in the air for more than a second one day

  • Darwin is proved correct again...

  • This is why its good for some people to stick with powered flight. Imagine this guy Base jumping.

  • :-O :-))

  • LOL the mans crazy great try

  • hahaha I love it! He didn't just talk about it, he did it!

  • very nice friend , looks like fun

  • One should get instruction before attempting to fly such a Shit Pile....

  • Get your dad a Buckeye dragonfly and some lessons before he gets killed!

  • i think your dad has balls the size of cantaloupes... i am sure he is a true craftsman... he had a dream, and he went for it! i know you are proud of him! AIRBORNE!

  • More Power!

  • They have rat bikes and rat rods, but this is the first rat plane I've ever seen. Congratulations, you have created your own unique death-trap. Crazy people are what make the world intresting.

  • @jrusso7660

    Here are a few reasons why it won't go off the ground:

    Usually, in small planes that are 2 person or less, they use Balsa wood which is extremely light and flexible. What he was using was ply wood; not very light. Also, his parachute wasn't large enough. I am currently looking into this stuff to make a flying bicycle.

  • I understand his desire to fly, but he made a couple crucial mistakes: #1 Not enough airfoil. # 2 not enough power. But, I hope he doesn't give up!

  • Honestly I think the thing could have actually took flight if there was alot more space, great work, dont give up! ;)

  • It looks like the rotor coming off the trees is what pushed him down at the end. Its probably a good thing he didn't get hogher as the rotor could have made his landing much worse.

  • Some people can only dream of flying!

    he did it.

    Stay safe

  • he got up, he flew, WELL DONE :D

  • Your Dad is bad ass

  • The absolute ESSENCE of flight!!!!!!!!!!!! Try, and try again.....until you die, or fly. Great effort. Dad probably needs to have a go at swedging, and riveting alloy, though. It would make a HUGE difference to his plight. Never forget...it doesn't need to be really strong. It just has to take around 2 times your body weight, in suspension. 13 ply is for Ocean Going Yachts....not aircraft. Keep on keeping on, though. Love your style.

  • Will you make a particle board fighter jet next?

  • Dear lord that was magnificent :'D

  • Did your dad know you put this video on youtube ? I bet he would beat your ass if he found out lol.

  • man more 'courageous I've ever seen!!

  • lol thats looks like something a 3 year old plays on lol and that motor sounds like a lawn mower. but if it fly it would be cool

  • oh and to all the people telling him he's stupid and what not, every thing has to start somewhere! in your world the you'd be telling the wright brothers that they are stupid and crazy, and well look what we have now! I say inventors and tinkerers like this are the reason we have the things we have. Were the wright brother college educated in aeronautics? Probly not since they invented aeronautics.

  • as long as he stays no more than two feet off the ground and away from solid objects he'll be fine :)

  • the gasolintank is the best part ever heard of staticelectrisity and explotions.

  • Actually, the only thing that kept him from taking to the sky was the ridiculously inappropriate tires. Having said that, the concerns raised about the the structural integrity (will it fall apart in the sky?) are all valid. I won't ask about the control system.

    miffy126, this was an incredibly dangerous thing for your dad to do. This is not a man taking a calculated risk. The calculations are not there. If you love him you won't let him do this sort of thing again.

  • Comment removed

  • Is he related to lawn chair Lary :-)

  • Vai morrer e depois nao sabe pq.

  • Elok gak jatuh mase rendah kalo dah tinggi mungkin ...masalah besar

  • Here's a non-constructive criticism for ya: FAIL!!!! Hahahaaaaaaaaaaa.

  • @fhp2b dont you have anything better to say..

  • @camarbuana Sorry, couldn't help myself. Way too much fail in this video not to laugh.

  • I think that your Dad is really cool to try and build his own flying machine!!!!!

  • Great fun but it doesn't work too well with a paraglider. It works great with a Rogallo hang glider, however.

  • looks like a paraglider wing...

  • Great title

  • if you still have it put some skis on it and use it as a snow sled

  • reminds me of the first ultralight I built, it was just fun trying!

  • Technically he did it, looks like he stalled or had no control over it though.Good job that he got it down ok.

  • That's really good. It looks like a paraglider more than a prachute... The cells are really close and arc right over.

    I was SO hoping he would get off the ground properly... The base is probably too heavy though with too small a prop (He reached what looked like top speed really quickly). Although I was impressed how quickly he moved off.

    Good skills... good luck with it.

    I've wanted to do something like this for ages... But I need money.... and that's far away for now :(

  • Hahaha.....good deal :) He DID get some AIR!!

  • YOU BYE 1 NOT BUILD 1 !!!!!!!

  • WOW !!!!

    

  • He might want to reposition the fuel tank in future other wise bravo good try

  • Damnit, I thought for sure he had it!

  • Ok,- we had liftoff. What about controls (;-))

  • Yep, I just checked out another video of an actual paraglider, and the entire frame is constructed of aluminum, including the engine mount. Plywood is not a good material for constructing an aircraft. They used to build wooden airplanes before the days of aluminum, but they were built out of balsa wood.

    The wood your dad used is not built in the form of a frame either. It's actually slabs of wood. This will cause a major weight issue. He might want to do a little research on flight.

  • Okay, just a few questions:

    1) Is that a parachute or is it an actual paraglider wing?

    2) How heavy is the actual body of the aircraft, including engine?

    3) What kind of engine did he adapt for this aircraft?

    Personally it appears he might be thinking that the process is as easy as it looks. The props I've seen on paragliders are much bigger and the engines are much higher performance than his sounded. The bodies of most aircraft are made of aluminum. Plywood is way to heavy.

  • @jrusso7660 From what I remember, he used a parachute. I don't think he ever weighed it, but it seemed heavy to me. I don't remember how big the engine was, just that it was a V-twin. He compared it to some motorcycle engines, though I don't think it was from a bike. I'm not sure where it came from. I'm pretty sure he knew the weight was an issue, but he wanted to try it anyways.

  • @miffy126

    Well, thank you for your reply. I can already determine some good reasons why this is not flying.

    Okay, first it might behoove your dad to do some studies on weight and balance of aircraft. Since there are working powered paragliders out in production, it might be a good study for your dad to google the weights of some of those aircrafts including their engines. He might also want to study the amount of horse power, type of crankshaft, style of prop, engine weight, ...

  • @miffy126 looks like a paraglider. More power bigger prop and he would have gone better but still he flew in something he designed and built himself. Well done!

  • Clearly underpowered. There's a reason most powered paragliders and parachutes uses 2-stroke engines. Garden tractor type engines just won't cut it. I'm a PPG pilot myself and I tell people, you're first step is find an instructor. Assuming the frame was adequate you can't just pick an engine, prop, wing and hope it all works together. Just picking the right prop is not an easy task.

    I too am glad it didn't get into the air any more than it did, it would have ended badly.

  • That thing is sooo cool....how long did it take him to build it?

  • @Spencerh1279 Good question. He spent a few months with it in the basement a maybe a couple more outdoors? He had to search around for parts for a little while. I know the prop was custom made and a friend of his helped him make part of the exhaust (I think) for the engine.  He had to cut up the wood and assemble everything on it. It was his Winter project and he flew it in the Spring.

  • good try

  • almost

  • He should consider himself lucky he never got off the ground in that thing...

  • Those magnificent men in their flying machines ... Full points for effort! He did fly it (though not very far). With a bit more power he would be fine. Well done!

  • is that particle board?

  • @chadmerlin I think it was 13ply plywood.

  • I love the title of this video.

    (You just cant tell that man anything, can you?)

  • Maybe a bigger chute and engine and you should get flying 10/10 for effort. great video!!

  • Gotta give the man credit, The best thing is he tried

  • Comment removed

  • people who try to save a little money pay for with their life..

  • That is a very dangerous thing to just 'build from scratch'. Why do you think commercial PPCs are so expensive? Good design, safety testing and materials.

  • LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

  • Miffy126; Ask dad to return that cabinet to the kitchen (after removing the engine) and your mom has probably been looking for that lawn chair he's sitting in... Seriously..While I appreciate the pioneer spirit it would probably be nice if Dad avoided killing himself in this unguided missle of a flying machine..You can buy USED Powered Parachute craft for $3000+ and up...WHY re-invent the wheel? Just my .02 cents. Be careful Dad...

  • LOL

  • Your Dad is not long for this world is he!

  • After more review,looks like the hang points are below the thrust line,which makes it unstable.

    Raise the hang points above the thrust line,and get a bigger field or more HP.

  • Nice try,underpowered,but with more space would of flown just fine.

  • God bless his courage and determination but thankfully he didnt get off the ground. Im not so sure he would still be with us. An A+ for American determination though. If not for people like him we wouldnt have the aviation industry we have.

  • you need to go see a real one and make sour you got the strings right

  • just when i thought i had seen it all!! great video

  • I didn't know IKEA made PPC's...

  • almost! Looks as if it just needs more power. I'm not sure but I think rotax makes an engine for this type of application.

  • Be afraid....be VERY afraid!

  • Actually, given more room....that contraption would have flown....lucky for both of you he didn't have enough room. A flight would have given him confidence to continue to fly that thing.....Massively underpowered. It can be corrected easily....but you won't hear how from me.

    Thumbs up for trying though. Your dad's got gusto....that's for sure.

  • Hey, at least he got off the ground! That's how the Wright Brothers got started.

  • dont think you have enough power.. nice attempt though

  • you need more power

  • I think the only thing that would have made me nervous is the unprotected container of gas right behind the driver!

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