Mar 9, 2023 eLazair4 flight
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- Опубликовано: 4 янв 2025
- I put 4 motors on the eLazair4 for a lot of reasons but mainly I did it because I simply wanted to.
I have always wished I had lived during the short era of the great 4 engine flying boats ;)
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Every successful electric powered aircraft takes a tremendous amount of effort to get things just right, I am not sure I am done yet but I am happy enough at this point to share what the hard work of the last 5 months has yielded.
The tail is a down V tail because when yaw moment is created by the ruddervators, there is also a rolling moment created. With this inverted V tail, that rolling moment turns the airplane in the same direction as the yaw moment and with a normal V tail the rolling moment generally fights the yaw moment. This is tried and true tail design with 45 years of use on 1200 Lazairs. It is cable braced forward and I don't know of any tails removed from handling on water or land .
Immediately after this 1st flight ever of the eLazair4, I moved the floats backwards 4" and now they are now not in water when stationary and I am not concerned if they get wet since I always fly from fresh water lakes.
Here are the main power system component costs for my eLazair4 (in US dollars as of Jan 1, 2023):
$427 delivered for one Dual 14s 1800w balance charger: www.alibaba.co...
$920 (on sale) delivered cost for 256 Samsung 40T cells to make batteries for 4 motors (spot welded into 14s4p battery packs): www.18650batte...
$1,520 delivered for four MAD M17 IPE V1.1 100kv motors: www.mad-motor....
($200 delivered) for four Eolo props 36x12.8 carbon fiber polymer (trimmed to 32” diameter): sunnyskyusa.co...
$300 delivered since the above Eolo props were replaced by four Fiala 32x20 wood props which gave this 230lb pilot 420 fpm climb at 3800 rpm at 33 mph airspeed. Level flight cruising is now at 2500 rpm and 33 mph airspeed. www.aeroscale....
$920 delivered for four 14s 200a controllers APD 200F3[X] : www.getfpv.com...
$95 delivered for four 19000uf Low ESR high frequency controller capacitors: www.mouser.com...
TOTAL Power System: ~$4,200 PLUS miscellaneous connectors, wire, throttle components etc…
At takeoff about 8 electrical hp is output from of each of the 4 batteries.
There is one 9.25 lb battery inside each motor nacelle and my 2 port charger will charge all 4 in about 3 hours.
This eLazair4 (with floats and batteries) weighs ~290 lbs without pilot.
The floatplane version can stay aloft for about 30 minutes and the wheeled eLazair4 will likely stay up about 45 minutes.
If I carry a second set of batteries on board along with the charger I will have a great time barnstorming around the country.
One complete nacelle with prop, motor, motor controller, battery and a large capacitor weighs about 17 lbs.
Static thrust per motor is about 50 lbs.
Top speed is only about 45mph but I would almost never fly that fast since it discharges the batteries quickly and inefficiently.
Efficient cruise speed currently appears to be 30-35mph.
I designed and made a single lever throttle quadrant to control all 4 motors. I programmed its BLE Arduino board to send PWM signals to each motor controller using a closed PID loop which is based on the actual RPM of each motor. That way the forward RPM of each motor is based on the “frictioned” throttle lever position and the Arduino keeps all 4 motors synchronized using just a single throttle lever.
The throttle lever also moves left and right by a self-centering spring action so I can add/subtract a proportional yaw bias RPM to the left and right motor pairs for yaw control.
And, the throttle lever also has a spring loaded proportional reverse thrust action which allows me to have air brakes in the air and for braking on the water.
With this throttle quadrant the maneuvering on water is nothing short of amazing since I can back up and spin on a dime…
Dale Kramer
Wow, so cool. Always loved the look of Lazair, and here she is again, beautiful as ever, and all electric. Good to see!
My hat's off to you. Your aircraft looks graceful and well proportioned. The anhedral stab is a work of art. The performance is simply breathtaking.
I remember flying with you at the Gimli Manitoba UL meet in the early '80's. I flew my Pterodactyl there from Idaho. During the event that gave each pilot a measured amount of fuel, We climbed up to 1,000' and the pilot that landed last won, I came in second in that event, to your first, and I seem to remember you looping your bird still under power, while I was dead stick gliding down. I could have the details wrong, it's been a long time, but the looping I clearly remember! That entire trip was a blast. I fly a RANS S-7S these days.
Imagine this with some torroidal blades!!!!!
@@MrMancinorosso Why torroidal blades?
@@futureflow8645quieter and more efficient propeller
@@AlienLivesMatter more mass, manufacturing cost, drag for just being quiet,idk
Hey mate , that's an awesome recollection man love how time gives up it's good stories 🙏👍
I wish there were plans I could purchase for this ultralight. It was a superb design and I love its flight characteristics.
Most impressive. Light weight and just enough speed for a nice relaxing flight above the lake.
Non-flier here, just some bloke looking at RUclips and stumbled on this video. That looks brilliant, well done. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Amazing, would not believe that you could break sucktion and get in air so quickly. Great job!
I think with those four motors pumping lots of air over the wings...you probably have a lot of induced lift with just the motors running.
Nice work Dale! I have always enjoyed the Lazair design. I owned one for several years and put over 800 hrs on that Series 2. Someday I will get another one.
The tech details are worth months of research for someone not up to speed on the different components.
Thank you.
This is the best recreational aircraft I have seen so far.
Бесподобно и восхитительно. Особенно удачно реализовали задний ход и разворот.
Класс!
Всех благ.
Intoxicating - Absolutely amazing - that's what the Lazair is !
Took about 40 years for that to be accepted. Totally agree!👍 great design Dale! A lot of people , including me have tried without success to improve it.!😊
Wow! Thank you for the technical details. Very impressive machine! Extremely well done, sir! 👌🙏
Where are the technical details?
@@joewoodchuck3824 Read the video description. Quite detailed. 👍
I owned a Lazair Series II back in the day and it was the best flying plane (ultralight) I ever owned. I would imagine, with those four motors pumping air over the wings that you have a lot of induced lift just sitting there...thus when you put the power to it the plane just wants to lift right where it's sitting. I wish were still able to purchase a Lazair...sort of wish I never would have sold mine.
I agree. I sold mine and regret that decision. Someday I hope to own another one. It would be great to be able to build one new from a kit.
Thank you for sharing.........so jealous in a great way
68lbs for 200 pounds of thrust, and 45min of flight time? That doesn't sound too bad.
Probably the coolest thing I've seen on RUclips yet. Great work!
those four motors means double redundancy, even if two failed, thanks to the extra ones and the big wings he can safely glide to a safe landing. looks good for a nice quiet sunday to survey your farm and see how everything is going on.
just nothing short of amazing
Wait a minute... Reverse and some asymmetric thrust to steer? Now that's a very cool set of features! I only saw that applied on the R/C planes I built here, but I never saw in a full scale aircraft! That's amazing! :D
Yes
Super cool. Thanks for sharing
Awesome ! Good to see the Lazair flying again....thia time with electric motors!
That is absolutely the coolest ultralight I've ever seen that thing jumped out of the water
I still have a brochure I picked up at a fly in from 50 years ago. Always loved the design.
Learnt to fly on a Lazair two place (rotax powered) Beautiful and elegant wing. Thanks for this, brings me back minus the two stroke exhaust smell.
Wow! That is unreal!
Lazair will always be my favourite ultralight design.
Looking forward to see specs on the motor system. I'm definitely teased.
Coming soon!
Very cool, I built an electric Paramotor and appreciate your design. Thanks!
this is truly amazing, such a whimsical and inspiring aircraft you've constructed, nice work :)
Fantastic. You have come a long way since the SOSA days. Good to see you. There is one in a container where I fly now.
Congrats, she's a beauty.
Wow, such detail, what a beautiful bird, thank you for sharing
I have those same floats on my Quicksilver , I like how your plane has the inverted tail feathers it reminds me of my old friend Moulten Burnell Taylor's mini Imp ..
Wow a surprising turn of speed for take off. Looks like a fun project. 😃😃
this is it. love it.
Watch out for the phone in the t-shirts pocket..it´ll slide right into the lake
It is mounted in front of me as an instrument when I am flying and I only put it in my shirt pocket as I walk off the dock. I will be careful. :)
This is incredible! You’ve made your dream come true! Congratulations! I always liked float planes! I’m playing with large scale RC and flying airliners for a living. Never was brave enough to combine RC components with a plane you can actually sit in. You did it! Some of the planes I’ve built are close to the size of your ultralight. I don’t know how good of a swimmer are you but I would consider a sailer life jacket what blows up if it gets in the water otherwise it’s like a belt. Super light and barely there.
Thank-you and also thanks for your suggestion.
The Wright Brothers would be very impressed to see your achievement. Greetings from Tasmania Australia 👍😁🇦🇺🦘
It about jumps into the air! Well done...
That’s amazing, thank you for the video 👍
What an admirable aircraft this is.
It looks right, so I'm sure it will fly right.
I remember my old Vector 600. Your Lazer is quit similar. So light !! Friend of mine use to play a lot with PP software : I told him : well, you want to be a pilot. For myself I never wanted to be a pilot but I wanted to FLY. I so I did since 1984 to 1990. 350 hours flying. (In France)
Thzts just fabulous, thanks for sharing
I used to own a Lazair. Awesome little machine. I wish I still had it.
great plane.
i love the 4 props design
Wow that plane has some pretty impressive climb rates too!!
Congratulations 👏👏👏
Great video! That must be a great experience. My father owned and flew several different airplanes. The closest to an ultralight like that was his 1948 fabric covered Stinson. He bought it in poor condition and restored it.
Instant torque! Great!
This is so cool! Is there anywhere where you catalog the design process? Like, what made you choose 4 motors instead of 2 larger ones? I saw something like this with a single float, does 2 make it more stable? Does it handle better on the water or on the step? Is there any other changes you are looking to change?
1. Not yet other than this video description and my comment replies.
2. See video description.
3. It is just a matter of choice.
4. On step and off step are at different speeds so hard to compare. Both handle well.
5. So far no changes needed except that I am still optimizing propeller selection and building my final LazairVane design.
Wow - wonderful design. Well done!
Great invention
What an excellent design. 🤩
Impressive runtime too for an electric!
If there were two cells in parallel for each motor I doubt it would double the flight time, but it would be interesting to see how much of a boost it would be.
Just loved it! Envy your ingenuity, really nice job. Building an electric waterplane looks difficult in a flimsy kinda way at first, but just trying to imagine all the kinds of stresses on the frame involved, keeping weight “close to zero”, choosing power, controls, etc. More than just building going on. Great work! I believe the Lord, being the ultimate creator of all time, whenever he sees man build something like this flying, he smiles… in his image 👍
Thank you very much!
Хорошо сказано , особенно про Бога . Привет из России , а у нас практически запретили строить самим самолёты.
@@ИгорьКлимов-к6н Sorry to hear that. Can you fly radio controlled model airplanes?
@@ИгорьКлимов-к6н that's why Russia sucks they only want war
what a awesome little plane. wish I had one...
Beautiful, just beautiful. I'd love a 2m RC version... wheels and floats.
That would be cool!
Would love to see the view from a go pro! Really beautiful plane, so graceful.
You will see it from an Insta360 X3 camera soon, please subscribe so you get notified.🙂
Very impressive aircraft - shows what electrics are becoming capable of. Not that much range, but decent power and built on a budget I'm sure far smaller than any gasoline aircraft. For one or two daily "clear your head" flights off the lake this is perfect. Based on the description and what's seen in the video, this must be the most maneuverable on the water seaplane ever built. I'd probably go through a few battery cycles just playing around on the water before I'd even take off, as the water would be so much fun - once in the air it's far less unique.
Good flight indeed. Huzzah!!
WOW~~~~~other than getting in and out.......NICE PLANE!
Nice plane...with reverse!
OUTSTANDING! windmill in the background adds a bit irony
I love watching that windmill from our deck lounges...
Soo cool🎉Good job.
Superb !!!
Magic.
I wonder how much spreading the motors across the wing like that improves low speed handling. I bet if you move them further out on the wing, put winglets on, and use them for differential thrust you could really improve the yaw and pitch in Stol flight
I will show some cool 'in flight' yaw maneuvers in a future video, stay tuned by subscribing to my channel.
I look and I can't believe this is actually a unique aircraft👍
Very nice! Build it and they will come. Produce plans and they can build their own. Very short take off run. Nice climb. I bet that is a ton of fun at less than 300 pounds.
Great projects
the electric motor is ideal for aircraft. The motor runs at a constant speed without a cooling problem. This is a great trial and I hope it leads to more development
Nice project !
That's great and with the new toroidal propellers you will sell even more of these . Perfect .
beautiful aircraft. Larger propellers would definitely help with propulsive efficiency, but the 4-prop arrangement is definitely an improvement over the original 2-prop design.
Everything is a compromise ;)
Subscribed on first watch and I hope you will post more videos
Wow, I want one of those! 👍🏻
Nice job!
Brilliant!
I'm impressed.
I got nothing I got nothing at all I just tipping my hat sir tipping my hat phenomenally well done and I might add quite a bit jealous.
Epic. Absolutely epic.
Too freaking awesome
This looks like a GREAT IDEA.....I just have no place to park a boom lift!
This is a really cool concept, just by the wings alone it should have been called “the dragon fly” and the four propellers seals my case...lol
I gotta say right off using the rental snorkel boom awesome idea..
Nope, I own it so it makes even more sense until I replace it with a simple cable braced arm from shore.
Dale I have a large picture in my office that is directly behind and above my computer monitor. I purchased it at Ohare airport when I was working out of Ohare flying the EMB145. It is a picture of a China Clipper leaving San Francisco in 1935. In the background is the Golden Gate bridge under construction. It is a photograph taken by Clyde Sunderland.
Very cool! Also in that vein, the Princess Flying Boat was a remarkable "end of the era" example and I was fortunate to meet Dick Stratton its chief engineer in 1979.
Wow cool
Really cool. Having your hands near the props to connect the motors/batteries probably needs some rethought
Thanks but for me, the risk of random motor turning falls into my acceptable category during the battery plug in/out stage due to the inherent non-random and complicated process of convincing electrons to rotate brushless motors . If the motors were brushed motors I would not have done it this way. On an ultralight aircraft, every ounce of weight is worth saving and I saved a lot of ounces doing the system this way.
Very nice build and you are right to enjoy it....A little advice about building an ajustable seat to preserve your back when cruising on water.I dont think that position is confortable for it
Looks good Dale.
Awesome!
Well done
theoretically ... it makes sense to raise the engines a little above the wing.
Whose theory is that?
Thank you Dale! Huge fan of your work. To solar power your xcountry barnstorming, I ran some numbers. Unless I made an error, 11 lbs of solar cells, not including tab connectors, encapsulant, and backing, in a decent sun should fully charge your battery bank in 3 hours. Maybe a dawn flight, mid day charge, dusk flight. Or maybe charge one bank in the air while flying on the other. Main concern is temperature. I have seen solar cells reach 140F easily in the sun. I’m guessing the translucent tedlar does not get as hot normally. Curious how it might handle that heat, expansion, etc. I have tried 3 times to link to the spreadsheet with my calculations, but the comment then throws an error.
Lets try this to get people to your spreadsheet: www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=50718715&postcount=704
Ah, the quiet 🙏
I do t think many ultralights have difretial trust taxi and powerd pushback
Beautiful!
Круто, и лихо взлетел!
I'd raise the tail strake because if it hits the water at speed you'll be sans tail in very short order. Either that or shorten the depth of the tail and increase the chord of the control surfaces.
I wonder what it'd do with a Fieseler style wing as far as STOL goes..
Thanks, but I think I will stick with this tried and true design of 45 years for the tail... It is cable braced forward and I don't know of any tails removed from handling on water or land .
@@DaleCKramer Depends how hard you hit the water and at what angle. You're an accomplished pilot, others are not. And look up an aircraft called the Stranraer, that had a habit of disintegration on contact with water if someone made a heavy landing or tried to land on rough water. A damn sight bigger and stronger than your machine. There's numerous examples of aircraft having structural failures because of ground/water strikes. I'd hate to imagine that getting caught in a downdraft either.
The differential thrust/motor reverse is a good trick though. A lot easier with electric motors than IC. A thought occurs, re-engine with electrofans or retrofit the ringed props with quite a deep ring forward of the blade might give more range.
I believe that what you are suggesting is that the tail must survive a crash. I am pretty sure that of the 1200 Lazairs out there, all their pilots are not as accomplished as me. Again, it is tried and proven and survives downdrafts too.
Awesome.
beautiful
This is very incredible and inspirational. Congratulations on achieving flight on your terms. As an American, this gives me a great sense of pride. Just to think of a neighbor on a quiet lake somewhere chasing their dream and having the opportunity to build something like this and fly. Only in USA.
There's 2 brothers that built a flying bath tub in Germany....Your countries collapsing right now and you think the US is the only place this happens...2023 the year China and Russia collapse the US rofl. Good riddance to the warmonger country of the world! Your banks have already started to collapse, your governments been printing money for decades causing all the worlds inflation..