Yes, how are you! I am approaching 71 years old. I`ve always wanted to fly a plane. Do you think starting with a legal eagle is a good start? That`s all I could afford anyway! Thank you very much! In addition to half of the VW engine, we also saw Legal Eagles with the Vernor radial engine at Airventure this year. See a flight below. Fantastic article. I`m destined to build one, just get started! My second bedroom is too small, my garage is renovated and I am very motivated to rent it and this leaves just enough space in my back patio, assuming 1 tenant parks a car there but I digress. I`ve always wanted to get my license, but having recently paid 1 hour of flight time (1 hour of flight and 3 hours of instructor time!), which is somewhat understandable given the ground training, I was able to build this aircraft before I could afford to complete my pilot training. That`s not to say I don`t enjoy private pilot training very much, I`m sure I`ll continue to increase my hours over the years, especially in an LSA qualification at a minimum, but the honest truth is that the complexity and cost of an LSA rating is so prohibitive that it keeps the majority of the public away from general aviation. which is a real shame! When I first heard about ultralight aircraft and saw this legal eagle powered by a VW, I knew it was one. I had a sand rail and I like to remember it (at least that`s what I tell myself) when I got stuck in a bowl in the dunes of Pismo (mostly shitty bald tires…) and the carburetor cover came off one of the carburetors and I sucked sand into the engine and grabbed it. In short, VW engines are ridiculously easy to edit and I remember an old friend and I held the engine on either side while my mom took a picture. It was the good old days, but I want more good new days and I am undoubtedly convinced that I have to build this plane.

I have the tools, the money, just enough experience to think I can finish it and. I guess I have no excuse not to start now as I FINALLY have a home! See you up there one day, I hope, maybe in Oshkosh or at the next LE meeting 🙂 The Legal Eagle XL is the latest version of the classic Legal Eagle ultralight aircraft designed by Leonard Milholland 20 years ago. There are many options for craftsmen who want to build light and simple aircraft that meet the parameters of Part 103, but Milholland`s aircraft deviate from the ultra-light convention by being designed around a four-stroke engine. Two-stroke engines have always been the norm for ultra-light aircraft, but after 250 hours of Rotax flight, my interest in flying a two-stroke engine waned. The failure mode of a four-stroke engine is more predictable and the exhaust sound more pleasant. Half of the VW uses the two rear cylinders of a Beetle-based engine to get an engine light enough to fit in Part 103 if special attention is paid to the design and construction of the airframe. Milholland is fanatical in “giving lightness” to his creations, and the Legal Eagles are exercises in elegance that contain only what is necessary to accomplish the mission – nothing more. These priorities translate into an ultra-light aircraft with conventional design and flight characteristics and four-stroke reliability that many of us demand. The Eagle is a ticket to the regulatory and medical freedom offered by Part 103 and is attractive to pilots who may already own a heavier aircraft, but also want to enjoy an easy, inexpensive and hassle-free flight.

The total cost of the XL-58 was just under $10,000, including the new engine. Many Legal Eagles have been built for less money thanks to the creative sourcing of materials and the construction of an engine with carefully used components, but even a high-priced version like mine fits into many aviation budgets as a second aircraft. Liability insurance can be purchased from the United States Ultralight Association (USUA), allowing the Eagle to live responsibly with other residents of an airport. The best place to check in is Barnstormers.com, even eaglersnest.com. Also check with eaa locals and visit the Legal Eagle Ultralight Facebook group Looking for someone who can cover my wings on my ultra-light legal eagle plane, I just bought it at my museum and need the restored wingsstommy West says out of fear that someone thinks the ultra-light eagle will reduce the polished flight reflexes of RVs, Rest assured that learning to fly a very light aircraft can improve flying skills and challenge even an experienced pilot. There`s a full range of features to explore, even if it`s at speeds and altitudes that aren`t common with the motorhome. I spent several hundred hours in light aircraft, but the last 1100 hours were exclusively in the RV-6. Therefore, I was only partially prepared for the astonishing lightness of the eagle.

Although the XL-58 is flown with control inputs familiar to a field or cubist pilot, the extremely low wing load and in-flight weight allow for a transition that widens the eyes for the pilot, who is accustomed to aircraft that weigh hundreds of pounds more than the Eagle. A steep breeze is not a challenge to fly; It`s a challenge when you ride! And flying in the turbulence of noon brings a new appreciation of how our atmosphere is made up of invisible eddies and whirlpools. Although the XL has a traditional plane form, the ultralight pilot needs to know how to affect the performance of the low-mass, high-drag aircraft to avoid distress due to a rapid drop in speed if the aircraft is mishandled. But after a few hours of acclimatization and shakedown flights, I learned to appreciate the classic features of my Eagle and how well it performs for its intended use. The Legal Eagle is an honest plane: it will reward the soft pilot and embarrass the ham fist, and this is where the key to the satisfaction obtained by showing a good flight lies.