Trevs Horizon

[cap232]

only saw the different fin and rudder after you mentioned it, it does look better than the very slanted setup they have on the original.
The super cub red and white scheme looks nice. Tell a bit about the history of the aeri, also about the undercarrige mod, i think the wider higer stance looks just right

[Go Vert]

The super cub red and white scheme looks nice. Tell a bit about the history of the aeri, also about the undercarrige mod, i think the wider higer stance looks just right

Will do just pushed for time ATM but I have wanted to since you asked the first time just cant get there LOL

The undercarrige is from Grove its a upgrade which i pritty common on the Horizon and it is spring steel. Then I have C172 wheels on whic are HUGE,,,,,, should all work towards some decent ground handeling and bush type airfield strips should be no issue.

Trev

[Go Vert]

Last night I got so stuck into this plane and the session didnt end at the regular time of between 1 - 2 am I went right through till 6am and the work flowed like a river. I was braaing at 2am LOL. Got the controls finished with some new parts made and joysticks also made. Fitted locking latches to the inside of the doors, Fitted final hinges to the doors, Bolted on some new Ali parts which wont get in the way of covering with final AN bolts, Built the passenger seat, The BAD news is that I also managed to crack the windscreen Was the moering with myself which is prob why I decided to work later as punishment LOL.

For some reason not all the pics got saved but here is what got

[Go Vert]

Here is some detail on the Horizon 1 with some specs

Flying the Horizon 1
The Horizon provides true STOL performance, good slow speed stability and a startling climb rate. It can carry a payload equal to its weight and is an excellent platform for lightweight floats or skis. You'll find a large, roomy cockpit, tandem seating, optional two-cycle or four-cycle engines and a one man, two-minute wing fold system.

Picture yourself in a shiny new airplane that has the feel, flight characteristics and styling of a classic machine.

This lightweight wonder will outperform a classic airplane in virtually every category and can be operated for only a fraction of its cost. The Horizon is a sturdy airplane with more horsepower than the Piper Cub, but with only a portion of its empty weight. Just imagine the fun you'll have flying this beauty.

Flying the Horizon 1
As personally satisfying as the building process is, the real fun comes in flying the Horizon 1. Open the door on the right hand side of the fuselage and slide into the rear pilot seat. You are surprised at the amount of leg and headroom available in the cockpit. The controls feel natural with center mounted sticks and spring tensioned rudder pedals for both the pilot and passenger. A glance at the nicely finished panel shows that there is plenty of room for all the optional instruments you could ever want in a basic aircraft.

Taxiing down to the end of the runway, you are impressed with the positive ground handling provided by the Horizon’s steerable tail-wheel. Even on the rough taxiway, the 15" diameter pneumatic tires and the rubber shock cord landing gear absorb the bumps well.

You should hold short of the end of the runway, stand on the optional brakes and do a quick full power run-up.

Lining up with the runway you slowly advance the throttle to the stop. The Horizon 1 responds instantly. Neutralizing the stick brings the tail-wheel up almost immediately and the aircraft levitates into the air at about 40 mph after a ground roll of about 350 feet. An indicated air-speed of 55 mph produces a climb rate in excess of 600 fpm and good forward visibility. A maximum performance climb will produce more than 700 fpm with two on board, but the visibility over the nose is more restricted.

Lowering the nose to establish straight and level flight, you find that the Horizon 1 cruises "hands off" between 80-90 mph depending on the throttle setting. At the upper end of this cruise range the fuel flow is only about 4 gallons per hour providing a fuel economy of more than 20 miles per gallon. You suddenly become aware that you and your friend have been conversing in a normal tone of voice. The noise level is quite low in the Horizon 1 when compared to other aircraft in this category.

Rolling into a steep bank turn, the aircraft responds smoothly. There is no tendency for the angle of bank to tighten up once the controls are neutralized and only a slight amount of back pressure is required to maintain altitude. The roll rate from 45° to 45° is about 3 seconds. The Horizon 1 has good response to control input while maintaining positive stability in all axis during normal flight. Fisher believes that stable slow speed flight characteristics are one of the most important safety factors in light aircraft design, and this is where the Horizon 1 really shines. Pulling the power off and raising the nose, the elevator becomes mushy and a slight buffet begins at about 40 mph. Stalls are very docile and occur at 38 mph clean and about 32 mph with 30° of flap. There is no tendency to drop a wing, as long as the ball is centered. The aircraft recovered immediately when the stick back pressure is released.

Approach to landing can be flown at any comfortable speed above 55 mph, slowing to 50 on final. If you require a steep angle of descent you can either add 30° of flaps or the aircraft slips nicely. At about touchdown, you slowly retard the throttle, flare slightly and the Horizon 1 touches down at about 40 mph in a perfect wheel landing. Pull the power off, the stick back and the tail wheel drops for positive ground handling. The Horizon 1 can also be landed in a 3-point attitude, but the wheel landing is so simple it seems the natural thing to do. Landings with a 90° crosswind component in excess of 15 knots have been demonstrated in the Horizon 1.

After the flight you or your friend can fold the wings in about 2 minutes so that the aircraft can be trailered or stored.

The Horizon 1 was designed for those who want to put the fun back into flying at a cost they can afford. Properly cared for, it should provide years of enjoyment and satisfaction. For less than the price of an economy car and 350-500 hours of your time, you can re-live those golden days of aviation, barnstorm around the countryside and share the experience with a friend.

Specifications
Wingspan 25’3”
Wing Area 113 sq. ft.
Wing Load @ Gross 9.2 lbs/sq. ft.
Wing Cord 54”
Height 68”
Length 18’8”
Seats 2/Tandem dual controls
Fuel Capacity 13 gal.
Design Loads +4 -2.5g
Engine 65-115 hp
Gross Weight 1,050 lbs.
Empty Weight 520 lbs.


Flight Performance
Velocity-Never Exceed 120 mph
Top Level Speed 100 mph
Cruise Speed 95 mph
Stall Speed 38-40 mph
Climb Rate 800-900 fpm
Take-off Run 250-500’
Landing Roll 250-350’

[Go Vert]

spend a good few hours working Friday evening then slept over in the hangar and continued working on Saterday got plenty of small things done. To be able to dis-prove abandonment I have to spend atleast 4 hours/month with the family and will have to take care of that today so sadly no work will be done .

[Jabbanaught]

Really looking good , following your thread and take my hat of to you guys that have the time and energy to do this

[Go Vert]

Really looking good , following your thread and take my hat of to you guys that have the time and energy to do this

Thanks much apreciated, while it does require some planning, long hours and other issues to get around it is very rewarding.

Trev

[Go Vert]

Funny thing is that I w writting this post at 4am after downloading the pics off the camera and I totaly fell asleep infront of the pc

I got in a goodsession yesterday from 7pm to 3 am with very little downtime. The task was to map out and manufacture the mild steel engine mount. We achieved this and at 2 am the engine was hanging on its own mount. This mount will be removed in a few days and a copy will be made from crome molly. I also decided on changing the elevator system from the single ali tbe pushrod to a dual bowden cable like the Jabi ( although I think the Jabi only has 1 ) this will be easier to install and offer 0 slop or play if installed correctly. Then I also decided on the way forward with the rudder/brake pedal and instead of using a heel or toe brake I will have a split ( 25mm ) brake pedal next to the rudder pedal on the inside.

Some pics

[Go Vert]

Some more

[Go Vert]

more

[Jabbanaught]

Lots of holdays this month , i suppose you will be working everyday , want to fly over one day and come visit , might even bring some snacks !

[Go Vert]

Lots of holdays this month , i suppose you will be working everyday , want to fly over one day and come visit , might even bring some snacks !

Yes yes yes that will be great. I have heard rumors that we are going away for the weekend next weekend but other than that we are in the hangar just about every day.

[Go Vert]

Fnished up a bit early tonight worked until 11, felt a bit moeg today. Got the cowl plug started tonight

[wiskeyfoxtrot]

What happened Trev, are you also on a go slow ? ! ..... Trust that you have been working to hard to post ?

Good luck with the rest of the build..... more pics please

Later

[Go Vert]

What happened Trev, are you also on a go slow ? ! ..... Trust that you have been working to hard to post ?

Good luck with the rest of the build..... more pics please

Later

Sorry dudes but I have unfortunately been dog slack the past 10 days LOL ........ my new business needed some loving care so I had to provide and this weekend I have been forced into a holiday with the family.......BUT when monday comes its back to the hangar and back to hard labour at its worst. I have withdrawl sumptoms already as I havent had a splinter for over a week LOL but we will sort that out chop chop on Monday evening.