Looking for a 103-compliant Hummel UltraCruiser, USED. S. Steve Adkins . In order to keep the UltraCruiser within Part 103 with its 4-stroke engine, pull or electric starting simply isnt feasible. The war effort dictated no more 450 Prat & Whitney engines, which caused Howard Aircraft to close. Youll have to judge for yourself if hand-propping is acceptable to you. All-aluminum airframe, formed aluminum wing ribs, small steel parts. But Scantlen adds, It has light plane characteristics, in a low-drag airplane.. The UltraCruisers rudder was proportionately weaker than the ailerons, but I only found this by slipping hard to a landing where I was able to exhaust the rudder range (at relatively slow speeds). Kits and plans for the UltraCruiser are available from: Hummel Aviation 16288 County Rd D Bryan, OH 43506 Telephone: 419-636-6700 Email: info@flyhummel.com Website: www.flyhummel.com. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Hallett says he got involved to help upgrade the drawings and he ended up purchasing the enterprise. Though the tailwheel lifts quickly and easily, I found that the UltraCruiser showed no tendency to overlift the tail. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Substantial crosswind capability. The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 249lb (113kg). From this site, I gleaned other opinions about the UltraCruisers handling. The UltraCruiser warned me with mild aileron buffet and it simply mushed. He reports that all he did was to release backpressure and the ultralight resumed flying. He writes, Flip the prop over once, and the Half VW comes to life. Pros Little plane that carries its own weight in useful load. in flight. Construction time from the supplied kit is estimated as 420 hours. Fuselage, Motorbox, Center Wing complete and Landing Gear complete. 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On October 15, 2018, about 1416 eastern daylight time, a privately owned and operated experimental, amateur-built Hummel-Ultra Cruiser Plus, N245AP, collided with trees near Zephyrhills, Florida. It felt very stable on the ground. The ups and downs I have put this woman through over the last 44 years, you wouldnt believe. Later I discovered that I could make an approach at considerably slower speeds, in the area of 45 mph, which significantly decreased ground roll. The pilot reported a loud bang. Morry rebuilt the plane and flew it from Bryan, Ohio to Sun-n-Fun and back in January of 1977. The pilot then saw the It happened near the 36700 block of Paddock Lane. Personal attacks and hate speech directed at the NTSB investigators, FAA investigators, Designated Pilot Examiners, Kathryn, as well as other members of the aviation blog, are unacceptable because they are not constructive. Friends of James Hargrove say the plane reportedly lost engine power and that the pilot suffered a broken ankle in the wreck. Variants. folded Cons Longitudinal stability test didnt work well as the UltraCruiser has only a fixed trim tab that wasnt perfect for my weight (though light elevator forces made coping easy). Is the UltraCruiser Plus the new H5 mentioned in the article? The Hummel Bird is an experimental/amateur built aircraft designed by Morry Hummel and produced by Hummel Aviation of Byran, Ohio, United States. Kate passed away in 1989 after suffering a stroke. I lost my right leg below the knee, my left leg was badly broken, and my face crushed. Hummel wrote, "I crashed my miniMAX on July 19, 1995. While I was in the hospital for 5 months, I had time to think. God bless you all. " The throttle and mixture controls were at their full power positions, and the carburetor heat control was in the full cold position. Superb visibility while checking for incoming traffic. If you buy all the parts Hummel Aviation can sell you, youll slice 200 hours off the 600 and if you also choose their new quick-build wing, you can reduce the total to 320 to 340 hours. The original Hummel Bird was designed for: 5-foot, 7-inch pilot weighing 160 pounds. http://www.lightsportaircraft.ca, http://www.lightsporta. The sport pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Its designer, Morry Hummel, was not a young engineer with a passion for flying ultralights. News & Video on Light-Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot Kits, and Ultralight Aircraft, February 17, 2004 by Dan Johnson 5 Comments. S.E. Landings went very well. CALHOUN Police and federal officials say a single-engine plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff Calhoun. Terry Hallettcontinues to operate Hummel Aviation in Ohio offering custom services to builders and owners, such as ready-to-fly aircraft and restorations/rebuilds/repairs of existing aircraft. Test aircraft had a cockpit choke control. There is less than 20 hours on the engine and airframe. Your feet slide readily on the interiors metal finish, so heel brakes were easy enough to operate. The plane was a single-engine, amateur-built experimental Hummel H5 aircraft, according to Kathleen Bergen of the FAA. [1], Data from Kitplanes and Hummel Aviation[1][3], "The Airfoil Adventures of Harry Riblett", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hummel_Ultracruiser&oldid=1118545666, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 October 2022, at 16:16. I was told it burns about 2 gallons per hour, which makes it one of the most fuel-efficient engines you can install on an ultralight. "Was he alive or dead? It sounded like two automobiles running into one another at 50 miles per hour, Porter described the crash. They have put a pin in his wrist and are Six months later, they were married and Myra moved from her home in Arkansas to Morrys home in Bryan, Ohio. Vinyl wrap. Jacobs concludes that after flying 43 different ultralights, the UltraCruiser is one of the nicest hes flown. That's the first thing that comes to your mind when I saw he landed straight in, the airplane stalled, it went right into the tree, nose down," said Porter. 0:00 / 2:09 1500 hours in HUMMEL ULTRA CRUISER!!! Read the aircraft specifications below this introduction for more. Hummel Aircraft Company in Michigan will continue to offer the same quality products for the Hummelbird, Ultracruiser, and H5. Roy Hummel H5. Facebook Youtube Google-plus. A photo released by the Sheriffs Office showed the crushed fuselage of the plane against a large tree, whats left of the nose pointing down, the destroyed tail sticking up in the air and the left win nearly ripped off. It just might do the same for you. Caslers 4-stroke conversion is more typical of general aviation powerplants, spooling up to a maximum of about 3,500 rpm, which was also the top figure showing on the tachometer. The plans have similarities to those from Fisher Flying Products in that many parts are drawn in full size so you can build directly on the plans to ensure greater accuracy. Based on proven Hummel Bird design, which has a long history. Cons No flaps to aid steep approaches to short fields or in emergencies (however, slips are reasonably effective). Hand-start, run on test-stand only. The UltraCruisers tailwheel lifts quickly and ground run was short. Short span and a small wing area contribute to this quality though the Hummel Bird uses even smaller wings (18-foot span and 57 square feet of area). Optional full bubble canopy available, even tinted, though the open cabin is a delight in good weather. Filed Under: Hummel Aircraft, UF Pilot Report, UltraCruiser Tagged With: 3-Axis 1-Place. . The airplane's initial impact point was in a tree, about 50 feet above the ground, in the vicinity of 34 degrees, 27.03 minutes north latitude, 084 degrees, 55.83 minutes west longitude. Thin aluminum construction could see hangar rash more easily. He located and maneuvered for a forced landing to a field, but allowed the airplane to slow too much, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. "I crashed my Mini-Max, July 9th 1995. likely be in the Hospital for a few more days. letting the swelling go down from his foot to fix it. My fingers and arms are too important to me to risk losing them in an improperly executed prop start. God had spared my life for a reason. In a maximum climbout evaluation I logged 3,350 to 3,400 rpm with the throttle fully opened. Burns only 2 gph; good range even with a 5-gallon fuel tank. Ground clearance is minimal at tail; keep your tail flying in the event of an out-landing. He loved working with metal, and still does. Jacobs adds, Cruise speed [is] very good and stall very low. He likes the quick response and adequate power of the ailerons. Contact us for information about engine suppliers. Read more below, or look at buying a kit on our store page! First and foremost, Steve Gigax. In such tight-quarters flying I make nearly continuous throttle adjustments and the vernier control worked against this, at least when combined with the engines slower response (compared to a 2-cycle engine). Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the amateur-built aircraft crashed in the woods after departing from an airport in Calhoun around 2 p.m. Tuesday. The downside of the metal finish is the build time and complexity. The un-registered amateur built Hummel Aviation Ultra Cruiser departed the airport on the second flight of the day. He liked the design, but wanted to make some modifications to the plans. Complete, Ready to fly UltraCruiser. One builder indicated that he invested $3,750 in a VW engine conversion, close to $3,000 in materials, and a year of his time (and the latter reflects some prior experience at building). Long ground float will stymie landings after a too-fast approach. ", "So the UltraCruiser is named "God's Gift" because I am only 85 years young and flying again. "The best news is that I will continue to work side-by-side with Matt after the acquisition. . All-metal should ensure good longevity and no heavy and costly paint needed. Ive done these starts and they arent particularly hard. Airframe is plans built to comply with Part 103. Morry Hummel originally build the Hummel Bird because he had survived a bad crash in a Minimax. In July of 1982, the plane was featured in an article written by Jack Cox, of Sport Aviation. Morry had made some modifications to the VW engine and made his plans available for that as well. Its far from the first crash hes seen after years in aviation but this was the first to, quite literally, hit this close to home. It can even function well at high elevation fields.The Half VWs 37 horses display a lot of energy and I estimate the brief launch roll was 100 to 150 feet. 6 foot, 4-inch pilot weighing 225 pounds. New Prince 54x28 Carbon Fiber E-Tip Prop. In 2003, the Ultracruiser plus was modified to incorporate new changes that made the aircraft easier to build, and more closely match the rest of the Hummel Fleet. The UltraCruiser is a Part 103 legal all metal ultralight Detachable wings for easy storage Very docile, easy to fly Excellent performance with 37 HP engine Very comfortable for long flights 6.5 ft. track and low CG for improved ground handling Many building options with customer support Full size Parts on (30) 24x36 CAD drawn pages. Two hours on Hobbs for engine run-up and initial test flight. Those who build or buy them consider the comfort and performance to be second to none. Lack of pull starter or electric starter (to stay within Part 103s weight limits) is a no-deal to some buyers. If you choose from Hummel Aviations optional parts you will increase your investment in dollars while decreasing your investment in labor hours. It is a single-seat, single-engine, all-metal airplane typically powered by a 1/2 VW engine in the 32 hp-45 hp range although . Obeying his wifes commands, the owner sold it and Morry had a new project. Clearly, resigning and retiring werent how Hummel chose to proceed. Later in this story, Ill add some of Jacobs impressions of the machine. Stall recovery and characteristics; Dampening; Spiral stability; Adverse yaw qualities. He redesigned it to use larger bulkheads so he could install a canopy and shoulder harness, and converted it to a tail dragger. The UltraCruiser Plus still uses the 37-hp Half VW engine but you can carry more fuel in its 8- to 10-gallon tank. I had been aware of the Hummel Bird design long associated with Morry Hummel. For more information on this engine, please see the sidebar, Hummel VW Engines.. Minimum instruments and price. He first became interested in aviation when he was in the 7th grade, at which time he began building award winning model airplanes. Matt and I have spent the better part of two years improving the products and services which Morry Hummel brought to life. Finally, pilot Jayson Scantlen adds his thoughts. Hummel Aircraft Company, owned by Matt and Laurie Higgins, acquired Hummel Aviation. In 2008, the new H5 configuration was complete and plans and kit sales started immediately. Not the least of which was my first meeting with Morry and Myra Hummel. It was a Hummel UltraCruiser that he'd finished in only five months and 11 days. Affordability, and the info about several of them folding up in level flight have pretty much nixed that plane off my list of potential a/c. But, like all pilots, I make my share of mistakes. Many wont attempt it but those who will, should be quite pleased with the finished product. The Hummel Ultracruiser (also variously called the Ultra Cruiser and UltraCruiser) is an American amateur-built aircraft, designed by Morry Hummel and produced by Hummel Aviation. 37HP Hummel Engine with MGL ASV-1. It simply sounded like a VW Beetle engine running at low revolutions and was a pleasant change from a 2-stroke whine or the higher-rev noise produced by the Rotax 912 series. 37HP Hummel Engine with MGL ASV-1. The acquisition wascompleted in January of 2021. 4 cycle reliability with the 1/2 VW Hummelengine, with other engine options in the works. Even with the wind blowing 45 to 60 to the runway, the UltraCruiser was still very manageable, a significant statement for an aircraft he says weighs 249 pounds empty. Three years after my accident, I started building the UltraCruiser. The aircraft is extremely versatileand maneuverable. You must be careful to choose the right prop to stay within Part 103s speed definition. after departing the airport. My teeth were wired shut for 10 weeks and I was fed through a tube in my stomach. Contact us for information about engine suppliers. . A spokesman for Pasco Fire Rescue says the crash happened on Paddock Lane near Simmons Road on Monday around 2:30 p.m. Deputies say the pilot reported that he lost power while attempting the land the aircraft and ended up crashing it into a tree. Cosmetic appearance, structural integrity, achievement of design goals, effectiveness of aerodynamics, ergonomics. 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