The Weedhopper is an American high-wing, tractor configuration, tricycle gear, two-axis control ultralight aircraft originally developed by John Chotia during the height of the 1970s ultralight boom and introduced in 1977. When it was in production the aircraft was sold as a kit for amateur construction and could be assembled in 25-30 man-hours.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
| Chotia Weedhopper | |
|---|---|
| |
| Weedhopper | |
| Role | Ultralight aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Weedhopper Aircraft |
| Designer | John Chotia |
| Introduction | 1977 |
| Status | Production completed |
| Produced | 1977-2012 |
| Number built | 13,000 (2007)[1] |
| Variants | Chotia Woodhopper Cyclone AX2000 Flylab Tucano Raj Hamsa X-Air |
By early 2013 the company website had been blanked and put up for sale and it is likely that the company has closed and production ended.[11]
Design and development
editMany of the early ultralights used a "weight shift" method of control, requiring the pilot to push a control bar to shift the center of gravity of the aircraft. The Weedhopper differed from most other ultralights of the period in that it has a control stick which moves the rudder and elevator, giving it two axis control in pitch and yaw. The pronounced dihedral of the wings, along with the swept leading edge causes it to bank into the turn, and results in a very stable, easy-to-fly aircraft. The Weedhopper differs from many of the other early ultralights in that it had a strut-braced wing, whereas most period ultralights have wire-braced wings.[2]
The Weedhopper is constructed from aluminium tubing and covered with Dacron pre-sewn envelopes. The early versions of the aircraft developed a poor reputation due to the lack of reliable engines available in the 1970s. This was rectified with the adoption of the Rotax 277 28 hp (21 kW) and later the Rotax 447 40 hp (30 kW) powerplant.[2][12]
Over 13,000 Weedhoppers have been sold. It was popular because it offered people an inexpensive way to fly for pleasure. The aircraft could be easily disassembled and put on a trailer for home storage. It was not necessary to rent an expensive hangar. It could also be flown from just about any field because of its short takeoff and landing requirements (about 100 feet (30 m) with no obstacles). The kits originally sold for $2,000, and in 2011 the Weedhopper model 40 sold for US$8,495.[2][1][13]
In its home country versions of the aircraft are eligible for the FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category, the experimental amateur-built category and the light-sport aircraft category.[10]
Variants
edit- Weedhopper A
- Initial production version, also known as the JC-24A.
- Weedhopper B
- Improved production version, also known as the JC-24B.
- Weedhopper C
- Improved production version, also known as the JC-24C.[14]
- Weedhopper Standard
- Basic model with a 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 engine and an empty weight of 235 lb (107 kg) for the US amateur-built category.[9][10][1]
- Weedhopper Deluxe
- Improved production model with a 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 engine.[4][6][7][8][10]
- Weedhopper 40
- Current production model with a 40 hp (30 kW) Rotax 447 engine.[3][5][9][1]
- Weedhopper Super
- Up-engined model with a 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine, many extras and an empty weight of 330 lb (150 kg) for the US amateur-built category.[9][10][1]
- Weedhopper II
- Current production two seat side-by-side seating model with a 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine. Also known as the Weedhopper Two Place.[2][4][5][9][10][1][15]
Aircraft on display
edit
Specifications (Weedhopper Model 40)
editData from Weedhopper Aircraft[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
- Wingspan: 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m)
- Height: 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
- Wing area: 168 sq ft (15.6 m2)
- Empty weight: 250 lb (113 kg)
- Gross weight: 550 lb (249 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 5 US gallons (19 litres)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 447 twin-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, 40 hp (30 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed Powerfin ground adjustable
Performance
- Cruise speed: 55 mph (89 km/h, 48 kn)
- Stall speed: 20 mph (32 km/h, 17 kn)
- Never exceed speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
Avionics
- none
Comparable aircraft
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 80. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b c d e Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-64 and B-111. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ a b c Weedhopper Aircraft. "Weedhopper Model 40". Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ a b c Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 294. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
- ^ a b c Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 167. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ a b Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 76. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b Downey, Julia: 2001 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 12, December 2000, page 82. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b Downey, Julia: 2002 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 55. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b c d e Newby-Gonzalez, Tori: 2004 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 12, December 2003, page 65. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ a b c d e f Downey, Julia: 2005 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, page 88. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ Weedhopper Aircraft. "Weedhopper". weedhopperusa.net. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 127. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
- ^ Weedhopper Aircraft. "Weedhopper Aircraft". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ jc-24c.com (n.d.). "Weedhopper-C Resource Site". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Weedhopper Aircraft. "Weedhopper two place airplane". Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
External links
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