Builders of Carbon Dragon (and flying) by S. Steve Adkins

Carbon Dragon Builders Updated 9/18/2002

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Webmaster Looking for information on:
Bruce Sparrow

          Bruce was at the Eastern Workship
          with CD and trailer
          Send to S. Steve Adkins

Selling:
Bill Best - Carbon Dragon Project ..

Flying:
     Stéphane Abbet
     Steve Arndt
     Graham Betts
     Mark Dunstone
     Clyde Farquar
     Daniel Indermühle
     Jim Maupin
     Gary Osoba
     Frank Smallman

Building:
Ya, Japan

     Michael Larson and Matt Ruddell
     Erik J. Brans
     Brian.Davis
     Kevin Lane
     Hugo Lienhart
     Wayne Meier
     Jim Mills
     Johnathon Pitt
     Gytis Tamulaitis

Holding:
     H. F. Blanton (Fred is no longer selling kits)
     Mark Crist
    S. Steve Adkins

This page contains two tables: Carbon Dragon Builders and Carbon Dragons flying.

Please email any information you have about Carbon Dragon projects flying or building to:
Steve Adkins - sadkinsOUT@isd.net (Remove "OUT" from Email addresses)

Kitplanes, January 2000, reports that 35 Carbon Dragon sailplanes are built. Below are listed 9 flying and 18 building. Don Santee in "The History of the Sailplane Homebuilders Association" reports 110 sets of drawings sold, 3 built and 2 flying. I am the holder of drawings set #248.

Flying

Builder	Changes and other notes	Started	First Flight	Location
Daniel Indermühle daniel.indermuehleOUT@bluewin.ch Daniel Indermühle daniel.indermuehleOUT@swissonline.ch	Now flying! See 5 great photos at: http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com/cd_indermuehle.htm. Daniel reports, "After four years of building, and of course at least one sleepless night, the first flight of my great love affair has been performed last sunday, december the 17. 2000, at the airport of interlaken, by towing behind a car. First "flight" was just about 5 meters above ground to make sure the plane does what I expected of it. Then followed two towings up to 200 meters ground. Thanks a lot to any body for all the help, whether it was support in building, technical advice, encouraging, or just doubts if this thing would ever fly! Well it does - an as far as I could find out in the short flights - it does quite well!!" Previous reports: Building stronger wing. Complete load test at 4G (with total weight plane + pilot 150 kg) two-piece door in place of one-piece. I have redesigned the wing and horizontal-stabilizer with CAD to produce with CNC. DXF-files are available. Move wheel back. Concerned about plans vs. amount of aileron deflection.	4 years ago	December 17, 2000	Burgdorf, Switzerland
Steve Arndt hanglyder@REMOVEattbi.com	update 1/14/2002 - Steve has racked up many hours flying two seasons at Wallaby Ranch in Florida for two seasons. More recently, Steve replied to my question about twin engines for the Carbon Dragon, "Yes, twin model airplane engines. I have them both in the shop. They weigh just 4.7 pounds each and each will generate 8-10 horsepower depending on prop efficiency. I think one would do but two should give an excellent climb rate. I'm redesigning the fuselage to accommodate them and a retractable landing gear." Debuted at SHA Workshop in Elmira, New York in summer 1999. Extremely beautifully finished sailplane. The CD was not allowed to fly at the workshop due to county restrictions. For photos, visit: http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com/steve_arndt_cd.htm These photos tell it all. Much of the 1/32 nd plywood was replaced with a combination of two layers of carbon and one light outer layer of fiberglass. Steve included a BRS. Steve has completed a static load test for his flying weight. Wing was built using pre-formed composite wing skins which were formed over the wing. Built carbon fiber gap covers for the tail pieces. Many innovative changes without compromising the design. Jigs shown at the last two workshops demonstrated great creativity. hanglyderOUT@aol.com ....UPDATE .... 1/25/2000 - Steve Reports: "Got back a week ago from a trip to Wallaby Ranch hang glider flight park near Orlando, Florida. Trailered the Dragon down. I flew for four days and logged a total of just over 19 hours of airtime! The glider is a blast. First to soar, last to land. I'm going again every month this winter." ....UPDATE .... October 16, 2000 Since then, Steve has flown over 90 hours in his Carbon Dragon. For a synopsis of his building process and thoughts on this design, visit: http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com/arndt_news_posting.htm	About three years ago	Summer 1999	Concord New Hampshire
Jim Maupin maupinOUT@jcpress.com	Now owned by Gary Osoba , prolific writer, who has made notable flights in the Prototype built by Jim Maupin. Jim built this glider extremely light as a proof-of-concept. Goal was 100 pounds, actual was 145 pounds. Normally, no homebuilt is ever built as light as the designer's prototype. Note: a crescent wrench is "permanently" duct-taped to the tail to improve the CG. www.jcpress.com/JMaupinLtd/home.htm	-	prototype	Tehachapi, California .... now Wichita, Kansas
Frank Smallman	Plans holder #6. Kitplanes reports that Smallman used West Systems Epoxy. Bill Moyes is providing aerotows with the TUG for aerotow. Bill Moyes, 2-4 Taylor Street, Waverly 2024, NSW, Australia Phone: 02-3187 5114 Fax 02 387 4472	-	-	Glen Innes N.S.W. 2370, Australia
Graham Betts	Changed incidence on H. Stab. Building parallel to the boom results in heavy nose down pitch. Also, Betts at 198 pounds, changed his seating position towards the rear which required extensions on the rudder pedals. SHA 12/97	-	2/1/96 autotow	Australia
Mark Dunstone	Flight tested the Carbon Dragon at high speed for flutter, oscillations or instability. Noted that cutting carbon fibers damages saw blades. Controls are light, easy to thermal, plenty of stall warning, spoiler is effective, and large rudder is effective ... from Kitplanes, page 32	-	-	PO Box 10492, Wellington, New Zealand
Clyde Farquar	With Betts above in SHA 12/97 ... two CDs in one photo! Note: Two flying CDs in one photo! Graham Betts and Clyde Farquar, Australia [See photograph in the Sailplane Builder, December 1997, page 7]	-	-	Australia
Stéphane Abbet s.abbetOUT@geneveopera.ch	The work looks too pretty to cover. See photo above or click on full photo. He has 1300 hours work so far. Stéphane is in the covering process and hopes to fly before the end of the year. More photos! Very detailed Now flying! Beautiful images to be added soon.	1995	2000	Switzerland, in Geneva

Building (below)

Builder	Changes and other notes	Started	Location
Yasushi Akahori fledge@OUTqf6.so-net.ne.jp	Many project photos including carbon parts, tail feathers, carbon spar, spar box drawings. A must see website! First contact with Ya was 5/14/2002	-	Nagoya Japan
Bill Best 1776 S. Palo Verde #110 Tucson, AZ 85713 520-304-2984	For Sale: Carbon Dragon ultralight sailplane project, forward wing complete along with flaperon kits, pod (carbon), tail boom and tail surfaces complete, all materials to finish project, 29' tandem Airstream trailer, 23' inside, gutted of all appl/furn. $15,000 for all.	-	-
Michael Larson mykow2@OUTyahoo.com with Matt Ruddell	I have started building and would love to coordinate in any way. Anything that will reduce the time time taken is welcome, so get in touch with me. I'll put up a website on my CD progress as soon as I hit 10% or so. I am building a single plane together with Matt Ruddell. Hopefully it won't take too long.	5/2002	?
Alejandro Ramirez-Pineiro alejoOUT@netline.cl Contact: http://www.manque-aircraft.com/Webingles.htm	http://www.manque-aircraft.com/ A very improved, modern Carbon Dragon-like glider being produced in Chili. Its name is MANQUE which means Condor in mapuchean. Note: for nearly 50 years, gliders have been built in Chile. See website, Aerodynamic Analysis of the Carbon Dragon Airfoils. Also, producing carbon seat pan for sale. [Ultralight_Soaring] Digest Number 300 Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 22:09:04 -0400 From: "Alejandro Ramirez-Pineiro" Yesterday we made the RH wing spar of the Manque UL glider. Photos on website: 1.- total of man hours: 50 2.- upper cap: 185 carbon rovings of 800 tex 3.- lower car: 130 carbon rovings of 800 tex 4.- spar web: 5 layers at +/- 45 degrees (per side) stepped to 1 at the tip 5.- foam cores: 12 mm 6.- two hard points made of sandwich of 6 mm plywood and 20 layers of carbon fabric per side 7.- vacuum bagging at -0.7 bar for 12 hours 8.- curing time of 24 hours at elevated room temperature of 25 - 27 °C.	2000	Chile
Erik J. Brans bransOUT@euronet.nl	Progress is slow for a variety of reasons including a new baby and moving. At the moment I am carving out a working space for my CD and will continue with the production of the wing and flaperon ribs. The empennage is finished. Because I am heavier than Maupin, I have chosen a slightly stronger carbon on advice of AMOCO, where I bought the carbon (Thornel T350/35, 12K, 309NT) and will build the wing in a way that the leading edge is in one line, that moves the pressure point forward just enough to compensate for my heavier weight.	-	The Netherlands
Kevin Lane n3773OUT@att.net	Kevin is currently 75% done with the empennage and will start the wings this winter. ... update 7/24/2001 ... We just moved back to our first house, so I have to set up the shop again. I have one half-completed flaperon and the empennage hanging up in the rafters.	2000	Portland, OR
Brian Davis Brian.DavisOUT@health- wealth-and-happiness.com	Has plans. Reviewing the plans in detail. [update] Brian has developed a Word version of the Carbon Dragon Builders Manual complete with drawings.	1999	Edmonton, AB Canada
Doug Hoffman dhoffmanOUT@oakland-info.com	-	-	-
Wayne Meier wmeier19OUT@idt.net	Working on tail. Plenty of Sitka Spruce on hand with lengths up to 24' that	1999	?
Hugo Lienhart	Much progress http://www.cloudbase.ch/carbon/hl.htm http://www.cloudbase.ch/carbon/old-pics.htm Cloud Base - email: aeros@cloudbase.ch	1993	Switzerland, in Geneva
Mark Crist mcristOUT@cmgate.com	Mark has been side tracked ... building a Sandlin BUG. ... Mark was building a CD to the plans. Tail pieces, wing ribs, carbon hinges are finished. Using Blanton's plywood kit. The wing mid-ribs were built on Mark's kitchen table. Presently building a "Bug" ultralight.	About 3 years ago	Dassel Minnesota
Syd Hall	Building modified Carbon Dragon with 3-piece wing which uses carbon yarn wrapped around a tang bolt with Kevlar 969 reinforcement. Composite, shoulder wing, one-piece fuselage with rectangular cross-section pod.	-	-
David Swanson	Highly modified Carbon Dragon + Minisigma blended sailplane named FoulAir (Sailplane Builder 8/97 pages 5 and 8). Has slotted flaps for 2:1 increase in wing area. Stalls at 20 mph. SHA, 9/97	-	-
Jim Mills	See article, Sailplane Builder December 1997. Kevlar Pod 90 % complete. Boom finished. Tail surface ready for skinning. Tow hook made on his own mill (look at his name again!). Jim Mills had a wonderful exhibit of his Carbon Dragon parts at the Western SHA workshop at Tehachapi.	-	-
Johnathon Pitt	Written several excellent articles for Sailplane Builder.	aprox 1995	-
Gytis Tamulaitis	Building a three piece wing based on Mitchell Wing construction techniques	-	-
John McGriff	-	-	TN
Jeff Snyder	Attended 1996 Easter SHA Workshop at Elmira	-	-
Larry Weihs	-	-	Palm Springs California
Steve Adkins sadkinsOUT@isd.net	Built mockup of the front half of the pod. Cockpit space is on par with the K-21 if you add 1 inch in width at station 24.0 to reach 18 inches (I believe the original design was 16 inches and expanded to 17 inches before completing the prototype). Project on hold due to pilot weight.	3/1998	Twin Cities Minneapolis
H. F. Blanton 707-451-3341 4785 Esquivel Road,Vacaville, CA 95688	Fred is no longer building the die-cut plywood kits for the Carbon Dragon.	-	Vacaville, CA

A Few Links (see more on homepage):
Builder's photos
http://www.sailplanehomebuilders.com/whatmembersaredoing.htm

Note that the Manque and Cepheus are Carbon Dragon derivatives.
Unfortunately, the Cepheus website is not responding.

Address of this page: http://www.isd.net/sadkins/builders.htm

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