Dalby Pouchel

Pouchel
Pouchel II
Role	Single-seat light aircraft
Manufacturer	homebuilt aircraft
Designer	Daniel Dalby
First flight	26 June 1999

The Pouchel (also known as a "Ladder Flea") is a single-seat ultralight aircraft first flown in 1999, designed for amateur construction.

Design and development

The Pouchel I was conceived in 1997 by French engineer Daniel Dalby. The aim was to design an easy-to-build ultralight aircraft based on the formula, principles and writings of Henri Mignet. The core of the construction employed commercial aluminium ladders in the fuselage and as spars in both wings. The wings were assembled using styrofoam ribs, and were fabric-covered. It was powered by a Fuji engine, developing less than 15 hp. Controls were similar to Mignet Pou-du-Ciel designs, with pivoting front wing plus rudder, both operated by the control column via control rods, and no foot pedals. After test hops and modifications, on 26 June 1999, Daniel Dalby piloted the Pouchel on its first true flight at Salon Eyguieres.^[1]

In 2002, after many plans had been sold to other amateur constructors, the ladder manufacturer refused to sell its products for this purpose, due to concerns about liability and insurance. The aircraft was then redesigned to replace the ladders with rectangular-section aluminium tubes (100 x 50 mm), and that became the Pouchel II, with a Rotax 447 engine and an empty weight of about 150 kg. Subsequently, the Pouchel II was superseded by the Pouchel Light, with an empty weight of about 100 kg. A closely related aircraft in the same family is the Demoichelle. Plans and kits are distributed by the APEV (Association pour la Promotion des Echelles Volantes, or in English, Association for the Promotion of Flying Ladders).^[1]

Variants

• Bipouchel, tandem two-seater
• HydroPouchel, the Pouchel seaplane, still at the prototype stage
• Pouchel Classic, with a fuselage made of wood
• Pouchelec, with 12 kW electric motor, also at the prototype stage.
• Pouchel Light, presently the principal version

Specifications (Pouchel Light)

Data from APEV (2011)^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Length: 14 ft 5 in (4.4 m)
• Wingspan: 19 ft 8 in (6 m)
• Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)
• Wing area: 129 ft² (12 m²)
• Empty weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 551 lb (250 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 377 or Rotax 447, 37 hp (27.6 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 75 mph (120 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 56 mph (90 km/h)
• Stall speed: 25 mph (40 km/h)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} APEV website