- Milholland Legal Eagle
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Milholland Legal Eagle 
Role Ultralight aircraft National origin United States Manufacturer Better Half VW Designer Leonard Milholland Introduction 1998 Status Plans available Number built Legal Eagle - 25 (as of 2007)
Double Eagle - 1 (as of 2007)The Milholland Legal Eagle is an American high wing, strut-braced, single engine, tractor configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that is available as plans from Better Half VW of Brookshire, Texas and also produced in kit form by J&N Bolding Enterprises of Baytown, Texas and intended for amateur construction.[1][2][3]
The Legal Eagle is so named because it is capable of being built in legal compliance with the United States FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations, even when equipped with a four stroke engine.[1]
Contents
Design and development
The Legal Eagle features an open cockpit and is powered by a 30 hp (22 kW) Half VW engine.[1]
The design features a fuselage of welded 4130 steel tubing, mated to an all-wood wing made from spruce. The struts and tail surfaces are made from 6061 T6 aluminium tubing. The flying surfaces are covered with doped aircraft fabric. The rear fuselage is normally left as an open truss structure to save weight and to ensure that the aircraft does not exceed the FAR 103 maximum speed of 55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph). Like the fuselage, the taildragger landing gear is sprung steel.[1][3]
The aircraft has been developed into several variants of the basic design including the XL version for larger pilots and a two seat ultralight trainer and Light-sport aircraft.[4][5]
Variants
- Legal Eagle
- Basic model with a 244 lb (111 kg) empty weight, powered by a 30 hp (22 kW) Half VW engine[1][6]
- Legal Eagle XL
- Model for larger pilots with an wider and taller seat, greater wing area and longer tail. 246 lb (112 kg) empty weight[4]
- Double Eagle
- Model with two seats in side-by-side configuration with a 385 lb (175 kg) empty weight and a 900 lb (408 kg) gross weight. Designed as an ultralight trainer and Light Sport Aircraft. Powered by a 60 hp (45 kW) Volkswagen air-cooled engine giving a 70 mph (113 km/h) cruise speed.[5][6]
Specifications (Legal Eagle)
Data from Cliche, Better Half VW and Kitplanes[1][7][6]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 13 ft 0 in (3.96 m)
- Wingspan: 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
- Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
- Wing area: 107 sq ft (9.9 m2)
- Empty weight: 244 lb (111 kg)
- Gross weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 5 US gallons (38 litres)
- Powerplant: 1 × Half VW horizontally opposed twin-cylinder, four-stroke, single ignition aircraft engine, 30 hp (22 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed Culver wooden
Performance
- Maximum speed: 60 mph (97 km/h; 52 kn)
- Cruise speed: 50 mph (43 kn; 80 km/h)
- Stall speed: 25 mph (22 kn; 40 km/h)
- Never exceed speed: 80 mph (70 kn; 130 km/h)
- Range: 170 mi (148 nmi; 274 km)
- Rate of climb: 300 ft/min (1.5 m/s)
- Wing loading: 4.7 lb/sq ft (23 kg/m²)
Avionics
- none
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Eipper Quicksilver
- Ultraflight Lazair
- Zenair Zipper
References
- ^ a b c d e f Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page E-21. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ Gibson, Graeme (undated). "Leonard Milholland's Better Half VW Engine & the Legal Eagle Ultralight". http://www.betterhalfvw.com/. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ a b Milholland, Leonard (2002). "Frequently Asked Questions on Leonard Milholland's Legal Eagle Ultralight". http://www.betterhalfvw.com/qanda.htm. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ a b Gibson, Graeme (2009). "Introducing the Legal Eagle XL". http://www.betterhalfvw.com/LEXL/. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ a b Gibson, Graeme (2007). "The Double Eagle - A Light, Strong, Simple & Inexpensive Airplane". http://www.doubleeagleairplane.com/. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
- ^ a b c Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 44. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
- ^ Gibson, Graeme (2002). "The Legal Eagle Ultralight Specifications". http://www.betterhalfvw.com/DETAILS.HTM. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
External links
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- United States ultralight aircraft 1990–1999
- Light-sport aircraft
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