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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR

Awesome.



Lightweight agility is complemented by performance figures that challenge those of the petrol 3 Wheeler. 0-62mph takes less than 9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 90mph. Encased within the tubular space frame chassis is a 20KWh Lithium Battery and a liquid cooled 46kW motor driving the rear wheel.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
EVs for the masses?! yes please: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-11/india-turns-tesla-model-on-its-head-to-target-mass-market?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Review&utm_campaign=db3d5c4107-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08b98425f1-db3d5c4107-347685205

if they can drive down the cost by the time I have to replace my current vehicle (maybe another 4-5 years?), I'll be a happy camper.

And in about another 5-10 years after that, my roof will likely need to be reshingled. If this pans out, and comes to Canaderp, I might be able to charge my car with my roof!*: https://inhabitat.com/teslas-new-solar-roof-is-actually-cheaper-than-a-normal-roof/?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Review&utm_campaign=db3d5c4107-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08b98425f1-db3d5c4107-347685205


*I know it doesn't quite work that way, but it's a start...
 
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6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,825
13,054
And in about another 5-10 years after that, my roof will likely need to be reshingled. If this pans out, and comes to Canaderp, I might be able to charge my car with my roof!*: https://inhabitat.com/teslas-new-solar-roof-is-actually-cheaper-than-a-normal-roof/?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Review&utm_campaign=db3d5c4107-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08b98425f1-db3d5c4107-347685205


*I know it doen't quite work that way, but it's a start...
I'd happily have the solar roof, but I'd be worried about its ability to withstand Colorado hail storms without needing constant repairs afterwards.
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,288
5,028
Ottawa, Canada
I'd happily have the solar roof, but I'd be worried about its ability to withstand Colorado hail storms without needing constant repairs afterwards.
I guess that's what the "infinite" warranty is for... though I agree, it would get pretty old pretty quick if you were calling them up every year...
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
EVs for the masses?! yes please: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-11/india-turns-tesla-model-on-its-head-to-target-mass-market?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Review&utm_campaign=db3d5c4107-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08b98425f1-db3d5c4107-347685205

if they can drive down the cost by the time I have to replace my current vehicle (maybe another 4-5 years?), I'll be a happy camper.

And in about another 5-10 years after that, my roof will likely need to be reshingled. If this pans out, and comes to Canaderp, I might be able to charge my car with my roof!*: https://inhabitat.com/teslas-new-solar-roof-is-actually-cheaper-than-a-normal-roof/?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Review&utm_campaign=db3d5c4107-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_12_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08b98425f1-db3d5c4107-347685205


*I know it doesn't quite work that way, but it's a start...
By then EVs will be cheaper. Big fan of Fully Charged on YouTube

 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
Went to the Sonex factory a couple days ago. Now I really really want to build an airplane. My justification: I can build bikes and wheels...that's like the same, right?
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
I am very down with this. I visited the Zenith factory and checked out this plane last time I drove cross-country:

http://www.zenithair.com/stolch750/index.html
Yeah, that kind of thing is really popular here. There's also the Kitfox, which I like a bit. In short, I'd like something with one of the smaller 100-ish HP engines, light, that sips fuel, fun to fly, etc. I think the Sonex Xenos might be it, the idea of being able to shut off the engine and just glide about is very appealing, in no particular hurry. Although the backcountry thing is somewhat appealing, I know I won't be here forever and I don't really have a strong desire to go land/wreck on a sandbar somewhere. I was really impressed at the factory, their QC seemed to be excellent and they seemed to really be trying to put out a good product. I also like the RVs, but those have grown and have the bigger engines on them for the most part and if I'm looking at an RV12, I don't see any advantage to the Sonex.

They are making the Sub Sonex kits like crazy. Sold something like 20 already and a bunch were in production when I was there. Motorglider is hard to see, in the background to the left of the red plane.
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Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
How about a gyroplane car?

I went to a rotor-craft accident class too. Too many sentences ended up in "....if (x) fails, you die". The pusher-type gyrocopters are especially bad, if you get into a low speed situation and it pitches down, it "tucks" and can't be recovered. The "tractor" configuration for gyrocopters doesn't have this issue, but people don't generally see these as "cool".
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,137
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
Went to the Sonex factory a couple days ago. Now I really really want to build an airplane. My justification: I can build bikes and wheels...that's like the same, right?
I am very down with this. I visited the Zenith factory and checked out this plane last time I drove cross-country:

http://www.zenithair.com/stolch750/index.html
:nope:
Never ever in my several years of General Aviation did I once meet anyone with a homebuilt that I would have gone flying with. Not once. Either the aircraft was super sketchy, or the person flying it was.

if I'm looking at an RV12
Harmon Rocket n00b! Go big or go home.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,850
9,556
AK
:nope:
Never ever in my several years of General Aviation did I once meet anyone with a homebuilt that I would have gone flying with. Not once. Either the aircraft was super sketchy, or the person flying it was.

Harmon Rocket n00b! Go big or go home.
I get around pretty well in aviation, there are plenty of certificated airplanes that I wouldn't step into due to how they have been (lack of) maintained throughout the years. Things like wings and stabilizers that you can grab and move around because they are pretty much ready to fall off. Obviously, homebuilt relies heavily on the builder's skills and attention to detail. Kits these days are getting harder and harder to screw up though from a structural standpoint. Of course, there's always the person that "designs their own" and makes it with cardboard and paper-mache, but the well built kits like RVs, Rands, Sonex, Kitfox, etc., are all well established and it's pretty rare for a wing to fall off or any other structural concerns. The issues usually center more around the engines and especially the fuel system. Things like ethanol do not work well with most fuel systems (tanks, seals, etc.), even when the engine does just fine on auto-gas, and then even when the engine can also run on 100LL (aviation fuel) you can't just go dump it in and run it, without additives it'll despite enough lead to eventually jam exhaust valves. Other red flags are half-built kits that people sell, often because they screwed them up and/or figured out that building things wasn't for them.
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,137
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
I get around pretty well in aviation, there are plenty of certificated airplanes that I wouldn't step into due to how they have been (lack of) maintained throughout the years. Things like wings and stabilizers that you can grab and move around because they are pretty much ready to fall off. Obviously, homebuilt relies heavily on the builder's skills and attention to detail. Kits these days are getting harder and harder to screw up though from a structural standpoint. Of course, there's always the person that "designs their own" and makes it with cardboard and paper-mache, but the well built kits like RVs, Rands, Sonex, Kitfox, etc., are all well established and it's pretty rare for a wing to fall off or any other structural concerns. The issues usually center more around the engines and especially the fuel system. Things like ethanol do not work well with most fuel systems (tanks, seals, etc.), even when the engine does just fine on auto-gas, and then even when the engine can also run on 100LL (aviation fuel) you can't just go dump it in and run it, without additives it'll despite enough lead to eventually jam exhaust valves. Other red flags are half-built kits that people sell, often because they screwed them up and/or figured out that building things wasn't for them.
Last GA place I worked in, owner thought he could make a bunch of money building Lancair's for people. He offered to send me to Lancair's "builder assistance program" to get schooled up, but I would have had to sign some kind of agreement to stay on for at least two years afterwards. As intrigued as I was, another two years in that shit-hole, working for that assclown, was a TOTAL non-starter. I went to the airline probably within a month of that conversation.
 
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Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Went to the Sonex factory a couple days ago. Now I really really want to build an airplane. My justification: I can build bikes and wheels...that's like the same, right?
I go to an aircraft factory almost every day, makes me more passionate about hiking.
 
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