Samuel H Drake

Salt Lake City, UT

United States

Profile Information:

Aircraft Model
STOL CH 750
Project Status
Less than half
Building From
Kit
Building Experience
No Experience
Flying Experience
None
Building and Flying Info / Your Profession / Other Background Info
Mechanical Engineer/Raytheon Sarcos

Also part time professor for University of Utah with an appointment in both ME and Computer Science. Background in design and automated manufacturing.

I have some flying experience in both power and sail planes but have not soloed yet--will be working on that.

I have considerable manufacturing experience especailly with CNC machining but not with sheel metal--so I am learning a new trade.

I have been the advisor for SAE student projects at the University of Utah and have experience designing ground vehicles and drivetrains.

Comment Wall:

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  • Thomas Palmer

    Samuel,
    I am planning to upgrade to Edition 2 as well. I am curious if you are going to replace the 2 side skins. The only change I can see is the middle window is smaller. I wonder if there is a gusset or something that can be done to provide the equivalent structure of the Edition 2 skin. I would be interested in your thoughts on this.
    Hope all is going well with your build.

    Tom Palmer

    Sep 12, 2010

  • Bob McDonald

    If you want a modern aircraft engine for your project buy a Rotax 912S. Fuel efficient, electronic ignition, liquid cooled, 130lb installed weight. Proven real world 2000 hr TBO.
    As a low time pilot you do not want to spend you time dead sticking forced approaches. The Rotax engine will increase the value of your completed project. The choice of aircraft engine is not the place to try to cut costs, think of it as life and aircraft insurance. Empty weight of the CH750 with Rotax 912S installed is 769 lbs.

    Nov 15, 2010

  • Bob McDonald

    I watched a CH701 builder mess around installing aftermarket "fuel injection" to the Rotax 912 80 hp engine in his CH701. I built a CH750 while he worked for months and spent big dollars trying to install fuel injection...I don't think he is flying even 4 months after I flew my CH750 home from Can-Zac. "KISS" Keep It Simple Stupid as the saying goes. I told him the brand new Rotax 912S engine with 2000hr TBO I just purchased came with Bing altitude compensating carbs from the factory..."what makes you think your smarter than the Rotax engineers that designed the engine used in 85% of the LSA production aircraft.

    Nov 16, 2010