Wife had a cow...don't know why.

Downeaster

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Some sort of derelict ultralight. Parasailer I think, no provision for a wing.

Belongs to Dale the Builder, he wants me to get the engine running with an eye toward building an airboat.

I giggled like a 10 year old girl at a pajama party while I was towing it up to the garage. Wife looking out the kitchen window thinking I'd lost my mind and was taking up flying...
 
My best friend bought a two-place ultra-light, years ago, with the intention of restoring it and flying it. His wife is convinced he's gonna kill himself on it. He doesn't have the heart to sell it until he can totally and completely finish it, have it inspected and certified, because he'd never be able to live with himself if some poor bastard bought it and killed himself with it!
What kind of engine is that, DE? It looks pretty small. I don't know how big of an airboat Dale the Builder expects to power with it.... :shrug:
 
It's something called a "Cuyuna". 2 cylinder 2-smoke either 30 or 40 HP depending on who you believe.

Pretty much everybody tells me it's not enough for an air boat, which I don't doubt for a minute. But, I was hired to get it running, after that it's Dale's problem.
 
If he kept it on the "mini" side, say a 12, maybe a 14 footer, not too heavy, he might be okay. You see a lot of these 20-footers with small-bock V-8's for a reason. They need the juice for enough thrust! But like you said, that's Dale's problem... :shrug:
 
If he kept it on the "mini" side, say a 12, maybe a 14 footer, not too heavy, he might be okay. You see a lot of these 20-footers with small-bock V-8's for a reason. They need the juice for enough thrust! But like you said, that's Dale's problem... :shrug:

If I was gonna do it, AND I'M NOT!, I'd look for a little 'luminum jon boat. The smaller the better.

Got it to run on ether, so ignition is good. Carb was disGUSTing, thought I had it all cleaned up, but it won't run so either something is still plugged or the adjustments are way out of whack I lightly seated the main and the idle and backed them out a turn and a half which ought to at least let it run.

Tired of yanking on it (after fixing the recoil starter three times...) so I'll look at it some more tomorrow.
 
It's something called a "Cuyuna". 2 cylinder 2-smoke either 30 or 40 HP depending on who you believe.
As a snowmobile engine it produced 40hp. It was de-tuned for aircraft use for reliability reasons. 2 versions used the belt reduction drive. So it's either 30 or 35hp. Although somewhat anemic, it was dependable. Was used in about 15-20 different types of ultralights. What you got there is hard to pin down but most likely a taildragger version of the Huntair Pathfinder. The plane below used a Rotax, but earlier versions used the Cuyuna.

Huntair.pathfinder.arp.jpg
 
Thanks, Jim.

I don't know enough about them to tell what all is missing but I don't see any infrastructure for a fixed wing.

If you're interested in knowing, I can get some detail pictures tomorrow.
 
Thanks, Jim.

I don't know enough about them to tell what all is missing but I don't see any infrastructure for a fixed wing.
The two attach points for the boom would have also had the attach points for the wings... prolly long gone.
If you're interested in knowing, I can get some detail pictures tomorrow.
Nah... just thought I'd help you ID what you have there. We're good.
 
.. sometime back..... I was rip'n east of St Paul (Mn)….. and noticed several of these wing'n around.... and noted they where take'n off and land'n nearby.. so... I did a U turn and roll'd up to the hanger. Talked with several fellows … basically a lawn chair with a wing.... can't fly with anything above a stiff breeze..... one of the pilots ck'd out my Xs1.... commented he wouldn't ride a motorcycle.... " wasn't safe "... I told him when I fall down.. it's what.. 3 feet... in a fly'n lawn chair you become.. divot...
 
ul2.jpg


ul1.jpg


Some sort of derelict ultralight. Parasailer I think, no provision for a wing.
Belongs to Dale the Builder, he wants me to get the engine running with an eye toward building an airboat.
I giggled like a 10 year old girl at a pajama party while I was towing it up to the garage. Wife looking out the kitchen window thinking I'd lost my mind and was taking up flying...

Hi DE,
or perhaps an autogyro? 40 years ago my neighbor built one that looked kinda like it.
Lucky for him it only got ~6 feet into the air before it nosedived and beat itself to death so he got away with cuts and bruises.
 

It's ALIVE! Took three trips through the carburetor to get all the 20 year old goopy dried up premix out of it.

I blocked one wheel with my foot and wound it up a little, runs good. Firewalled it for a second and it tried to pivot around the blocked wheel and eat me, so plenty of power.
 
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