Vibratech Propeller Balancing
We have now added Propeller Balancing to our inventory of technical services because a properly balanced propeller not only delivers the ultimate in aerodynamic efficiency but it also creates a quieter environment for the pilot and reduces airframe wear and fatigue.
We now have been appointed provisional agents for the Vibratech Propeller balancing system, that our detailed research has shown, is the ultimate in efficiency.
Homebuilding Supplies
The Hughes Group of Companies are here to help you with all your home building requirements, be it parts, advice or information. Feel free to call or email Howie or one of the team during work hours.
Australian LightWing Easter Newsletter 2009 ~ PAGE 1
Economic meltdown, global warming, climate change, what next... swine flue !! what a beatup ? The worlds in turmoil so all the more reason to enjoy your recreational activities and keep flying! As a part of the Australian LightWing stimulus package, we have undertaken a serious re-think of our approach to both sales and manufacture. Take a look at our new showroom (shown below). The showroom is a great improvement and, to our knowledge, it’s the only aircraft showroom in the district. So please, if you are coming past Ballina Airport (flying or driving) call in for a visit, a chat and a cuppa and have a look at our range of light aircraft, home builders supplies and associated products.
This is the first newsletter for some time and we hope you find in interesting. Back to our stimulus package, next we took a look at cost reductions and the first step there was to re-visit our past expertise developed in the early 90’s in CNC computer aided machining. Using the latest technology we now have our own CNC flat bed router developed entirely here in Ballina, so what does all this mean to us, faster and more accurate manufacturing of sheet metal components, to you the reader I hear you ask, well, lets say you have an instrument panel with lots of cutouts, for instruments, switches etc, just send us a drawing of the plate and we can cut it out in a fraction of the time you will spend with a file and a jigsaw. See more details on p3.
In the background in the photo of the new showroom above, Jenny McCamleys new SP-2000 can be seen with its blue paint job. This is the second LightWing the McCamleys have purchased and taking advantage of the current 30% tax allowances, this aircraft will be used to commute between their various QLD pastoral properties. The McCamleys are producing certified organic beef for both export and the local markets.
Then there is our three wheeled electric car project which we call the Roadie also our jumbo LightWing, which we call the SP 6200 and SP-6000
What is Australian LightWing developing an electric motor car, I hear you ask? Well there are a number of answers but mainly, it stems from our desire to contribute to climate change solutions and as such we believe we are the only company in Australia capable of producing a truly lightweight practical, electrical two seat motor car. Another answer, when I got my first car, a blue VW beetle, it cost me about $3 to fill it up, now call me a cheapscate, call me a miserable bastard (just dont call me late for dinner !) but I would just love to return to that sort of cost for getting from A to B, read more about the Roadie below.
Our display at Narromine this year featured an SP 2000 provided by George (Snowman) Jennings from Canberra. Thanks George, Why is George called Snowman? because he manufacturers snow making machines of course! I visited his workshop and he showed me these intricate machines that mix compressed air and water to top up our snowfields, George described an installation he made in India where a large room was simply filled with snow so the locals could throw snowballs at each other !
We are continuing to produce the new low wing SP-2000. we are up to no 12 and we delivered number 7 to the USA for display at Oshkosh last year, well I always said that Oshkosh can come to me (I would love to stage a big air-show at Ballina one year ) but taking an aircraft to the biggest air show on earth was the next best thing. We had a ball with out new agents Airgyro and Nate, Don, Robert, Mike and Jake. Airgyro is a family business located in Utah and we wish them all the best as they weather the current economic turmoil.
NEXT… Times are tough and cheaper aircraft have also become our focus so we have re-designed and improved the Pocket Rocket or PR, calling the new model the PR-XP. The Pocket Rocket was developed in 1988 in response to a perceived demand for a single seat 95-10 aircraft, we sold one only to Peter Major who used the aircraft for over 10 years to inspect and help manage his rather large property located near Bourke.
Soon after we developed a 2 seat version of the PR and sales took off. Ask for a brochure on the new bird, she features a number of engine options, she is aerobatic capable and can be built in a range of configurations from 1 seat to floats and amphibious to an enclosed 2 seater.
So, read on and any feedback will be appreciated, email comments to al@spot.com.au
Australian LightWing Easter Newsletter 2009 ~ PAGE 2
Shown left, our 12m x 3.6m Flat bed CNC router, available from $35,900 inc and don't forget the 30% tax deduction for equipment purchased before the 30 June 2009. This machine can also use Laser, plasma or oxy-acetelene to cut almost any material from Divinicell shown above to 6” thick steel plate. Ask Howie for details, if you are doing multiple cuts by hand, you are wasting your time and money. Our system uses Mac 3 software to convert CAD drawings to machine language or G-Code, this software is the best and most cost-effective available.
Shown above , the “Roadie” 3 wheel all electric 2 or 3 seat road vehicle, will this turn a few heads or what !!
A second and almost as compelling reason for our develoment of an electric car comes down to the words of a Bob Dylan song, Slow Train coming " Dylan wrote this in the 80's but the words are more relevant today than they where back then,
Verse 3 goes somthing like:
All that Foreign oil
Controlling American (or Australian) soil
Look around you, its bound to make you embarrased
Shieks walking around like kings
Wearing fancy jewles and gold rings
Controlling American (Australias) future from Amsterdam and Paris
And its a slow ... stow train coming, coming around the bend.
That, to me, about summs it up, we need alternate means of powering our industries, transport and homes, Dylan has a no nonsence way of putting things, this is our contribution, a light motor vehicle will free us from dependence on imported oil, use less enegry, create less pollution and it will make all of us here at LightWing, feel a hell of a lot better, and perhaps it might rub off on a few others.
No, our Roadie will not tow your boat to the ramp on the weekend but it will get you to work and back or to the beach and cost you less than $1 to charge and with Lithium Batteries, its range may extend to 300km, perhaps even further, The Roadie is being developed with the assistance of 3 Undergraduates from Toulouse France, watch the web page for details as we progress during 2009 / 10. Also Rex Forwood, our local insustrial genius, is assisting with styling and design.
Will the car fly ??
Yes of course !! park and un-bolt the rear wheel, remove the battery pack and bolt on the flying kit consisting of a high wing (we will use our strut braced GA wing) 
with tails, a pusher prop and engine and off you go ! The Roadie cab is just that, a cab and its uses are many and varied, flying use can also extend to the addition of amphibious floats, mountng on a hovercraft frame etc.
Also to come ...Mean Roadie and Off-road Roadie, watch this space !!
Why 3 wheels ? Answer= for a start, this means no gearbox or differential, rear axel etc. This saves over 150 kg, why electric, same reason, an electric motor requires no gearbox as it produces maximum torque at zero Revs.
And the third reason for the Reoadie, to show the larger car makers how its done, show them how easy it is to be green, 100% green. There will be no chrome decoration on our vehicle, no glitz, no stupid features that add weight and slow the vehicle down, just as there is none of this on our aircraft. We are a amall company located in a small town yet we can easily produce a practical motor vehicle that will produce zero carbon emmissions. Why cant GMH or Ford do this ? While in the US, I hired a Prius for 10 days, in my opinion, what a poor excuse for a green vehicle this car is ! Its fuel burn was way more than even an average small diesel powered sedan, still. i guess they are giving it a go at least.
Please NOTE that for us to claim zero emissions from the ROADIE, we will develop a solar home charging station in the near future.
Australian LightWing Easter Newsletter 2009 ~ PAGE 3
Shown Left and below, The SP-6200.
To be made available as a kit aircraft, the SP6200 will be available as a kit aircraft only with seating from 2 to 6 passengers. The carbon fiber body has a diameter 1.50m, may be light enough to fit into the RAAus category but we will wait and see on that one. The 6 seater could be registered VH- Experimental and could be fitted with a Walter turbine. Originally proposed as a twin engine pusher with engines mounted a little aft of the center of the fuselage on small pylons (Honda Jet style), but we decided that initially this presented too many problems so a single tractor engine on the front (depending on its Hp) should give the aircraft a cruise of about 150 kts. This unique aircraft will have all the class of a small jet but with a fraction of the purchase cost. To fit the RAAus class (at 750 kg. MTOW) , you might ask 2 questions:
Firstly WHY such a large aircraft ? Good question but why do many people like to get about in large boats or vans, the answer is why not !. In the rear you could fit a bed perhaps or a galley or even a toilet.
Second: what sort of power-plant will the SP-6200 need ?
For 4 or 5 seat Experimental registration, an IO360 Lycombing or a 6 cyl Lycombing will suit but to be light enough for sports registration the engine must weigh in at less that about 150 kg and also produce over 200 hp so we are developing a V6 2 stroke fuel injected watercooled gear drive engine with full electronic managment.
Construction: Fuselage carbon fiber epoxy composite, Wings: 6061T6 aluminum, Control surfaces: "S" glass Laminates, Engines as described or 2 x Rotax 914 pushers, Experimental rego only, perhaps RAAus for the prototype.
Navigation Systems: ALW Glass cockpit, Light Flying Autopilot. Design and manufacturer: Hughes Group Ballina NSW
Registration: Experimental Available: 2009-2010 perhaps RAAus 2 seat only.
Please register your interest now. Contact: al@spot.com.au
Kit or advanced kit prices on application.
Superb graphics by Rex Forwood.
Australian LightWing KIT Aircraft ~ The Pocket Rocket
Hughes Engineering have manufactured over 175 Australian LightWing high and low wing aircraft since we started production in 1985. Around 20% of these have been sold as Kit Aircraft. Our Sports aircraft are spread all over Australia, Europe and the USA with happy owners building their aircrafts in homes, garages and sheds as hobbies and life long dreams. Andrew Martin is currently building 4 seat his SP-4000 in West Australia.
Hughes Engineering offers complete customer support and supplies. We are contactable six days a week and we pride ourselves on our efficient and helpful advice and service. From the very first tool you will require to choosing your paint scheme, Howie, Nick and all the team are happy and ready to help!
We are Proudly Australian Made and Proudly the safest in the country if not the world. Our Safety record speaks for itself. For more information on any of our kit aircraft, or feedback on the information supplied, please contact us.
Shown Above is the 2 seat tandem PR-XP, our latest addition to the LightWing lineup. The PR is available from prices starting at $36,000 for a complete kit including the Rotax 2 stroke engine and all kits come with a simple to read and understand assembly manual, all aircraft in the PR range can be fully built at the factory and all feature a fully welded steel pilot protection cage, (as do all our aircraft including the SP-2000 low wing) this cage is the same in principal that you will find in most Race cars like the formulae one for example and it’s the reason why, in the event of a mishap, you will almost certainly walk away from your aircraft. Few other aircraft manufacturers can not only make this claim but also back it up with over 25 years experience.
PR stats., cruise 80 –90 kts, options include glass panel, VIP prop, Price from $36,000 MTOW 600 kg, empty 250 to 300 kg fuel 80l, stall 40 kts 3 stage flaps build time 150-300 hrs
Shown above Kent Lees SP-2000 nearing completion. Custom paint jobs have always been a feature of our aircraft production and Kents is no exception, the checks where applied by LJ Signs Ballina and are wrapped onto the fuselage using the latest UV resistant film, Graphic design assisted by Rod Ellis, LJ Signs Ballina
Australian LightWing Easter Newsletter 2009 ~ PAGE 4
The VIP Propeller VIP= “ Variable Inflight Pitch” Why fit a VIP to your aircraft ? On takeoff and when your aircraft is climbing, the pitch of the prop should be fine to achieve maximum efficiency, in the case of the SP-2000, pitch at 2/3 of the prop diameter should be about 22 degrees but in cruise, the only way to achieve optimum performance is to corsen the pitch up to about 28 degrees (depending on a number of other factors), to do this, you must be able to change the angle of the prop blades, thus our VIP. The VIP (manufactured and designed at LightWing), propeller hub features a 4130 steel clamp which locks the Bolly Carbon fibre blades to the shaft.
Manual adjustments between coarse and fine pitch is made by a Venire cable located in the central cockpit console. The Propeller comes complete with the cable, manual and mounting brackets to suit hollow shaft engines Cruise with a VIP 118 kts, with a fixed pitch, same aircraft, 98 kts. Price $4,900 inc GST If you want to get the most out of your engine, save dollars and reduce carbon emissions, you must have a VIP.
Safety has always been a primary concern to Australian LightWing and its SAFETY that has dictated the selection and use of materials, engine selection , navigational aids and many other features found in our aircraft. With the high tech navigation, the SPEED Range integrates the latest in navigational systems available to the recreational pilot in the form of your choice of our own “CAN”. System which stands for Computer Aided Navigation or the Stratomaster 8” or 10” glass panel.
Our dashboard is specifically designed to mount the 8” or 10” display screens that come with this type of navigation equipment, the hood over the screen is an essential part of the system, this reduces glare and although the screens are daylight-readable, the hood is a great idea. Both these superb systems use a digital compass and digital gyro to provide real time 3 dimensional artificial vision. Very few of even the latest passenger jets (The A380) have this degree of sophistication. The 3D terrain is a system function that you may rarely need but chances are that the times you need to see outside the aircraft when its poring rain or its gotten dark or whatever, artificial vision might just save your bacon. Both ours and the Stratomaster display both 3 dimensional terrain and also a flat GPS type maps. The Stratomaster couples directly to an autopilot. Our CAN system has the benefit of having a PC onboard which can be handy if you want to access the internet in-flight for communication purposes or perhaps to download weather, call and ask Howie for details of both systems, of course, the best would be to fit both ours and the Stratomaster.
What do we do when we’re not making the most beautiful Light Sport Aircraft in Australia ? Well, Nicky loves his boats, Howie’s off designing parts for the aircraft or a car or a flying car !!, congratulations to US based Terrafugia for their successful first flight of the 2 seat flying car, Jenny loves painting her art and Shelly can be found in a studio or local music venue, she is singing in a few bands at the moment! Check them out if music is your thing to unwind after a nice day out flying… www.myspace.com/redbantoo and www.myspace.com/cbddubproject
Shown below, the Roadie Electric.
The power for this 2 or 3 seat vehicle will come from a choice of batteries that are located in a pack that runs almost the full length of the passenger compartment on the centerline. This pack can be easily removed for servicing and a choice of batteries will be available. The Roadie is being developed entirely at the Hughes factory at Ballina Airport. The lowest priced sealed lead acid batteries will give the vehicle an estimated range of 75 kilometers before a re-charge will be needed while we hope that a more expensive Lithium Iron pack will give the Roadie a range of between 200 and 300 kilometers. Lithium Iron batteries can be charged in less time than lead acid but are more expensive.
The curb or empty weight of the Roadie is projected to be less than 300 kg making it the lightest in in its class.
Price of the Roadie ? Watch this space, we hope between $30,000 and $40,000 but this will depend on how many we produce, you can reserve one by emailing us at al@spot.com.au and placing a $100 deposit.
All the above was written by Howie Hughes, feedback or comments to al@spot.com.au