LeonardThisWeek
Legal Eagle
The Legal Eagle prototype has been reassembled from the Oshkosh 2002 trip... Leonard showed a really nice throttle quadrant for the dual carbs connected with the universal dual throttle cable at Oshkosh 2002... I'm hoping Leonard will provide some pictures of that and perhaps a drawing... The airframe has over 150 hours on it and Leonard has decided to find a stock spring to recommend for the landing struts instead of the found items currently in service... Other routine maintenance items are in progress...
Leonard has a smoke system for the LEU that is made from an empty Propane Torch tank containing smoke oil piped into the #4 cyl exhaust under pressure controlled with a shutoff valve... This is demo'd occasionally at his airport home on Sport Flyer Field...
Double Eagle
Engineering changes to the prototype wings are being studied, applied to drawings and adapted to the existing assemblies...
October 1, 2002 - Leonard reports he has finished the wing modifications and is almost ready to varnish them... Leonard has sold his Spad 13 project so he can concentrate on the Double Eagle and changing family duties...
October 14, 2002 - Leonard has decided to redo the Double Eagle Empennage using steel tubing... He wants to sell the current aluminum tube Empennage that is hinged, covered and has one coat of PolyBrush on it to a Legal Eagle builder - it is 10% larger than the Legal Eagle unit and would fit nicely on an Eagle that has an extra bay in the wings and the firewall moved foreward 2" - a big guys' airplane... I recall putting a lot of time on my empennage to bring it to this stage... Purchasing the assembly saves significant building time that really teaches you nothing about the remaining aircraft construction... Call Leonard after 7 PM Central time at (281)-375-5453...
December 4, 2002
Subj: Re: Leonard on: Double Eagle status...
Date: 12/04/2002 8:47:07 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: leonard@lemilholland.com
To: EaglersNests@cs.com
Hi Steve;
I will send you a pic as soon as the weather gets good enough for me to get it in front of the hangar doors. Everything is covered but the wings and it is looking good. I covered the back of the cockpit like Joe did and it will be red and silver. leonard
December 25, 2002 - Leonard is totally covered and in the painting stage on the Double Eagle... Leonard reports waking up in the night and going to the shop just to look at those pretty wings with the cover all shrunk tight on them... There are pages on this site where I captured comparable moments building #33... Even at this stage there is a lot of work remaining but you also have a clear vision of the finished prize to be!...
January 1, 2003 - Leonard is putting the silver coats on the Double Eagle cover... The text for the Dougle Eagle plans are with the typist... Leonard is doing a video of installing the 1835cc VW engine... Final assembly is the next major milepost...
January 19, 2003 - Someone sneaked into Leonard's hanger with a camera last week - pictures below... I am reviewing an advance copy of the Double Eagle plan set drawings - they reflect presentation clarifications where Leonard has received calls on the Legal Eagle plans...
February 2, 2003 - Leonard heard REAL Double Eagle engine sounds yesterday... The plans are coming along too!...
Subj: Re: Double Eagle plans request...
Date: 02/09/2003 6:45:34 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: Leonard
To: EaglersNests
Hi guys;
The Double Eagle is getting close. I put the windshield in today and the seat belts. The next thing is the wings that should take place this week. The plans are almost done and the text is almost finished. I guestimate that in about 6 weeks it should be tested and the plans finished. The video is not edited yet but it will be about the same time. Boy, it's getting exciting around here. I always like this time in the construction cycle. This plane will be no. 11 for me and just about the last plane. I've got to get "The Week End Wing" going. Then, I think I will build me a Volkswagen beetle. I've been wanting to for a long time now and I can do that while I am selling plans and stuff. Leonard
----- Original Message -----
From: SKiblinger@cs.com
To: leonard@lemilholland.com
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 6:27 PM
Subject: Double Eagle plans request...
Name- : Willem van Wyk
Have the plans (Yes with serial #) or (No)- : no
LEU (Looker) (Building) or ( Flyer)?- : looker
Looking for (Partner(s)) (information sharing) (local projects)- : Want to buy double eagle plans as soon as they are available.
City- : Nelspruit
State- : South Africa
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Subj: Double eagle
Date: 02/15/2003 8:28:56 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: leonard@lemilholland.com
To: SKiblinger@cs.com
Hi Steve;
The Double Eagle is finally DONE. There is gas in the tanks and the wing gap cover is on. It sits in the hangar waiting for the runway to dry up. I can't even get it out to take a picture cause there is a 172 setting in the way and its too wet to pull it out onto the grass. The Double Eagle pilot and passenger seating is comfortable. I've been sitting in it and making airplane noises. Maybe I can get it out Wednesday. The EAA meets here Thursday and they haven't seen it lately so they will be surprised.
Soggy Leonard
ED Note: Leonard reports that the empty weight came in at 389 lbs and the CG is favorable... With a Gross weight of 900 lbs this plane is a real lifter and will carry 2 heavy people!...
See Rollout pictures below February 17, 2003...
March 23, 2003
Flew the Double Eagle three times today and no surprises. People watching said it took off in 4 seconds and it climbs very good. Much better in all things than I expected. The first flight was about 20 minutes. Landed to look things over and adjust some back pressure out of the stick. Made an adjustment and went up again. That took about half of the back pressure out. Then after landing the third time I finally discovered that I wasn't moving the ends of the stabilizer. The brace wires were keeping it as it was so this week I will remove some spacers and get the whole tail leading edge lowered and do some more testing. Also I am going to sandbag the other seat to see how it acts with more weight in it. We had one of those days that one does not want to end. The wind was almost calm and the temp was good and it was sunny and the neighbor had hamburgers for lunch. Every one was telling me how good it looked and how good it sounded. Some times you get it right. How sweet it is. Leonard
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There are lot's of photo's here (click) at the new EaglersNests Yahoo Group site and DE updates in the messages section... Please start following the DE thru the Yahoo Group... There will be ocassional updates here on other Leonard Designs...
February 17, 2003
Photo Rollout
March 2, 2003 - Leonard is still hanger bound by rainy weather but he has not been idle...
o---o
Restless Double Eagle builders could be collecting parts and preparing an engine as Leonard works thru completing the prototype and drawings... There are over 50 sheets of drawings completed at this time... A marked up out-take of sheet 24 can be see on the Empennage page...
Laverne Milholland likes the Double Eagle a lot more than the Legal Eagle - not hard to see why...
The control stick is configured as a "Y" shape to allow passenger or student to follow thru on the controls...
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