Milholland Legal Eagle
{{Short description|American ultralight aircraft}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}
| {{Infobox aircraft begin
| name=Milholland Legal Eagle | image=Legal Eagle Flight.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox aircraft type | type=Ultralight aircraft | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Better Half VW | designer=Leonard Milholland | first flight= | introduced=1998 | retired= | status=Plans available | primary user= | more users= | produced= | number built=Legal Eagle - over 100 (as of 2011) | developed from= | variants with their own articles= }} |
The Milholland Legal Eagle is an American high wing, strut-braced, single engine, tractor configuration, conventional landing gear-equipped ultralight aircraft that is available as plans from Better Half VW of Brookshire, Texas, and is intended for amateur construction.Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-37. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}Buchanan, Sam: [https://www.kitplanes.com/legal-eagle-xl/ "Legal Eagle XL: An RV-6 owner discovers the simple pleasures of building and flying an airplane that rewards low and slow,"] November 16, 2012, Kitplanes retrieved April 17, 2020{{cite web|url = http://www.betterhalfvw.com/|title = Leonard Milholland's Better Half VW Engine & the Legal Eagle Ultralight|accessdate = 26 May 2010|last = Gibson|first = Graeme|authorlink = |year = n.d.}}{{cite web|url = http://www.betterhalfvw.com/qanda.htm|title = Frequently Asked Questions on Leonard Milholland's Legal Eagle Ultralight|accessdate = 26 May 2010|last = Milholland|first = Leonard|authorlink = |year = 2002}}Vandermeullen, Richard: 2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide, Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 46. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 33. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
The Legal Eagle is so named because it is capable of being built in compliance with the United States FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles regulations, even when equipped with a four-stroke engine.Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16, page 35. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}
Design and development
The Legal Eagle features an open cockpit and is powered by a {{convert|30|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Half VW engine. As of 2023, the Legal Eagle and Legal Eagle XL can alternatively be powered by a {{convert|23|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine.{{cite web | url=https://legaleagleairplane.com/product/briggs-and-stratton-engine-plan/ | title=Briggs and Stratton Engine Plan }}
The design features a fuselage of welded 4130 steel tubing, mated to an all-wood wing made from spruce (and derived from the Mini-MAX). The struts and tail surfaces are made from 6061 T6 aluminium tubing. The flying surfaces are covered with doped aircraft fabric. The rear fuselage is normally left as an open truss structure to save weight and to ensure that the aircraft does not exceed the FAR 103 maximum speed of 55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph). Like the fuselage, the taildragger landing gear is sprung steel. Additional plans were released that would allow Legal Eagle and Legal Eagle XL planes to be modified to allow wing-folding within 30 minutes.{{cite web | url=https://legaleagleairplane.com/product/folding-wings-and-tail-plan/ | title=Folding Wings and Tail Plan }}{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P86xSHts_G0&t=317 | title=Folding Tail Part 2 | website=YouTube | date=December 26, 2020 }}
The aircraft has been developed into several variants of the basic design including the XL version for larger pilots and a two-seat ultralight trainer and light-sport aircraft.{{cite web|url = http://www.betterhalfvw.com/LEXL/|title = Introducing the Legal Eagle XL|accessdate = 26 May 2010|last = Gibson|first = Graeme|authorlink = |year = 2009}}{{cite web|url = http://www.doubleeagleairplane.com/|title = The Double Eagle - A Light, Strong, Simple & Inexpensive Airplane|accessdate = 26 May 2010|last = Gibson|first = Graeme|authorlink = |year = 2007}}
Variants
File:Legal Eagle Ultralight1.JPG
;Legal Eagle
:Basic model with a {{convert|244|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} empty weight, powered by a {{convert|30|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Half VW engine or {{convert|23|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine. Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 44. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851{{cite web | url=https://legaleagleairplane.com/product/briggs-and-stratton-engine-plan/ | title=Briggs and Stratton Engine Plan }}
;Legal Eagle XL
:Model for larger pilots with a wider and taller seat, greater wing area and longer tail. {{convert|246|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} empty weight
;Double Eagle
:Model with two seats in side-by-side configuration with a {{convert|385|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} empty weight and a {{convert|900|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} gross weight. Designed as an ultralight trainer and Light Sport Aircraft. Powered by a {{convert|60|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} Volkswagen air-cooled engine giving a {{convert|70|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} cruise speed.
Specifications (Legal Eagle)
{{Aircraft specs
|ref= Cliche, Better Half VW and Kitplanes{{cite web|url = http://www.betterhalfvw.com/DETAILS.HTM|title = The Legal Eagle Ultralight Specifications|accessdate = 26 May 2010|last = Gibson|first = Graeme|authorlink = |year = 2002}}
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=one
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=13
|length in=0
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=23
|span in=6
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=5
|height in=6
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=107
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=244
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=500
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=5 US gallons (19 litres)
|more general=
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Half VW
|eng1 type=horizontally opposed twin-cylinder, four-stroke, single ignition aircraft engine
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=30
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|prop blade number=2
|prop name=Culver wooden
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=60
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=50
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=25
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=80
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=100
|range nmi=
|range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=300
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=4.7
|wing loading note=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
|avionics=
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|see also=
|related=
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References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|Milholland Legal Eagle}}
- [http://www.betterhalfvw.com/ Legal Eagle official website]
- [http://www.doubleeagleairplane.com/ Double Eagle official website]
Category:1990s United States ultralight aircraft
Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft