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Thread: MiniMax Talk

  1. #1

    MiniMax Talk

    I have reached the, well, not so dread age, where some A.M.E. may not agree with me that I am in perfect health, and might say bad things on my next 3d Class Physical. So just in case, I am casting about to go part #103 ultra-light with an air vehicle that looks, feels and flies like an airplane. I have settled upon the MiniMax (called the 1100, now, I guess), been eyeballing it for a long time. Even have plans from ages ago. I'd like to hear about building from scratch, build times, complications, performance, etc. and be directed to the TEAM community, if such exists. Thanks. Dennis

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by soquetero View Post
    I'd like to hear about building from scratch, build times, complications, performance, etc. and be directed to the TEAM community, if such exists. Thanks. Dennis
    Dennis there is a fairly active group called East Tennessee Lonesome Buzzards http://www.lonesomebuzzards.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl where you can mingle with minimax builders.

    Good luck with your project - I'm going to start on a minimax as well in the next couple months just because I'm hyperactive.

  3. #3
    Dana's Avatar
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    Minimaxes are good planes... or you could simply let your medical expire, and fly as a Sport Pilot, which gives you options beyond 103.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Dana View Post
    Minimaxes are good planes... or you could simply let your medical expire, and fly as a Sport Pilot, which gives you options beyond 103.

    Yes, this.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2015
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    I second the suggestion of the East Tennesse Lonesome Buzzard website. It's all about MiniMAX building and flying.

    If you decide to go part 103 with a 1100R MiniMAX I can offer my experience. I built a 1100R from scratch using carefully picked Northern White Pine found at a local lumber yard. The 1 X 6's were re-sawn to the needed sizes and quantity. For the engine, I bought and rebuilt a 277 Rotax and ended up using a 4-belt reduction unit. It was covered using 1.7 Oz. fabric and finished with Latex House paint. I'm pleased to report that my completed MiniMAX came out weighing 246# empty.

    All totaled, including re-sawing the lumber, engine rebuild, building a workbench, fixtures jigs I spent about 1,000 hours over 2 years and spent about $4500 which included new instruments. It being my first build I think it took a bit longer and I took the slow method anyway by scratch building. If I were to build another 1100 MiniMAX, I think I could do it in 600-700 hours.

    Sport Pilot is another wonderful option you have available (That wasn't an option for me), but there's something to be said for no registration, annuals, or license being needed to fly ultralight.

    Best wishes on whatever route you choose to take.

    Lynn

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    A good choice! In the late 80's I scratch built a Minimax from the original plans which Wayne Isom hand modified to increase the fuselage width. The original MM was too narrow for a large pilot. We called it a wide body MM. I installed a 1/2 VW engine, and flew it for 8 1/2 years. They are easy and cheap to build. They handle like a small docile Champ-3 point and wheel landings are easy, and they slip so well that I almost forgot it had flaps! No Sport Pilot back then, but worth considering now. Great fun machines!

  7. #7
    crusty old aviator's Avatar
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    You can download the updated Minimax drawings from TEAM's website...

  8. #8

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    You will find the folks on the ETLB forum the most helpful and cordial bunch who have a huge wealth of knowledge on the mini-maxes and the air-bike. Have fun with your build!

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by cliffo View Post
    You will find the folks on the ETLB forum the most helpful and cordial bunch who have a huge wealth of knowledge on the mini-maxes and the air-bike. Have fun with your build!
    If you do join that group, don't mention rotax has an aviation line of engines. I mentioned this and was chased off. They all believed they knew better and not very nice about it. I myself will never go back to that site. The members of that group belong to other groups that I also belong to and they treat me no better on those forums either. They may be cordial to you. I did not get that. Go to the site and read some of my posts and you will see for yourself.

    Tony

  10. #10
    EAA Staff / Moderator Timm Bogenhagen's Avatar
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    I built a 1600R with an oil injected Rotax 503 over the period of 5.5 years taking 1089 actual building hours. Thousands of additional unlogged hours spent thinking about how to do something or planning the next build task. The fun is in the building and I enjoyed the experience of building a MiniMAX. The plans are excellent for a first time builder like I was. I am sure others have built their MiniMAXs in fewer hours as I tend to get picky about details and this takes lots of extra time. The plane flies great, it is a fun to fly, its a lightly wing loaded light-plane. Mine weighs 365 pounds empty weight, stalls at 35, cruise 70mph at 5500 rpm burning 3 gph. I built from a Team aircraft material kit from the early 1990's. It was great to have all the raw material all in one place all at the same time. This is a big benefit to buying a kit. However, if you are careful you could save money if you build form scratch. Being frugal and a good scrounger helps here. The MiniMAX is a great design and flies well for what it is. Don't get in a hurry to finish and fly, enjoy the building process, the fun is in the building.
    Have Fun & Fly Safe!
    Timm
    EAA 379292
    MiniMAX 1600R
    Challenger II
    HiMAX - in progress

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