WD-II HOVEY WHING DING

The WD-II Whing Ding (designed by Bob Hovey in the 1960s) is the spiritual father of the modern ultralight. It is a lawn chair with wings. It is the absolute definition of a “minimal plane.”

Its design is so radically simple it borders on the absurd, but it works wonderfully. It is a single-seat biplane that proved you could fly with a go-kart engine and hardware store materials long before it became fashionable.

Here are its advantages, focused on its extreme minimalism and garage engineering.

1. Manufacturing: The Triumph of Simplicity

The Whing Ding was designed so that anyone could build it in the corner of a bedroom (literally, the wings are so short they fit inside a house).

• Mixed Engineering (Wood and Tube): The fuselage is basically a 2 or 3-inch aluminum irrigation pipe. The wings are wood (spruce spars) with Styrofoam ribs cut with a hot wire. It is a brilliant mix: the rigidity of aluminum for the tail and the ease of wood for the wings.

• Foam Ribs (Styrofoam): It was one of the pioneers in using foam ribs glued to wood, covered with kraft paper or light fabric. This makes building the wings incredibly fast; there are no complex stick-built ribs to assemble, just cut the shape and glue.

• No Welding: The entire plane is assembled with bolts and pop rivets. If you have a drill and a wrench, you have your factory ready.

• Microscopic Cost: Being so small (barely 5.5 meters / 18 feet wingspan) and using so little material, the construction cost is ridiculously low, accessible for practically any budget.

2. Design and Flight Advantages

Do not be fooled by its size; the biplane design gives it unique advantages.

• The Pocket Biplane: By having two wings, it has a lot of lifting surface in very little space. This allows the wings to be short and rigid without the need for complicated cables (it uses rigid wood or tube struts).

• Extreme Agility: It is a very small and light plane. The response is instant. It has no inertia. You think about turning, and you have already turned.

• Total Visibility (and Open Air): There is no cockpit. You sit on the leading edge, with your feet on the pedals in the open air. The sensation of flight is pure; it is you and the wind. It is the closest thing to flying like a bird (or a witch on a broomstick).

• Storage: Due to its tiny size, it can be disassembled and stored in a garage next to the car, or hung from the ceiling. You don’t need to pay for a hangar.

3. The Kart Heart: Chain Drive

Here is the mechanical genius of the Whing Ding that makes it special.

• Go-Kart Engines (McCulloch): It was designed to use 2-stroke kart engines (like the classic McCulloch 101) that spin at very high revolutions (10,000 RPM).

• The Chain Reduction Drive: For that engine to move a large propeller, Hovey designed an industrial chain transmission system (yes, like a motorcycle or heavy bicycle chain). The propeller is large, wooden, and spins slowly, providing a lot of static thrust, while the small engine screams at high RPMs. It is a noisy system, but incredibly efficient, cheap, and easy to repair.

4. Performance by the Numbers (Small but Mighty)

It is a slow plane, but its lightness gives it surprising performance to take off from anywhere.

• Featherweight: The empty plane weighs around 55-60 kg (120-130 lbs). It weighs less than the pilot! This makes it legal in almost any ultralight category in the world without paperwork.

• Takeoff: Thanks to its low weight and two wings, it takes off in about 60-70 meters (200-230 ft). With a little wind, it goes airborne immediately.

• Speed: It is a leisurely flight. Cruise speed of 80-85 km/h (50-53 mph). The stall speed is extremely low, close to 40 km/h (25 mph).

• Fuel Consumption: About 6-8 liters (1.5-2 gallons) per hour. It sips fuel.

Considerations (The rawness of flight)

We must be honest about what flying this implies:

• Noise: The high-revving kart engine, right behind your head, is loud. You need good headphones.

• Exposure: You are totally exposed to the elements. It is not for flying in winter or in the rain.

• Wind Sensitivity: Being so light (less than 60 kg), a gust of wind moves you like a leaf. It is a plane for calm mornings and sunny afternoons.

In summary, the Hovey Whing Ding is the option for the radical minimalist. If you want to build a plane in the space of a room, spending the minimum possible, and you are attracted to the idea of simple mechanics with karts and chains, this is your plane. It is pure concentrated fun.