Weedhopper 2 Place

The Weedhopper is perhaps the most honest ultralight ever created. Designed by John Chotia, it represents the absolute democratization of flight. It is the ultimate expression of industrial simplicity. It is the plane for those who want to fly now, without spending years in the workshop.

Here are its main advantages, divided into its legendary ease of manufacturing, operation, performance, and unbeatable economy:

1. Manufacturing Advantages: The Flying Meccano

The Weedhopper was designed for people who know how to use a wrench and a drill, not for wood craftsmen or expert welders.

• Zero Welding: This is its most brutal advantage. The entire plane is assembled with bolts and nuts. The fuselage consists of 6061-T6 aluminum tubes joined with gusset plates. If you know how to assemble IKEA furniture, you are overqualified to build a Weedhopper.

• Sleeve Wings: Forget about gluing fabric, stitching ribs, or applying toxic chemicals. The wing fabric (Dacron) comes sewn like a sock or a giant pillowcase. You simply slide the fabric over the tube structure of the wing, tension it, and you are done. You can cover a wing in 20 minutes, not 20 days.

• 15-Minute Repairs: If you have a hard landing and bend a tube, you don’t have to strip fabric or cut wood. You unbolt the bent tube, cut a new one to size, drill the holes, bolt it on, and go fly again. It is the easiest plane to repair in the world.

2. General and Flight Advantages

In the air, the Weedhopper Two-Place offers an elemental and pure flight experience.

• Total Visibility: There is no cabin, no doors, no windows. You sit on the nose of the plane, with the wind in your face and your legs in the air. It is the closest thing to flying like a bird (or a witch on a broom) that exists. The view is perfect in 360 degrees.

• Robust Tricycle Gear: It has a nose wheel that makes ground handling incredibly easy. It drives like a go-kart, making it very intuitive for beginners and forgiving of many landing errors.

• Pendulum Stability: The wing is situated high above the pilots. This creates a natural pendulum effect that makes the plane always want to be stable and recover to level flight on its own.

3. Performance by the Numbers and Brute Force

It is not a fast or aerodynamic plane, it is a plane of round tubes in the wind, but its work capacity is legendary.

• Monstrous Useful Load: This is the statistic that surprises everyone. The Weedhopper Two-Place weighs about 115 kg empty, but it has a useful load of 225 kg (500 lbs) or more, depending on the engine. This means the plane is capable of lifting almost double its own weight. It can carry two burly adults and a full tank without flinching.

• Takeoff from No Man’s Land: Thanks to its huge wing area and low weight, it jumps off the ground. With a Rotax 503 engine, it takes off in approximately 45 to 60 meters. It is short enough to operate from any farm field.

• Stall Speed: It is incredibly noble. It stops flying at a ridiculous 26-28 mph (42-45 km/h). When it stalls, the nose simply drops gently.

• Cruise Speed: There is no rush here. You travel at 50-55 mph (80-90 km/h). It is a plane for viewing the landscape, not for traveling far.

4. The Hardware Store Miracle: Cost and Maintenance

This is where the Weedhopper has no rival. It is aviation within reach of any pocket.

• Aluminum Shop Materials: The vast majority of the tubes are standard industrial aluminum sizes. You don’t need to order parts from a foreign aerospace factory; you can get replacemen bolts and nuts. The fuselage consists of 6061-T6 aluminum tubes joined with gusset plates. If you know how to assemble IKEA furniture, you are overqualified to build a Weedhopper.

• Sleeve Wings: Forget about gluing fabric, stitching ribs, or applying toxic chemicals. The wing fabric (Dacron) comes sewn like a sock or a giant pillowcase. You simply slide the fabric over the tube structure of the wing, tension it, and you are done. You can cover a wing in 20 minutes, not 20 days.

• 15-Minute Repairs: If you have a hard landing and bend a tube, you don’t have to strip fabric or cut wood. You unbolt the bent tube, cut a new one to size, drill the holes, bolt it on, and go fly again. It is the easiest plane to repair in the world.

 

Considerations (The other side of the coin)

To be fair, you must also consider that:

• Aerodynamics of a Brick: It has many exposed cables and tubes. When you cut the engine, it doesn’t glide much; it comes down decisively due to air resistance (drag). You have to keep power until you almost touch the ground.

• 2-Axis Control: Most original Weedhoppers do not have ailerons (they use only rudder and elevator). This makes them very easy to fly on calm days, but working with strong crosswinds can be a physical challenge.

• Exposure to the Elements: If it’s cold, you freeze. If it rains, you get wet. There is no heating or protection. It is pure aerial motorcycling.

In summary, the Weedhopper Two-Place is ideal if you are looking for maximum mechanical simplicity, fast and cheap repairs, and need a light cargo truck that can carry two big people from a short strip without complications.