IO
”Rod1 - how is the empty weight of your homebuilt made up? % due to engine, airframe, avionics, etc. It should be trivial to save 5-10kg by replacing certain non-structural items. I realise you carry a transponder but you gave this example as representing huge numbers of pilots. “
A VLA does not have the problem of a max empty weight. It is the micros, which have the problem. The CT and Eurostar aircraft are within 0.5kg of max empty weight factory built and that is with min allowable kit, no radio and no transponder. My glass panel and standard kit is quite light (the HSI is 300g all in including the solid state gyro). If I had to save weight the navcom is 3.88 lbs and the transponder is about 2 kg excluding wiring and aerial so they would be the obvious choice. I could exchange the CS prop for a fixed pitch, but this is only going to save a few kg as the prop is a state of the art carbon bladed electrical unit. Non of the above will help the CT/Eurostar as they would not have any of it to start with. The empty weight of mine is 253kg, mtow 490kg so she nearly lifts her own weight.
I agree that large chunks of GA are below 2000ft, including most spam cans. It was your assumption of a connection between no electrics and flying low that I was disagreeing with. The aerobatic boys do not fly low and a lot of home built and some factory stuff comes with no electrics to save weight and improve performance. I make no comment on this being a good thing, it just is.
Ironically, the number of flying machines, which cannot carry transponders, is set to increase massively over the next few years. Literally 100’s of unregulated 115kg max empty weight machines are on order and new designs are coning in to this new CAA approved category. Do not assume these will not fly above 2000ft
WR
There is a guy at Old Sarum who works in engineering and owns a vintage piper who has exactly the setup you describe. In practice he gets about 1.5 hours out of the battery with the wind generator operating, but that is with the radio and transponder on. It is sufficient to get him into L2K and out again but he only uses the transponder to get into cas. Sorry I cannot remember his name; it has been a long week.
Rod1