Homebuilt Tipsy Nipper

Brian Hope · Post by **Brian Hope** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:00 pm

Hi Colin, not long been back from Turweston hence delay in responding. I did indeed chat with Francis on Friday and he told me there was no LAA based problem with building a Nipper. The issue is the non availability of a fuselage drawing in the plans set. If you have a fuselage, or can get one from (Raymond as John suggets) or Nipper Kits (Alan Ayles) then you can certainly build it. It might even be possible to 'copy' a fuselage but you would have to be able to show Engineering that it has the correct gauge tubing etc. So the official word is that yes you can build a Nipper.

ColinC · Post by **ColinC** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:08 pm

Thanks for the update Brian.

mikehallam · Post by **mikehallam** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:46 pm

Colin Cheese,

But shurely that's a bug not a mouse running around your LH text ?!?

MDF1 · Post by **MDF1** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:14 pm

Brian. Many thanks for taking the time to speak to FD, that is good news indeed after months of rumour about the Nipper!! Hopefully it will have a bright future and I hope I can start building in the new year!!

David Hall · Post by **David Hall** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:18 am

This is good news indeed, and even though a couple of years ago I was told any new project "had to be a refurbishment/restoration job of an existing aircraft", I very much welcome it.

I was supplied with a list of available components (including new jig built fuselages) back then, so hopefully NK&C (if it's still an entity) will rise to the challenge of producing the components required.

mb2 · Post by **mb2** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:58 pm

I have many (30 approx) drawings of parts that are additional to the 13 part plans set people are familar with. One such drawing covers the fuselage frame in detail which could used to build from. I'm not sure how you would stand in terms of licencing as I understand Nipper Kits and Components are still in the 'frame'!.
Regards
Mark

John Austin · Post by **John Austin** » Sat May 29, 2010 2:19 pm

Hello Mark

I've just bought a set of Nipper plans from NK&C and I'm planning to start building a Nipper as soon as I can sort out the fuselage situation. NK&C is in the process of being sold and I've been assured that the new owners will be able to supply fuselages (presumably built to order). Would it be possible to purchase a copy of the additional plans from yourself?

regards

John

RobW · Post by **RobW** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:48 pm

Just curious - but as a new owner of an old nipper, which parts wouldn't be BCAR section S compliant???

The nipper seems far stronger than my old Skyranger (which was section S compliant), with similar control forces and a similar speed range. Is it to do with stability...???

Rob

Ian Melville · Post by **Ian Melville** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 5:28 pm

May have been BCAR Section K, not Section S

Isn't the weight too high for Section S? I think stall speed is just OK

As you say stability may be an issue

RobW · Post by **RobW** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:57 pm

I'm not up on my BCAR sections! MTOW of Nipper is 340kg, so it's not microlight category, even if it can squeak in under the max stall speed of 35 knts....
Directional stability with the standard rudder is a bit marginal, but otherwise seems OK to me!