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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

Drifter ultralight release

Mr Anthony you have gathered the ultralight spirit! After tried the demo for a few seconds I made the purchese: I have flwon an ULM like this (not actually a drifter, it was a firefox, same engine and the structure is very similar) and I can hear the same sounds, the actual rotax sound, it seems to be into the wind! And the dynamics are very realistic, I feel there! Thank you very much!:applause:
 
Just flown it from Sitka all the way to Kake, crazy winds on climb out, stalled twice. Navigating through those mountains on such a small aircraft is one of the craziest things i've done on FS. Strongly recommend it.
 
Anthony, as a rule, I don't fly low and slow. . .too boring and wayyyyyy too slow for my blood. Every once in a while, something comes along though that goes against that rule and your "Drifter" is one of those "somethings". It's not just the crisp texturing, the realistic look, the sound file, the pilot and passenger or the cool little extras, like the tie-downs or the pitot covers or even the very cool GPS. It's all of those things and the way it all combines to make what I would normally consider pretty boring flying. . . .a very realistic experience.

Thanks for what you've done here. . .it's a blast!! BIG Time!! Oh, and did I mention the cool GPS. . .yea, very cool, lol.:salute::salute:
 
Thanks everyone

I'm glad you all are enjoying the plane.

I thought many people would look at an ultralight and just automatically say "not interested" so the idea of a fully flyable demo seemed a great way to get people interested in this type of aircraft.

BTW. The Drifter is now available via simmarket at:

http://secure.simmarket.com/ants-airplanes-drifter-ultralight.phtml

For those interested in statistics my Tiger Moth has 47,609 triangle in the model, the Sierra 86,549 and the Drifter 148,936
 
anthony31 said:
Thanks everyone

I'm glad you all are enjoying the plane.

I thought many people would look at an ultralight and just automatically say "not interested" so the idea of a fully flyable demo seemed a great way to get people interested in this type of aircraft.
Click to expand...

You're welcome, Anthony. The praise is well deserved.
You really did a great job. The more I fly it, the more I details I find.
Especially love the authentic sounds on the full version
The "Rotax Rattle" brings back good memories of a misspent youth in ultralights. :icon_lol:
Wish more folks would do ultralights in such detail.

Also wish someone would do the larger cousin of the Drifter that Lockwood also had a hand in.
The Leza-Lockwood AirCam.
Very broadly, the larger, twin engine version of the Drifter that was designed to put an IMAX camera out front for filming a National Geographic film in Africa.
The "Flying Canoe" has plenty of power, twin engine reliability, and puts the pilot even farther out than the Drifter.
Great for outdoor expeditions.
I had a version for FS9, but it does not port over unfortunately.

Meanwhile Anthony, I am enjoying your full version of the Drifter immensely.
Thanks again to you, I now can enjoy a misspent middle age. :icon_lol:

(AirCam videos included for those interested.)

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XWMhjLKgbpI?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe>

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9HYY27Dd9zw?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="640"></iframe>
 
Wow, very nice video. The first is great!
Anthony. Is it possible to create small patch for Drifter with this tundra wheels?
Perhaps its custom modification but very good for bush pilots :wiggle:.
 
If I remember right ...... these are built down here in Avon Park, about 25 miles from me.
 
YoYo said:
Wow, very nice video. The first is great!
Anthony. Is it possible to create small patch for Drifter with this tundra wheels?
Perhaps its custom modification but very good for bush pilots :wiggle:.
Click to expand...

Sorry if I confused some folks, those are not Drifters in the videos, they are AirCams.
Similar in style, but built by a different company. AirCams are twin engine, faster, and much larger also.
I have never seen a Drifter with Tundra tires, don't know if it could even handle those type of tires. :kilroy:

http://www.aircam.com/


JoeW said:
If I remember right ...... these are built down here in Avon Park, about 25 miles from me.
Click to expand...

I beilieve you are correct, Joe.
Their official address is Sebring, but I see them operate out of Avon Park Executive Airport in a lot of videos.
 
Hmmm, do you need a pilot's license to fly those things? The FAA would like to talk to these guys given the low altitude hot-dogging, or are ultralights exempt from meeting such regs?

Very cool video otherwise. Real fight freedom. I'd like to see the twin for FSX done.
 
dvj said:
Hmmm, do you need a pilot's license to fly those things? The FAA would like to talk to these guys given the low altitude hot-dogging, or are ultralights exempt from meeting such regs?

Very cool video otherwise. Real fight freedom. I'd like to see the twin for FSX done.
Click to expand...
I think that's one of the reasons Ultralights got such a bad name for a period of time after they first arrived on the scene with the likes of the "Quicksilver" and other similar aircraft. You only needed a certain number of hours of instruction by a "qualified" instructor and just about anyone could buy and fly an ultralight. Unfortunately, a lot of those "pilots" didn't posses a lot of common sense to go along with the airplane they'd just purchased. Consequently what got the most press were the accidents, caused by pilot stupidity (as opposed to pilot error), and the ultralight was unjustly tagged as an unsafe aircraft when it was actually the idiots flying them that were unsafe.
 
anthony31 said:
Thanks everyone

I'm glad you all are enjoying the plane.

I thought many people would look at an ultralight and just automatically say "not interested" so the idea of a fully flyable demo seemed a great way to get people interested in this type of aircraft.

BTW. The Drifter is now available via simmarket at:

http://secure.simmarket.com/ants-airplanes-drifter-ultralight.phtml

For those interested in statistics my Tiger Moth has 47,609 triangle in the model, the Sierra 86,549 and the Drifter 148,936
Click to expand...



Absolutly brillient marketing. The Demo is a real blast. Planning to upgrade soon.

d
 
FAR 103 covers ultralight operations in the US.
The Drifter is outside the limits for an ultralight here in the US and would require a license.
The AirCam definitely would and requires a multi-engine rating as well.

falcon409 said:
I think that's one of the reasons Ultralights got such a bad name for a period of time after they first arrived on the scene with the likes of the "Quicksilver" and other similar aircraft. You only needed a certain number of hours of instruction by a "qualified" instructor and just about anyone could buy and fly an ultralight. Unfortunately, a lot of those "pilots" didn't posses a lot of common sense to go along with the airplane they'd just purchased. Consequently what got the most press were the accidents, caused by pilot stupidity (as opposed to pilot error), and the ultralight was unjustly tagged as an unsafe aircraft when it was actually the idiots flying them that were unsafe.
Click to expand...

I would agree Ed. I lived it.
A lot of guys had no common sense back then.
Usually, if they survived, they scared themselves out of the "hobby" immediately.
I had a licensed pilot as my instructor, and he was by the book.
Also, some designs were just not as well engineered as they are today.
30 years has seen a lot of improvements.
I don't think you could get me into an Eipper Quicksilver these days. :icon_lol:
 
Dain Arns said:
FAR 103 covers ultralight operations in the US.
The Drifter is outside the limits for an ultralight here in the US and would require a license. . . . . . .
Click to expand...
Is that because of speed restrictions Dain or is there something else (weight possibly or a combination of both)?
 
falcon409 said:
Is that because of speed restrictions Dain or is there something else (weight possibly or a combination of both)?
Click to expand...

Main reason, it has an extra seat. FAA feels it's okay to kill yourself, not a passenger. :icon_lol:

Weight for sure, seems like it exceeds the max speed by 20kts (guessing), and definitely has more than a 5 gallon fuel tank.
That's off the top of my head. Haven't looked at FAR 103 in quite a few years now.
 
Anthony did another fantastic job with the Drifter - and the Paint-Kit also ! After playing a bit with it, this is my first Repaint for this Beauty. Nothing special, Denmark registrated UL.

More to come .........

Greetings :wavey: Dirk

Edit: Pic3 with new/other Tail-Section
 
Funny you showld mention the low dollar, Anthony. When you first released the Sierra I was watching the price climb for weeks. I could of course go watch dollar charts.... nah. Looking at airplanes is much more fun.:icon_lol:

Beautiful work Anthony!
 
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