Photograph:
Milholland Double Eagle N9087J in the USA (Author’s collection)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Ultralight sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 45 kw (60 hp) Volkswagen [1835-cc] conversion four-cylinder horizontally-opposed air- cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 8.62 m (28 ft 3 in)
- Length: 5.48 m (18 ft)
- Height: 2.07 m (6 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 11.79 m² (127 sq ft)
- Wing chord: 1.43 m (4 ft 7 in)
- Cruising speed: 113 km/h (70 mph)
- Economical cruising speed: 88 km/h (55 mph)
- Stalling speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)
- Range: 370 km (230 miles)
- Fuel capacity: 53 litres (11.65 Imp gals)
- Take-off distance: 76 m (250 ft)
- Landing distance: 107 m (350 ft)
- Rate of climb: 152 m/min (500 ft/min)
- Empty weight: 175 kg (385 lb)
- Useful load: 234 kg (515 lb)
- Loaded weight: 408 kg (900 lb)
History:
The Double Eagle was designed by Leonard Milholland in the United States as a basic ultra-light aircraft and is a two-seat plans-built development of the Legal Eagle. It has a welded steel fuselage of aircraft tube and is very light. It was the 11th project by Mr Milholland for the ultralight market and it was initially designed for a friend of his who needed a larger cockpit due to his weight. However, he died before construction of the prototype was finished and it was completed for use as an ultralight trainer. Subsequently the US FAA introduced the LSA regulations for light aircraft and it was completed as an LSA homebuilt. The prototype was shown at the 2003 EAA event at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Power is usually supplied by a four-cylinder conversion of a Volkswagen engine whereas the single-seat variant is powered by what is described as the Better Half Volkswagen, which is a four-cylinder engine cut in half. Parts and engines became available from John Bolding Aircraft in the United States but it is not supplied as a kit. Help became available from Messrs Bolding and Milholland and there is an active builders community. At least one example has been completed in Australia, being built at Temora NSW. Another example became VH-DEH (c/n G54) to its owner at Albany, WA in February 2020.