Post 12: The First Weigh-In of the Canyon Lightning™
- UL Plans
- Apr 22
- 1 min read
April 22, 2026
35 Pounds. Let that sink in.
I've been told my math is wrong. I've been told my materials are unproven. I've even been blocked from social media groups for suggesting that a Part 103 airframe shouldn't weigh as much as a small car.
Well, the scale doesn't lie.
I just did my first weigh-in for the Canyon Lightning™ skeleton:
✅ Main fuselage frame, including wing mount blocks and foam: 26.4 lbs
✅ Complete tail group (stabilizer, fin, rudder): 8 lbs 5 oz
Total: 34 lbs 8 oz
For those keeping track at home, many "affordable" aluminum designs are struggling to stay under the legal 254-lb limit even with tiny, underpowered engines. Some builders are reporting 260+ lbs with a Polini 202.
Why is the Canyon Lightning™ so much lighter?
It's not magic. It's evolution. While the legacy designs are dragging around pounds of heavy aluminum tubing, hundreds of steel bolts, and massive brackets, I'm using:
-Douglas Fir trusses: Nature's best strength-to-weight material
-Carbon fiber "lashing": Replacing heavy steel wing-mount straps with structural carbon wraps
-Foam-core monocoque: Turning 'dead space' into structural strength
I'm not just building a "light" plane. I'm building a bush-capable, 38HP rocket that actually gives you the weight margin to carry fuel, safety gear, and big tires without breaking the law -- or the scales.
If "experimenting" with better materials and modern CAD is wrong, I don't want to be right.
Stop dreaming. Start cutting. Fly carbon.™
Follow me so you don't miss the test flight!
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